Ponies wouldn’t be returning for Season 2. The Peacock spy thriller starring Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson premiered in January 2026 and was canceled in June after its first season. Despite its positive reviews and approval rating, the Cold War drama didn’t garner enough viewership for the NBC streamer to greenlight a second outing.
Created by Susanna Fogel and David Iserson, Ponies revolves around Bea (Clarke) and Twila (Richardson), two unassuming secretaries at the American Embassy who lost their spy husbands and become CIA operatives to unravel their deaths. In its brief run, the series attracted a decent following with its blend of buddy comedy and amateur espionage. Here are other shows with a similar feel.
05. Black Doves (2024 – Present)
It’s exciting to know Black Doves will return for Season 2 in no time. Between its spellbinding suspense and roller-coaster plotting, Season 1 stands out amongst contemporary shows with its delicate blending of spy action, drama, and mystery. The British hit starring Keira Knightley, Ben Whishaw, and Sarah Lancashire revolves around Helen Webb (Knightley) — a spy determined to unravel her lover’s murder. Season 1’s finale left viewers with several big questions, alongside teasers for the next installment. Although Black Doves takes itself more seriously, Knightley’s brilliance makes up for Ponies’ lighthearted adventure. The Joe Barton spy thriller will surely sate the appetite for Ponies.
04. The Day of the Jackal (2024 – Present)
Ponies’ antagonist Andrei Vasiliev (Artjom Gilz’s) brings The Day of the Jackal’s Alexander Duggan (Eddie Redmayne) to mind. Both characters share several similarities, especially in terms of their comfort with violence and astute experience. The Day of the Jackal follows an elusive assassin caught up in an intense chase across Europe. Like Ponies, the spy thriller inspired by Frederick Forsyth’s eponymous novel was released to rave reviews.
For its sterling lead performances, compelling story, and strong narrative arc, The Day of the Jackal has been nominated for multiple coveted awards, including two Golden Globes for Best Television Series and Best Performance by a Male Actor. The show received the greenlight for another season in November 2024, the same month it premiered on Netflix. Season 2 will arrive sometime in 2027.
03. Cross (2024 – Present)
The thematic likeness between Ponies and Cross circles around the lead characters’ motives. Just like Bea (Clarke) and Twila (Richardson) drove Ponies’ plot with their quest to learn more about their partners’ deaths, Cross’ protagonist, Detective Alex Cross (Aldis Hodge), strives to make sense of his wife’s murder. The crime thriller based on James Patterson’s novel series centers on the detective’s efforts to stop an egomaniac serial killer while dealing with a costly past misjudgment that threatens his family.
Cross’ seamless mix of crime thriller, drama, and suspense is at the heart of the core elements it shares with Ponies. The Ben Watkins series premiered on Amazon Prime Video in November 2024 with Season 2 already in the works. After the second installment arrived in February 2026, the psychological crime thriller was renewed for Season 3 the next month.
02. The Americans (2013 – 2018)
Like Ponies, the period spy drama created by Joe Weisberg is set during the Cold War. The series stars Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys as a Soviet KGB espionage couple posing as an American family at the height of the war. The Americans premiered on FX in January 2013 and concluded in May 2018 after six seasons. It earned positive reviews from fans and critics throughout its run, winning four Primetime Emmys among dozens of other esteemed awards. The Americans has a serious tone, with its story built around trained undercover agents, unlike Ponies’ amateur spies. Still, it has strong thematic similarities that can fix the craving for Ponies’ Cold War espionage.
01. Slow Horses (2022 – Present)
The spy thriller adapted from Mick Herron’s Slough House novels is cut from the same cloth as Ponies. Slow Horses premiered on Apple TV+ in April 2022 and has run for 5 acclaimed seasons, with the 6th and 7th installments underway. Starring Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, and Kristin Scott Thomas, the British spy thriller follows a dysfunctional team of disgraced MI5 agents known as the slow horses. They are treated with disregard for failing, but somehow wind up investigating cases at the heart of national security.
The slow horses are akin to Ponies’ Bea and Twila in more ways than one. Both shows share a similar brand of comedy and espionage. To cap it all, Slow Horses has multiple seasons, setting it apart as an ideal show to move on to. The series’ positive reviews, approval ratings, and coveted awards ensure its spot among the best shows like Ponies. It’s won at least two Primetime Emmys among other prestigious gongs. Check out four major changes to expect in The Pitt Season 3.
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