Darren Boyd takes to satellite-beamed screens tonight in Sky1's new action comedy Spy. A sort of a Johnny English 2.0, the show follows a loveable loser who accidentally gets a job at MI5. You know the schtick: hilarity ensues as a bumbling idiot who can't even muster the dexterity to tie his own shoes inadvertently saves the day with his hapless heroics. It's a role that seems tailor-made for the former Green Wing actor, but a quick glance into the dusty tomes of television history shows us that he's not the first to have been tapped on the shoulder.

In fact, since the first cathode ray tubes began to hum, episodic espionage has become something of a fixture on the small screen. But who's done it best? Here's our pick of the six best spy series. Let us know what you think below

Mission: Impossible (1967-73 and 1988-90)

With one of the most iconic intros in TV history, Mission: Impossible exploded onto screens in the late 1960s and became one of the most successful spy show to have snuck its way onto the schedules. After a hugely popular original run, the show returned to screens in the late 80s, before Tom Cruise went and ruined it all with a glitzy Hollywood remake in which the star poses meditatively in the foreground while something explodes in slow motion behind him.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979)

John le Carre's engrossing tale of cold-war espionage is currently garnering much acclaim on the silver screen, but for many it will be most fondly remembered in the form of this superb miniseries starring Alec Guinness as George Smiley. Along with the equally impressive (some would argue even better) Smiley's People, it made it into the Guardian list of the Top 50 TV shows of all time.

Spooks (2002-2011)

The quality has ebbed and flowed since a stunning debut series but Spooks has remained one of the best spy shows on the box, with a willingness to push boundaries that other shows shy from. Across 10 seasons (Spooks will shortly be retired from service) it has attracted an enviable cast including Matthew Macfadyen, Rupert Penry-Jones and Hermione Norris – all of whom fans constantly feared would be dispatched with the flick of a deep-fat fryer.

The Saint (1962-1969)

What is it about spy shows and top-notch theme tunes? The Saint, which proved a training ground for Roger Moore's later work on Her Majesty's secret service, is up there with Mission: Impossible in terms of memorable music. But it's not only the catchy title sequence that sticks in the mind's eye, Moore too was excellent as Simon Templar, the Robin Hood of small screen spies; a free spirit who'd work on both sides of the law so long as it followed his strict moral compass.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E (1964-1968)

U.N.C.L.E employees Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin – played brilliantly by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum respectively – were the heart and soul of a show that followed the duo's attempts to thwart the amusingly acronymic THRUSH and its designs on world domination. Counting Bond supremo Ian Fleming among its creative team it's perhaps no surprise that U.N.C.L.E was an astronomic success.

Danger Man (1960-1968)

Patrick McGoohan's titular secret agent provided some welcome relief from the increasingly outlandish exploits of his conniving contemporaries in the 1960s. While others revelled in intricate plots and cutting-edge gadgetry, Danger Man offered a more realistic take on the spy drama format, with hard work rather than laser beam-spouting timepieces saving the day and the shades of grey implicit in intelligence work put front and centre.

Honourable mentions

The Avengers (1961-1969)

The Avengers evolved into one of the first examples of TV spy-fi, a sub-genre that concerned itself with pantomime-esque super-villainy and outlandish adventure over espionage and intrigue.

Get Smart (1965-1970)

Mel Brooks lampoons the hell out of James Bond and co.

Alias (2001 – 2006)

Perhaps the best-in-show for modern stateside spy series, Alias provided television whizz JJ Abrams with his first real hit.