Central Intelligence: Series 2: Episode 5

Limelight

BBC

Drama, Fiction

4.4 • 604 Ratings

🗓️ 18 July 2025

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The story of the CIA, told from the inside out by veteran agent Eloise Page. Starring Kim Cattrall, Ed Harris and Johnny Flynn.

In Episode 5... 1957. The Space Race is heating up, and the CIA is desperate to locate the Soviet launch site. Rising officer Eloise Page is sent to Atsugi Air Base in Japan—home of the secretive U-2 spy plane. As tensions climb and the stakes reach the stratosphere, the battle for space begins far above the clouds—and deep in the shadows.

Cast: Eloise Page..........Kim Cattrall Allen Dulles..........Ed Harris Richard Helms..........Johnny Flynn Frank Wisner..........Geoffrey Arend Young Eloise Page..........Elena Delia Richard Bissell..........Ian Porter President Eisenhower..........Kerry Shale John Foster Dulles..........Nathan Osgood Addy Hawkins..........Carlyss Peer Dmitri Skolbetsyn..........Branko Tomović Mikhail..........Phillipe Bosher Radar Operator..........Eric Sirakian Elizabeth..........Laurel Lefkow

All other parts played by the cast

Original music by Sacha Puttnam

Written by Greg Haddrick, who created the series with Jeremy Fox Sound Designers & Editors: John Scott Dryden, Adam Woodhams, Martha Littlehailes & Andreina Gomez Casanova Script Consultant: Misha Kawnel Script Supervisor: Alex Lynch Trails: Jack Soper Sonica Studio Sound Engineers: Paul Clark & Paul Clark Sonica Runner: Flynn Hallman Marc Graue Sound Engineers, LA: Juan Martin del Campo & Tony Diaz

Director: John Scott Dryden Producer & Casting Director: Emma Hearn Executive Producers: Howard Stringer, Jeremy Fox, Greg Haddrick and John Scott Dryden

A Goldhawk production for BBC Radio 4

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts.
0:04.8	This episode contains very strong language.
0:08.8	I made the mistake one morning when I was briefing President Bush of telling him that collecting intelligence in North Korea was hard.
0:16.4	In 2008, Michael Morrell was CIA's Director of Intelligence.
0:21.2	And he said, Michael, I expect you to do hard.
0:25.6	Right?
0:26.4	50 years earlier, the same sentiment applied to collecting intelligence in Russia.
0:32.6	But for a woman back then, collecting intelligence would only be part of the problem.
0:46.2	I'm Eloise Page, and you are listening to Central Intelligence, my life inside the CIA.
0:54.6	Season 2, Episode 5.
0:56.7	All Americans, I say, the Supreme National efforts will be needed.
1:02.8	Now the insurgents gaining the upper hand.
1:05.3	United States has committed no aggression against Cuba.
1:09.3	A three-inch metal sphere placed in orbit by a Russian rocket...
1:16.6	...1957 began with my transfer back to Washington,
1:19.6	and the repercussions from the Suez Crisis
1:22.6	and the Hungarian uprising still large and immediate.
1:26.6	Well, gentlemen, Helms, Wiesner.
1:31.0	Alan.
1:32.2	It is particularly annoying that Eisenhower and the Secretary of State have both repeatedly
1:37.2	said they were given no warning that Britain and France were going to attack Egypt.
1:41.3	What?
	...

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