Danny Dyer confirmed to lead "heart-in-mouth" historical siege drama from former Slow Horses showrunner

Ever since Will Smith, the showrunner of Slow Horses, left that acclaimed spy series at the end of season 5, fans have been wondering what he would do next.

Now, it has been confirmed that he is adapting Ben Macintyre’s best-selling book, The Siege, which will air as a six-part limited series on Channel 4.

The cast of the series will be led by Rivals star Danny Dyer, along with Sherwood's David Morrissey and The Voice of Hind Rajab's Motaz Malhees.

Helmed by Time director Lewis Arnold, the series has been described as "a heart-in-mouth story involving an extraordinary cast of characters from different walks of life, thrown together by a seemingly insolvable conflict".

The synopsis for the series reads: "30th April 1980. Six armed Arab Iranian separatists burst into the Iranian embassy in London, taking hostage the 26 people inside, demanding autonomy for their people.

"Over the next six days, the gunmen, the hostages and the police struggled with each other for control of the situation while the soldiers of the SAS mounted plans for a daring mission to break the siege that would be witnessed by the watching world.

"Coupling thriller tension with poignancy, insight and humour, this six-part limited series brings audiences the definitive account of a pivotal moment in history, when Britain and the world held its breath."

Starring alongside Dyer, Morrissey and Malhees will be Leo Bill (Funny Woman), Kevin Doyle (Downton Abbey) Alex Jennings (MobLand), Alexej Manvelov (Dept. Q), Sara Shirpey (Top Dog), Omid Djalili (Betrayal), Nicola Stephenson (The Long Shadow), Stephen Campbell Moore (Industry), Sean Pertwee (NCIS: Tony & Ziva) and Enzo Cilenti (Black Mirror).

Also in the cast are Sam Troughton (Black Doves), Iddo Goldberg (Peaky Blinders), Armin Karima (Prisoner 951), Asim Chaudhry (Tinsel Town), Moe Bar-El (Alien: Earth) Kavé Niku (Tehran), Nina Mahdavi (Ambivalence), Catayoune Ahmadi (Reading Lolita in Tehran) Lorne MacFadyen (Vigil), Aneurin Barnard (Doctor Who), Mark Bonnar (The Celebrity Traitors) and Gwilym Lee (SAS: Rogue Heroes).

On the announcement of the series, Ian Katz, chief content officer for Channel 4 said: "The Iranian embassy siege and the daring raid which ended it was an iconic moment that forged the ferocious reputation of the modern SAS.

"The show is a heart-stopping, emotional thriller that reveals the little-known motivations of the hapless hostage-takers and the very human reality of what went on inside the embassy as the world looked on and Britain's most lethal soldiers practiced their high stakes assault.

"It will change the way people understand the siege and reveal how close the famous SAS operation came to disaster. We're thrilled to be working with Will Smith, Ben Macintyre, Lewis Arnold, Patrick Spence and the remarkable cast. This major commission underlines Channel 4's commitment to dialling up exceptional drama in its slate of original British programming."

This is not the first time one of Macintyre's historical books has been adapted for the big or small screen. 2021 film Operation Mincemeat was based on his 2010 book of the same name, while the series SAS Rogue Heroes and A Spy Among Friends were both also based on books of his.

The Siege will air on Channel 4.

Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.