George Smiley, the aging master spy of the Cold War and once heir apparent to Control, is brought back out of retirement to flush out a top level mole within the Circus. Smiley must travel back through his life and murky workings of the Circus to unravel the net spun by his nemesis Karla 'The Sandman' of the KGB and reveal the identity of the mole before he disappears.
| Title | Air Date | Duration | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | Episode 1 | Return to the Circus | 1979-09-10 | 50 min |
| Season 1 | Episode 2 | Tarr Tells His Story | 1979-09-17 | 50 min |
| Season 1 | Episode 3 | Smiley Tracks the Mole | 1979-09-24 | 50 min |
| Season 1 | Episode 4 | How It All Fits Together | 1979-10-01 | 50 min |
| Season 1 | Episode 5 | Tinker Tailor | 1979-10-08 | 50 min |
| Season 1 | Episode 6 | Smiley Sets a Trap | 1979-10-15 | 50 min |
| Season 1 | Episode 7 | Flushing Out the Mole | 1979-10-22 | 50 min |
| Camera | Tony Pierce-Roberts | Director of Photography |
| Writing | Arthur Hopcraft | Screenplay |
| Writing | John le Carré | Novel |
| Sound | Geoffrey Burgon | Music |
| Sound | Malcolm Webberley | Sound Recordist |
| Editing | Chris Wimble | Editor |
| Editing | Clare Douglas | Editor |
| Costume & Make-Up | Joyce Mortlock | Costume Design |
| Costume & Make-Up | Elizabeth Rowell | Makeup Artist |
| Art | Austen Spriggs | Production Design |
| Production | Jonathan Powell | Producer |
