Is Slow Horses Based on a True Story & Is Slough House a Real Building?

With its fourth season arriving soon, fans are curious about whether Slow Horses is inspired by a true story. The 2022 spy-thriller is captivating audiences worldwide with its unconventional approach to the popular genre. The series is based on the spy novel series Slough House written by British author Mick Herron.

Without further adieu, here is everything we know about whether Slow Horses is based on real-life events.

Is Slow Horses based on a true story and real events?

While most of the story is purely fictional, some aspects of Slow Horses are rooted in a true story.

Like the novels, it centers on the titular Slough House team of the British intelligence agency MI5. It is where disgraced operatives are sent as a disciplinary measure. Despite belonging at the bottom of the food chain, the team does get to work on several high-profile cases, all thanks to their leader, Jackson Lamb, a veteran MI5 agent.

Slow Horses is unlike most other narratives in the popular genre as it incorporates a lesser-known side of the intelligence agency and its operatives. Besides the high-adrenaline chases and shootouts, there is a drab side to the job that is hardly ever seen on screen. Like most workplaces, MI5 also has to deal with dull administrative work and overcome IT issues.

Another aspect of the show inspired by real-life events is the “tiger team” issued by MI5 higher-ups. In the show, this team was sent to abduct a member of the Slough House. It served as a test for the team’s efficiency and sifted out any weaknesses within. A tiger team like this is a real-life tactic that government and military agencies implement to look for any issues within and resolve them accordingly.

Is Slow Horses’ Slough House a real building?

No, Slough House is not a real building or team in MI5. It is simply a fictional body that author Mick Herron constructed for his novels.

Every member of Slough House has committed career-ending mistakes in their cases to end up on that team. If a body like this existed in real life, it would be the subject of much controversy. In most cases, if a high-level operative makes such a grave mistake, they will most likely lose their job. So, the team is nothing but a fictional narrative to build the story around.

Namrata Ghosh

Namrata is a SEO Content Writer for ComingSoon and an avid reader, with a profound love for movies and anime, especially the works of Hayao Miyazaki. She holds a masters in English literature and has been producing content for over two years.