ITV has greenlit Secret Service, an espionage thriller adapted from Tom Bradby’s bestselling novel.

As Production Intelligence subscribers learned in February this year, Potboiler Productions is making the 5 x 60’ series, written by Bradby and Jemma Kennedy. Secret Service delves into the long-standing tensions between Russia and the UK, as it follows senior MI6 officer Kate Henderson, to the outside world, a happily married woman with two teenagers and a job in the civil service.

But Kate’s real job is heading up the Russia Desk of the Secret Intelligence Service. When her undercover operations reveal alarming evidence that a senior UK politician is possibly a high-level Russian asset, Kate is in a race against time to uncover their identity…

Filming will take place early next year in London and Malta. Political editor, journalist and novelist Bradby said: “I always dreamed of turning Secret Service into a compelling and enthralling TV series, so I am completely thrilled that ITV have commissioned this series and can’t wait to be on set in London and Malta. I felt the themes were achingly topical when I wrote the novel – and they have only become more so since.”

Polly Hill commissioned the drama alongside senior drama commissioner Helen Ziegler, who said: “We are delighted to be working with Tom, Jemma and the team at Potboiler to bring this story of a new cold war to our screens. Tom and Jemma’s thrilling scripts could not be more timely in their exploration of this complex cat-and-mouse game between East and West.”