A BBC thriller hailed “one of the best shows ever” has just landed on Netflix.

The series originally premiered in 2018 but fans think it didn’t get enough recognition. We are talking about The Little Drummer Girl, adapted from the best-selling John le Carré novel of the same name.

Set in the late 1970s, the six-episode show follows English actress Charlie after she is recruited by Israeli intelligence agents to infiltrate a suspected terrorist group. But the spy soon forms complicated relationships with both sides, making her mission even more dangerous.

Film fans will be happy to hear that Academy Award nominee Florence Pugh leads the cast as Charlie. She is joined by an equally talented ensemble, including Primetime Emmy Award winner Alexander Skarsgård, and two-time Oscar nominee Michael Shannon.

Florence Pugh  

Florence Pugh stars in the thriller (Image: BBC)

Meanwhile, celebrated South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook serves as the show’s director.

Although viewers felt like the series was overlooked, it still earned a rare 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

One critic shared a glowing review, stating: “The six-part series brims with style and intrigue-and ranks among the best espionage TV dramas in recent memory.”

While a casual viewer praised: “One of the best shows I’ve seen in the past years. Perfect blend of suspense, romance and drama. Pugh, Skarsgård and Shannon are fantastic.”

Florence Pugh in The Little Drummer Girl

Some fans think the series is better than The Night Manager (Image: BBC)

Someone else shared their verdict on Reddit, writing: “I personally loved it and thought it deserved more praise and accolades than it got.

“I liked it more than The Night Manager and it was extremely stylistically filmed and one of the most beautiful looking TV shows ever, outside of Hannibal or Westworld.”

With a second adding: “I thought it was fantastic, one of the best spy thrillers I’ve ever seen. I chase the high of that show sometimes from other things but nothing ever quite scratches the itch.”

And a final viewer penned: “Fantastic mini series with a killer cast and direction, it really is a shame that it flew so far under the radar.”

The Little Drummer Girl is streaming now on Netflix and its also available to stream for free on BBC iPlayer