House of Guinness star unveiled in first look at spy thriller tipped to be Killing Eve prequel
Is that you, Carolyn?
The BBC has revealed first-look images of its upcoming "flirty" and "dangerous" spy thriller Honey, which is rumoured to be a Killing Eve prequel chronicling the early years of Carolyn Martens (Fiona Shaw).
A co-production with Germany's public service broadcaster ZDF, Honey stars Ann Skelly (House of Guinness) as an undercover MI6 agent in 1980s-era East Berlin, who finds herself in a most unexpected love triangle.
The synopsis, courtesy of the BBC, teases that Martha (Skelly) will find her allegiances torn between the Stasi's head of counterespionage Friedrich Bauman (Jannis Niewöhner) and "reckless, arrogant" CIA operative Aaron Neeland (Nate Mann).
"She is blind-sided by desire in this Cold War menage-a-trois," it continues. "The risk of being garrotted or incarcerated is nothing compared to the horrifying ordeal of falling in love.
"Allowing yourself to be vulnerable and baring your heart and soul? She'd rather have her fingernails pulled out."
Last year, shortly after the show's announcement, Deadline reported that Honey was secretly a prequel to Killing Eve with Skelly's Martha presumably being a false identity for Shaw's iconic MI6 boss Carolyn.
However, the BBC has yet to address the claim, so take it with a pinch of salt for now.
The new images show Masters of the Air alum Mann as Aaron (assuming the false identity of East German citizen 'Kurt Fischer') and The New Look's Niewöhner as Friedrich (directly above), whose very job it is to root out British agents.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and The Diplomat star Rory Kinnear completes the main cast, taking the role of Graham Anderson. Character details are yet to be revealed, but he could be an MI6 spy handler based on the awkward image below.
Executive producer Sally Woodward Gentle said: "Everyone says that they couldn't be more excited by the cast they have assembled but Ann, Nate and Jannis are the real deal.
"We are beyond thrilled by their inherent talent, intelligence and intuitive brilliance. They shine. And Rory Kinnear! I am in love."
Notably, production company Sid Gentle Films was also behind Killing Eve. Meanwhile, writer Emma Moran is best known for her comedy work on Disney+ sitcom Extraordinary and BBC panel show Have I Got News for You.
Honey also stars Oliver Cudbill (My Lady Jane), Sonita Henry (Wild Cherry), July Namir (The Lady), Sofia Oxenham (Poldark), plus German actors Victoria Mayer, Valentino Dalle Mura, Julian Niedermeier and Daniel Zielinski.
Honey is coming soon to BBC One and iPlayer.
Add Honey to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
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.
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
