The BBC has revealed the cast and first-look images for ‘Honey’, a brand new six-part darkly comedic Cold War thriller romance from writer and executive producer Emma Moran, the brilliant mind behind ‘Extraordinary’. The series is produced by Sid Gentle Films Ltd, the award-winning company behind ‘Extraordinary’ and global hit ‘Killing Eve’, with filming now underway for BBC iPlayer, BBC One and ZDF.
Set in East Berlin in 1982, the slick and dangerous drama explores a shadowy world of counter-espionage, risky allegiances and relationships that are as irresistible as they are perilous.
Leading the cast is Ann Skelly (House of Guinness, The Nevers) as Martha Schmitt, a 24-year-old deep-cover MI6 agent operating behind enemy lines. She stars alongside Nate Mann (Masters of the Air, Licorice Pizza) as Kurt Fischer, Jannis Niewöhner (Munich: The Edge of War, Napoleon) as Friedrich Bauman, and Rory Kinnear (The Diplomat, The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power) as Graham Anderson.
Sally Woodward Gentle, Executive Producer for Sid Gentle Films said:
“Everyone says that they couldn’t be more excited by the cast they have assembled but Ann, Nate and Jannis are the real deal. We are beyond thrilled by their inherent talent, intelligence and intuitive brilliance. They shine. And Rory Kinnear! I am in love.”
Joining the lead cast are Oliver Cudbill as Stefan Weiss, Sonita Henry as Anne Anderson, Victoria Mayer as Ingrid Schimmel, Valentino Dalle Mura as Rolf Muller, July Namir as Kamilla Akhmedova, Julian Niedermeier as Otto Kowalski, Sofia Oxenham as Greta Abstreiter and Daniel Zielinski as Tomas Klein.
In the series, Martha, pronounced Marta, is constantly under threat of her cover being blown while trying to avoid detection by Friedrich, the new Stasi Head of Counterespionage against British targets in the Berlin office. Complicating matters further is the reckless, arrogant and incredibly attractive CIA operative Aaron Neeland, posing as Kurt Fischer. What unfolds is a Cold War menage-a-trois where the risk of being garrotted or incarcerated is nothing compared to the horrifying ordeal of falling in love.
‘Honey’ has been commissioned by Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, for BBC iPlayer and BBC One, and Frank Seyberth, Head of Coproduction, International Fiction, for ZDF. It is made by Sid Gentle Films Ltd, part of BBC Studios, for the BBC and ZDF, in association with FIFTH SEASON, which will distribute the series globally.
Emma Moran serves as lead writer and executive producer, with Emme Hoy (‘Renegade Nell’) also writing on the series. Executive producers include Sally Woodward Gentle and Lee Morris for Sid Gentle Films Ltd, and the producer is Christopher Hall. Toby MacDonald directs episodes 1 to 3, with Michelle Savill directing episodes 4 to 6.
‘Honey’ does not yet have a premiere date but will air on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the UK. If you want to keep track of this or any other shows, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when it gets a UK premiere date. Visit Never Miss.
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