BBC buys ex-HBO Europe Cold War thriller ‘Spy/Master’

The BBC has acquired former HBO Europe thriller Spy/Master following a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).

The Cold War era six-parter, filmed in Romania and Hungary, spans one perilous week in the life of a fictional right-hand man to Romanian president Nicolae Ceaușescu.

With his government poised to uncover that he’s a secret agent for the Soviets, the advisor uses a diplomatic trip to Germany as a springboard to defect to the US but must deal with fall-out for his wife and daughter at home.

The show was originally commissioned for WBD’s now defunct HBO Europe division and stars Alec Secăreanu (Happy Valley), Aidan McArdle (The Trial Of Christine Keeler), Ana Ularu (Who Is Erin Carter?), Laurențiu Bănescu (Boss), Andreea Vasile (Umbre), Nico Mirallegro (Our Girl), lulian Postelnicu (Arest), and Elvira Deatcu (Clanul).

It was produced by Proton Cinema and Mobra Films, having been created and written by Adina Sădeanu and Kirsten Peters.

Christopher Smith directs and production was by Ioanina Pavel, with former HBO Europe execs Johnathan Young, Antony Root and Anke Greifeneder exec producing alongside co-producers Viktória Petrányi and Tudor Reu.

Sue Deeks, head of BBC programme acquisition, described the show as an “atmospheric, complex thriller, dripping with style and suspense.”