The Definitive 'Slow Horses' Release Schedule: What Day New Episodes Air And The Shocking Wait For Season 6

For fans of gritty, darkly comedic espionage, the question of "what day does *Slow Horses* air" is a weekly ritual. The good news is that Apple TV+ has established a highly consistent release pattern for its acclaimed spy thriller, making it easy to mark your calendar. As of the current date in December 2025, the latest season, Season 5, has concluded, and new episodes for the series consistently premiere on Wednesdays, following a two-episode debut. This schedule has held true across all five seasons, providing a reliable weekly dose of Jackson Lamb's caustic wit and the Slough House crew's incompetence-turned-heroism. The series, which adapts Mick Herron’s brilliant *Slough House* novels, maintains a unique release strategy, often dropping two full seasons a year, which is rare for a high-profile streaming show. However, the most recent information suggests a significant change to this pattern for the highly-anticipated next installment, Season 6. If you’re looking for the next episode, you’ll need to prepare for a longer wait than usual, as the show's production schedule has shifted, pushing the next premiere date further out than any previous season.

The Confirmed 'Slow Horses' Release Schedule: Season 5 & The Future

The release schedule for *Slow Horses* has become a predictable and welcome fixture for Apple TV+ subscribers. Each season, consisting of six episodes, has historically followed a pattern of a two-episode premiere, followed by four weekly installments.

'Slow Horses' Season 5 Full Release Schedule

The fifth season, which adapted Herron's novel *London Rules*, followed the established weekly release pattern. New episodes dropped on Wednesdays at 12:01 a.m. PT / 3:00 a.m. ET, meaning the new installment was ready for viewing on the West Coast at midnight.

• Season 5 Premiere (Episodes 1 & 2): Wednesday, September 24
• Episode 3: Wednesday, October 1
• Episode 4: Wednesday, October 8
• Episode 5: Wednesday, October 15
• Season 5 Finale (Episode 6): Wednesday, October 29

This six-episode arc concluded the series' most recent run, leaving fans immediately clamoring for the next chapter in the lives of the "slow horses." The consistency of the Wednesday air day is a key piece of information for anyone looking to catch new episodes right as they drop.

The Latest on Season 6: A Confirmed Renewal and Expected Air Date

The biggest news for fans is that the future of *Slow Horses* is secure. Apple TV+ has already greenlit not only Season 6 but also Season 7, confirming their commitment to adapting the majority of Mick Herron's *Slough House* novel series. * Season 6 Renewal: Confirmed in October 2024, shortly after the Season 4 finale began streaming. * Source Material: Season 6 will adapt the sixth book in the series, *Joe Country*. * Expected Air Day: New episodes will almost certainly continue to air on Wednesdays. * Major Release Shift: Unlike the rapid-fire release of Seasons 1 through 4 (which saw two seasons released per calendar year), the wait for Season 6 will be significantly longer. Star Gary Oldman, who plays the brilliant but repulsive Jackson Lamb, confirmed in late October 2025 that filming for Season 6 was wrapping up. Based on this production timeline, the earliest and most likely premiere window is Fall 2026. This marks the longest gap between seasons since the show's debut.

The Slough House Crew: Key Entities and Characters Driving the Espionage

The enduring appeal of *Slow Horses* lies not just in its taut spy plots, but in the dysfunctional, yet endearing, family of MI5 rejects who populate Slough House. Understanding these key entities is essential to appreciating the show's topical authority and unique tone.

The Core Cast and Characters

The ensemble cast is led by a powerhouse of British acting talent, lending immense credibility to the production.

Character	Actor	Role in Slough House/MI5
Jackson Lamb	Gary Oldman	The slobby, flatulent, yet terrifyingly competent head of Slough House. A former Cold War operative with deep secrets.
River Cartwright	Jack Lowden	The ambitious, disgraced grandson of a legendary MI5 figure; the series' de facto protagonist.
Diana Taverner	Kristin Scott Thomas	The ruthlessly ambitious "Second Desk" at MI5 headquarters (Regent's Park, or "The Park"). Lamb's primary foil.
Roddy Ho	Christopher Chung	The brilliant, arrogant, and socially inept computer hacker/tech expert.
Catherine Standish	Saskia Reeves	Lamb's long-suffering administrative assistant, a recovering alcoholic with a tragic past linked to MI5.
Marcus Longridge	Kadiff Kirwan	A disgraced agent with a gambling problem and a sharp mind for fieldwork.

What is Slough House? The MI5 Dumping Ground

The entire premise hinges on the location: Slough House. It is not a prestigious MI5 headquarters but a dilapidated, depressing administrative building in London's Barbican area. It serves as the dumping ground for agents who have messed up their careers in a way that is too embarrassing to fire them, but too damaging to keep them in "The Park." These agents, the "slow horses," are given tedious, soul-crushing paperwork in the hope that they will quit out of boredom. The irony, and the core of the show's drama, is that these disgraced agents often stumble upon and solve the most critical national security threats that the elite agents at Regent's Park miss.

The Source Material: Mick Herron's Slough House Novels

Topical authority for *Slow Horses* is inextricably linked to the literary genius of author Mick Herron. The show's commitment to adapting his books faithfully is a major reason for its critical success. The series has a clear roadmap for future seasons, all based on Herron's extensive catalog. The show adapts one novel per season, with two seasons often covering two books released in the same year.

The Slough House Novel-to-Season Adaptation Order

The following list shows the book that each season has adapted or will adapt:

• Season 1: *Slow Horses* (Book 1)
• Season 2: *Dead Lions* (Book 2)
• Season 3: *Real Tigers* (Book 3)
• Season 4: *Spook Street* (Book 4)
• Season 5: *London Rules* (Book 5)
• Season 6 (Upcoming): *Joe Country* (Book 6)
• Season 7 (Confirmed): *Bad Actors* (Book 7)

This consistent adaptation strategy means that fans of the books already have a strong idea of the future plotlines, including the high-stakes, politically charged crises that will drag the slow horses out of their paperwork purgatory. Herron's style, characterized by its cynical humor, intricate plotting, and deep focus on character flaws, is perfectly captured by the Apple TV+ production.

Why the 'Slow Horses' Wednesday Air Day is a Must-Watch Event

While the next new episode is a long way off in Fall 2026, the show's consistent Wednesday release day has turned the mid-week slump into a high-stakes espionage night. The series has garnered widespread critical acclaim, with much of the praise directed at Gary Oldman's performance as Jackson Lamb, which earned him a BAFTA nomination. The show’s success is built on several key elements that make the weekly drop a highly anticipated event: * Dark Humor and Cynicism: *Slow Horses* avoids the glossy glamour of traditional spy thrillers like *James Bond*. Instead, it focuses on the unsexy, bureaucratic, and often depressing reality of intelligence work, injecting it with a sharp, cynical, and very British sense of humor. * High-Stakes Thrills: Despite the characters' flaws and the dingy setting, the threats they face are always genuinely terrifying, often involving rogue MI5 agents, political corruption, and extreme right-wing groups. * The Ensemble Dynamic: The chemistry between the actors, particularly the father-son-like tension between Lamb and River Cartwright, is a constant source of drama and entertainment. The supporting cast, including Roddy Ho, Catherine Standish, and Diana Taverner, provide a rich tapestry of conflicting motives and loyalties. In summary, while the question "what day does *Slow Horses* air" has a simple answer—Wednesday on Apple TV+—the more pressing question now is *when* the next season will air. With Season 5 concluded and Season 6 now confirmed for a likely Fall 2026 premiere, fans must settle in for a significant wait before they can once again join the slow horses in their grim London headquarters.

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