From Vietnam to JFK - spies, lies and the story of the CIA told by its longest-serving agent

The utterly gripping, award-winning drama Central Intelligence is back, revealing further inside stories of the CIA and featuring an all-star cast. Told from the perspective of Eloise Page (Kim Cattrall), who joined on the Agency’s first day in 1947 and, in her 40-year career, became one of its most powerful women. Eloise takes the listener on a journey through the highs and lows of US foreign policy, spanning the staggering world events that shaped not only her career, but also her personal relationships with CIA leaders Allen Dulles (Ed Harris) and Richard Helms (Johnny Flynn).

In series two, the Cold War intensifies with US involvement in South Vietnam. It’s 1954. Colonel Ed Lansdale, former advertising executive and the CIA’s maverick agent in South-East Asia, is given the task of creating dissension in the North to stop the advance of the communists. The death of Stalin brings confusion and elsewhere, Nasser seizes the Suez Canal in Egypt and global powers scramble. The British want control back. The Soviets move in. And the CIA races to keep Egypt from slipping behind the Iron Curtain.

In the shadow games of empire, Eloise Page watches the balance of power shift. The space race begins and high-altitude spy planes are deployed with great success. As CIA policy architect John Foster Dulles becomes gravely ill, Eisenhower’s presidency comes to an end, revolution erupts in Cuba and in the Congo chaos reigns. The charismatic democrat John F Kennedy takes the presidential reins, but tragedy awaits…

Kim Cattrall is a multi-award-winning actress, perhaps best known for her role as Samantha Jones in Sex in the City. In a career spanning over four decades she has appeared in films, on TV and on stage in both the West End and Broadway. Ed Harris is an Academy Award-nominated actor known for his roles in The Truman Show, Pollock and The Hours. He recently starred in the blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick. Johnny Flynn is best known for his role in TV comedy drama Lovesick, and played David Bowie in the biopic Stardust. He recently performed on stage at the National Theatre as Richard Burton in The Motive and the Cue directed by Sam Mendes, and is also the composer and singer of the theme music for the TV series The Detectorists.

Written by Greg Haddrick
Directed by John Scott Dryden
Produced by Emma Hearn
Original music by Sacha Puttnam
A Goldhawk Production for BBC Radio 4

First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 20th June - 22nd August 2025

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