New BBC spy thriller show with Irish star reveals first look & release date

The series has a major connection to another beloved spy show.

Set in East Berlin during the Cold War in 1982, the show centres on Carolyn Martens, an MI6 agent who goes deep undercover. As part of this, she takes on the alias Martha Schmitt.

New BBC spy thriller show, Honey, reveals first look & release date

"Surrounded by enemies and constantly under threat of her cover being blown, she tries her hardest to avoid detection by Friedrich (Jannis Niewöhner), the new Stasi Head of Counter-espionage against British Targets, Berlin Office," the plot synopsis adds.

"Finding herself caught between Friedrich and the reckless, arrogant (and incredibly attractive…) CIA operative Aaron Neeland (posing as Kurt Fischer, and played by Nate Mann), she is blindsided by desire in this Cold War ménage à trois."

Watch the trailer for Honey right here:

Out this month and made up of six episodes, Honey was created by Emma Moran, the Irish writer behind the comedy show Extraordinary.

Co-starring Rory Kinnear (the James Bond franchise), the series is billed as coming from "the makers of Killing Eve". Eagle-eyed fans of that earlier BBC spy thriller might have spotted a connection between the two shows in the trailer.

Carolyn Martens is the name of Fiona Shaw's character in Killing Eve. This suggests that Honey is a stand-alone prequel focusing on the MI6 boss' adventures as a young agent.

Speaking to the BBC about what attracted her to the lead role in the new spy thriller, rising Irish star Ann Skelly revealed: "One of the very first lines in the character description I was sent for the audition said that she's convinced of her own brilliance.

"It tickled me. I liked the hunger of her, and the voraciousness of her desire."

Honey will air on BBC One from Saturday 14 November. UK viewers can also watch it on the BBC iPlayer.