With Christmas on the horizon, there are so many things to be excited about, from family get-togethers and mince pies to Black Doves, a new Netflix spy thriller.
Written by Joe Barton, the new TV drama is filled with some of the UK's most highly acclaimed acting talent, including stars from Happy Valley, Pride and Prejudice and Paddington.
What is Black Doves about?
Helen Webb is a professional spy, who, for a decade, has been passing on her politician husband’s secrets to the Black Doves, a group of spies that she works for. She's having an affair with Jason, but then her secret lover is assassinated, so her spymaster Reed calls in one of Helen’s old friends Sam to protect her.
Having been out of the game for a while, due to a failed job that had disastrous consequences, Sam has come home to find that everyone in London has moved on without him. Whilst keeping Helen safe, his past soon catches up on him.
"Together, they set off on a mission that will lead them to uncover a vast, interconnected conspiracy. One that links the murky underworld of London to a looming geopolitical crisis — and leads them to question the cost of the moral choices they’ve made." (Netflix)
Cast of Black Doves
Here's the official cast of the Black Doves Netflix series:
Kiera Knightley - Helen Webb
Helen Webb is an undercover spy, wife and mother. She's played by Pride and Prejudice and Love Actually actress Keira Knightley.
Before filming the show, she had to be trained in hand-to-hand combat. Speaking of this experience, Kiera told Netflix. “It’s been great fun to do all of the fighting. I’ve really enjoyed learning all of the different martial arts that I have been taught.”
Ben Whishaw - Sam Young
Ben Whishaw (Paddington, This is Going to Hurt) plays Helen's pal and fellow spy Sam Young, who has “returned to London to assist his friend who’s trying to revenge the murder of her secret lover, and sometimes not very successfully …” he said.
Sarah Lancashire - Reed
Happy Valley and Last Tango in Halifax actress Sarah Lancashire will be playing Reed, Helen's boss in the Netflix show.
Reed “is a spy mistress working for the Black Doves. She recruited Helen in good faith, and Helen has been a bit of a loose cannon.”, says Sarah.
Other cast members include:
British actor and martial artist Andrew Koji as Jason, Tracey Ullman (The Tracey Ullman Show) as Alex, Andrew Buchan (Broadchurch, The Dog House narrator), Adeel Akhtar (Sherwood and Showtrial series 2), Gabrielle Creevy (In My Skin, The Pact), and Omari Douglas (It's A Sin, Rye Lane).
Also joining the cast is Luther Ford (The Crown, King & Conqueror), Finn Bennett (who also acted with Sarah Lancashire in Channel 4 drama Kiri), Kathryn Hunter (Andor, Les Misérables), Sam Troughton (Robin Hood, The Ritual), Ella Lily Hyland (Fifteen-Love), Adam Silver (The Diplomat) and Ken Nwosu (Down Cemetery Road, Look the Other Way and Run).
Black Doves trailer
The streaming service hasn't posted a trailer for the Black Doves TV series, but we're hoping that they will soon!
Black Doves release date
Currently, Black Doves doesn't have a release date, but Netflix has hinted that it will be released during Christmas time, which is the time of year in which the show is set as well.
Will there be a Black Doves season 2?
Despite not yet being released, Black Doves has already been renewed for a second series, so it's obviously going to be great!
Arabella Horspool is a Commercial Content Writer for Yours at Bauer Media. She's a bookworm who is passionate about TV, film and theatre. She enjoys cooking, scrapbooking, playing board games and spending time with her pet dogs, tortoise and chickens.