ITV Greenlights Espionage Series Starring ‘Vigil’s Shaun Evans

Max Goldbart
·2 min read

EXCLUSIVE: ITV has greenlit an espionage thriller starring and produced by Vigil’s Shaun Evans from Mammoth Screen.

Evans plays John Hughes in Betrayal, which is set in the clandestine world of MI5. Hughes joined MI5 during the war on terror and was at the forefront of averting the biggest terrorist plots on UK soil. Now in his mid 40s and married with two children he’s struggling to adapt to the new MI5, where threats to national security have changed and he’s forced to adapt to the values of a progressive work environment.

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The show is co-produced with Navarino Pictures, the nascent production outfit founded by Evans earlier this year. Evans plays Elliot Glover in BBC hit Vigil while other credits include Until I Kill You and Endeavour, in which he stars as Inspector Morse. He is the latest actor to get involved behind the camera with an ITV series, following in the footsteps of Andrew Buchan on Passenger and Andrew Lincoln on the upcoming Cold Water.

On Betrayal, Evans is reuniting with writer David Eldridge. The pair worked together on BBC single The Scandalous Lady W, which starred Natalie Dormer and aired a decade ago.

Evans said: “I’m delighted to be returning to ITV with this exceptionally well written and timely project. It’s a great privilege to reunite with David Eldridge and bring to life his insightful take on the world of espionage.”

Mammoth Screen makes a wealth of ITV dramas including The Tower, which launched its third season earlier this month.

The show is executive produced by Mammoth’s founder and Chief Creative Officer Damien Timmer alongside Mammoth’s Tom Leggett, Eldridge and Evans. Mammoth’s Creative Director Rebecca Keane has overseen the development of the series.

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