TV series
The Cold War heats up on the German border.
A British spy helps a Russian scientist to defect from the Soviet Union by taking a perilous journey through the Eastern Bloc.
Availability
Checked Jul 22, 2026
The Contract premiered January 3, 1988. We don't have a confirmed streaming, rental or purchase option yet.
A British spy helps a Russian scientist to defect from the Soviet Union by taking a perilous journey through the Eastern Bloc.
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Episode 1
British intelligence must convince Russian scientist Wilhelm Guttmann to come to the United Kingdom, but with his son in their hands, former soldier Johnny Donoghue is tasked with securing his cooperation amid Cold War tensions.
Directed by Ian ToyntonWritten by Gerald SeymourGuest stars Hans Walter Klein, Hans Zander, Mike Montgomery, John Moreno, Lutz Weidlich, Ann Rye, Allan McClelland, Ann Aris
Episode 2
Donoghue goes undercover in Berlin to make contact with Guttmann and persuade him to defect, navigating tense East German surveillance and diplomatic complications between the British and West Germans.
Directed by Ian ToyntonWritten by Gerald Seymour
Episode 3
Abandoned in East Germany as the operation unravels, Donoghue charges on with a desperate plan to smuggle Guttmann and his daughter across the border into West Germany.
Directed by Ian ToyntonWritten by Gerald Seymour
Episode information updated Jul 23, 2026
Available now in United States
These shows are available now and closely match The Contract.
Kevin McNallyJohnny Donoghue
Bernard HeptonHenry Carter
James FaulknerCharles Mawby
Hans CaninenbergProfessor Guttman
Brigitte KarnerErica Guttman
Donald PickeringPermanent Undersecretary
Robert LangDeputy Undersecretary
ITV1United Kingdom
Yorkshire TelevisionUnited Kingdom
