This Christmas, MI5 decided to forgo the traditional turkey in favour of Lamb, Jackson Lamb.
The shabby and flatulent spook who is depicted by Gary Oldman, and best known for berating his MI5 colleagues in the hit show Slow Horseshas recorded a Christmas message on behalf of the spy agency.
In an Instagram post, MI5 said that Lamb had swapped Slough House, the fictional office where the service sends their rejects, failures and embarrassments in the hope that they quit or prematurely retire, for Thames House, the headquarters of the service.
The video paid tribute to the staff of Thames House, who work throughout Christmas
Voicing over a video of agents’ hard at work inside the building, Oldman — in character as Lamb — recites a poem reassuring the public that MI5 is working hard over the festive period to keep the UK safe from national-security threats.
“’Twas the night before Christmas when all through Thames House, not a creature was stirring, just a click of a mouse. Then footsteps on stairwells then flickering screens, the clackety keyboards of a hundred machines,” Oldman said.
“The hustle, the bustle, the hive of activity, not the typical scene of your Christmas nativity. So while people at home wrap last-minute gifts, the staff inside Thames will be changing shifts. From us all at 5 we wish you festive delight. Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night.”
The post by MI5 concluded: “Our staff will be working throughout this festive period to keep the UK safe from national-security threats. From everyone at MI5, we wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.”
Slow Horseswhich is based on the Slough House series of spy novels by the British author Mick Herron, is now in its fourth series and has been renewed for two more. It has often been described as the “anti-Bond” for its focus on “losers, misfits and boozers”.
Oldman’s portrayal of Lamb has received critical acclaim, garnering nominations at the Baftas, Emmys and Golden Globes for the profane spy who is a far cry from the sophistication of James Bond and the emotionally calculated demeanour of George Smiley.
In the message, the agency said it was working to keep the public “safe”
Earlier this year Oldman, 66, said that he described the show to people who have yet to see it as a “sort of slightly shady, dirty side of espionage” and “PG Tips, Tesco’s version of it”.
The actor, who was nominated for an Oscar in 2011 for his performance as George Smiley in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spyhas previously said that he turned down the chance to star as a Bond villain before the franchise reboot in 2006 with Casino Royalethe first of five films featuring Daniel Craig.
Earlier this year, GCHQ released their annual brainteaser in the form of a Christmas card. This year’s puzzle challenged the public to decode the names of UK landmarks by using skills such as codebreaking, maths and lateral thinking.
