Airdate: The Secret Agent

Next month BBC First premieres period drama The Secret Agent based on the 1907 novel by Joseph Conrad.

Adapted by Tony Marchant (Public Enemies, Garrow’s Law, Crime and Punishment) it stars Toby Jones (The Detectorists), Vicky McClure (Line of Duty), Charlie Hamblett (Babylon), Marie Critchley (Emmerdale), and Stephen Graham (This Is England).

This aired in the UK in July.

An explosive and heart-breaking adaptation of Joseph Conrad’s classic novel of terrorism, espionage and betrayal.

London, 1886: Verloc (Toby Jones) runs a seedy sex shop in the heart of Soho. But unknown to his loyal wife, Winnie (Vicky McClure), Verloc is also paid by the Russian embassy to spy on an anarchist cell.

Furious at Britain’s refusal to confront the anarchist threat sweeping across Europe, Verloc’s Russian handler gives him a mission: orchestrate a bombing that will be blamed on the anarchists and provoke a crackdown from the British. Refuse; and Verloc’s identity as a spy will be revealed to his anarchist comrades.

Verloc must source a bomb, but hide his actions from Winnie and Chief Inspector Heat (Stephen Graham) of Scotland Yard’s Special Crimes Division. Unable to persuade his anarchist comrades to help, Verloc sets his sights on Winnie’s younger brother Stevie as his accomplice…

Wednesdays at 8.30pm from December 7 on BBC First.