ITV's Secret Service Divides Viewers as Gemma Arterton Leads Gripping New Spy Thriller
ITV's most anticipated drama of the spring, Secret Service, premiered on Monday evening to a divided audience: some viewers were gripped from the opening scene, while others found the pace too slow and the plotting too opaque — a reception that reflects both the ambition of the production and the challenge of making serious political drama in an era of short attention spans.Background
Secret Service is adapted from the 2019 novel of the same name by Tom Bradby, the ITV News anchor whose previous adaptation, Guilt, was a significant critical and commercial success. Bradby co-wrote the screenplay with Jemma Kennedy, and the production was directed in its first three episodes by James Marsh — the BAFTA-winning director of The Theory of Everything — with Farren Blackburn directing the remaining two. Filming took place in Malta and London from late March 2025.
The series arrives at a moment when the subject matter — Russian interference in British politics, the vulnerability of democratic institutions to foreign manipulation — feels acutely relevant. The ongoing Iran conflict and the broader deterioration of the international security environment have given the show's themes a contemporary urgency that a production conceived in 2019 could not have anticipated. ITV has positioned it as its flagship drama for the spring season, with a prime-time slot on ITV1 and simultaneous availability on ITVX.
Gemma Arterton, who plays MI6 officer Kate Henderson, is one of the most versatile actors of her generation. Her career has ranged from blockbuster franchise films to acclaimed stage work, and her casting in a serious political drama of this kind represents a deliberate effort to bring prestige credibility to a mainstream ITV production. Rafe Spall plays her husband Stuart, a political adviser whose proximity to the suspected mole creates a central dramatic tension.
Key Developments
The drama centres on Kate Henderson as she uncovers intelligence suggesting a prominent British politician is collaborating with Russia. The investigation begins when an asset in Malta, working as a nanny for a Russian intelligence chief, plants a surveillance device that reveals a British politician has cancer and is preparing to step down — triggering a frantic leadership contest in which the main suspects for being a Russian asset are the Home Secretary and the Foreign Secretary.
The Guardian described the show as "a serious drama with a serious message," noting it is "not, in any conceivable way, fun" but acknowledging its "confident pacing and slick direction." The Telegraph called it "a plodding political whodunnit enlivened by Gemma Arterton," praising her performance while criticising the "wooden dialogue." Viewer reaction on social media was sharply divided, with some praising the show's ambition and others expressing frustration at its slow build.
A notable feature of the production is the inclusion of real-life ITN colleagues of Tom Bradby — including Robert Peston and Susanna Reid — in cameo roles, blurring the line between fiction and the real world of political journalism in a way that adds texture to the drama's setting.
Why It Matters
Secret Service matters because it represents ITV's most serious attempt in years to compete with the prestige drama output of the BBC and streaming platforms. The network has been under pressure from ITVX's growth and the dominance of Netflix and Amazon in the drama space. A successful run for Secret Service would demonstrate that ITV can still produce appointment television that commands a significant audience and generates genuine cultural conversation.
The show's subject matter also matters. Russian interference in Western democratic processes is not a fictional concern — it is a documented reality that has shaped elections, referendums, and political discourse across Europe and North America. A drama that takes this threat seriously, and explores it through the lens of a credible intelligence procedural, performs a genuine public service. Whether Secret Service is good enough to sustain that ambition across five episodes remains to be seen.
Local Impact
For viewers across the UK and Ireland, Secret Service is available on ITV1 and ITVX, with new episodes airing weekly. The show's depiction of British political life — the corridors of Westminster, the culture of the intelligence services, the relationship between journalism and power — will resonate differently for audiences in Northern Ireland and the Republic, where the relationship with British institutions is more complex. RTÉ has not acquired the rights to broadcast the series in Ireland, meaning Irish viewers will need to access it via ITVX or other streaming platforms.
What's Next
Episode 2 of Secret Service airs next Monday on ITV1. The show's ratings for the opening episode will be published by BARB later this week, and will be closely watched by ITV executives as an indicator of whether the drama has found its audience. Tom Bradby has indicated in interviews that he has ideas for a second series if the first is successful. The West End continues to offer a rich alternative for those seeking live drama, with Paddington The Musical — which won seven Olivier Awards including best new musical — booking through to early 2028.
Sources: The Guardian | The Telegraph
