‘Deutschland 83’ V. ‘The Americans’: Is It War Between The Soviet Spy Dramas? (VIDEO)

The German-language spy thriller Deutschland 83 starts with US President Ronald Reagan giving his famously threatening speech that denounced the Soviet powers as “the focus of evil in the modern world.” Soon after, we see an East German officer named Martin Rauch (Jonas Nay) pushed into becoming a spy in West Germany, where he finds that capitalism isn’t as bad as he thought.

If that seems like a familiar idea — a 1980s Soviet spy finds himself torn between duty to his country and his sympathy for the Western way of life — it’s because you’ve probably seen it in the critically-acclaimed show The Americans. The most recent season of The Americans ends where Deutschland 83 picks up, but the parallels between the two shows don’t end there. When we sat down with Deutschland 83 showrunners Anna and Joerg Winger (and series star Jonas Nay), we learned that the two series have a personal connection behind the scenes. But what about a rivalry? You’ll have to watch the video below to find out.

You can stream Deutschland 83 here at Sundance.tv or on the Sundance TV channel on Sling TV. The network is available to stream in Sling TV‘s Hollywood Extra bundle.

RELATED: Deutschland 83: The Best TV Drama In The World Invades The USA (VIDEO)

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