Homepage

Accessibility links

  • Skip to content
  • Accessibility Help
BBC Account
Notifications
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • iPlayer
  • Sounds
  • Bitesize
  • CBeebies
  • CBBC
  • Food
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Innovation
  • Culture
  • Travel
  • Earth
  • Video
  • Live
More menu
Search BBC
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • iPlayer
  • Sounds
  • Bitesize
  • CBeebies
  • CBBC
  • Food
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Innovation
  • Culture
  • Travel
  • Earth
  • Video
  • Live
Close menu
BBC Four
Sleuths, Spies & Sorcerers: Andrew Marr's Paperback Heroes
  • Home
  • Episodes
  • Clips
Main content

Sleuths, Spies & Sorcerers: Andrew Marr's Paperback Heroes

Andrew Marr deconstructs detective fiction, fantasy epics and spy novels - the books we really read. He unpicks their conventions to show how these books keep us turning the page.

On iPlayer

Spies

All available episodes (3 total)

On TV

No upcoming broadcasts

All previous episodes

Supporting Content

  • Learn how to write fiction and test your creativity with The Open University

    • Take the quiz to find out your ideal whodunit plot and style
  • Cover stories: Sleuths, spies, sorcerers and other paperback heroes

    • Read the article
  • Books website: Get closer to books with author interviews and video highlights from the major literary festivals

  • Tradecraft — Spies

    Duration: 1:54
  • The Ipcress File — Spies

    Duration: 1:09
  • Neil Gaiman reads from American Gods — Fantasy

    Duration: 1:04
  • The sidekick — Detectives

    Duration: 1:10

Related Links

TV and radio programmes from The Open University

Related Content

Similar programmes

By genre:

  • Factual > Arts, Culture & the Media > Arts

By format:

  • Documentaries
BBC Four homepage
  • Home
  • Schedule
  • Collections
  • Newsletter
  • TV Guide

Explore the BBC

  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • iPlayer
  • Sounds
  • Bitesize
  • CBeebies
  • CBBC
  • Food
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Innovation
  • Culture
  • Travel
  • Earth
  • Video
  • Live
  • Terms of Use
  • About the BBC
  • Privacy Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies
  • Cookies
  • Accessibility Help
  • Parental Guidance
  • Contact the BBC
  • Make an editorial complaint
  • BBC emails for you
  • Advertise with us
Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.