Shaun Evans starts filming today for new ITV spy thriller

Filming starts today for an ITV spy thriller starring Endeavour star Shaun Evans.

In Betrayal, a four-part thriller, he will be joined on screen by acclaimed film, TV and theatre actress Romola Garai, who this year was nominated for two Olivier Awards, winning for The Years.

Shaun Evans starred as a young Inspector Morse in nine series of ITV’s Endeavour, until it concluded in 2023.

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Since then, he has worked on a number of different projects, including directing two episodes of series five of ITV detective drama The Bay.

ITV and Mammoth Screen today announced the start of filming for Betrayal, a new espionage thriller and relationship drama set in the shadowy world of MI5.

Bringing this four-part thriller to life is BAFTA and Emmy-nominated director Julian Jarrold (A Very Royal Scandal, This England), with production underway in Manchester and Liverpool.

Starring Shaun Evans (Until I Kill You, Endeavour, Vigil) as John Hughes, the series explores the strain modern intelligence work places on MI5 operatives.

Regarded by his colleagues as out of touch with the times, John must navigate a world of secrets and surveillance while also confronting the unravelling of his personal life – exposing the emotional cost of a profession where loyalty is fragile and betrayal can strike from any direction.

Romola Garia plays John’s partner, Claire, whose trust in him is strained by the secrecy and demands of his work.

Shaun and Romola are joined by Zahra Ahmadi (Beyond Paradise, The Bay) and Nikki Amuka-Bird (I, Jack Wright, Rumours), alongside Gamba Cole (The Outlaws, Three Little Birds), Omid Djalili (The Letter for the King, His Dark Materials), Matthew Tennyson (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Grantchester), Hayley Tamaddon (Unforgotten, Coronation Street), Anthony Flanagan (Protection, House of the Dragon), Paddy Rowan (G’wed, Four Lives), Waj Ali (Out There, Dead & Buried), Karim Kadjar (Wolf Hall), Emma Cunniffe (Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes, The Long Shadow), Georgina Rylance (Benediction, Sherlock), Ben Lambert (Outlander, The Crown), Julia Watson (Doctor Who, Doctors) and Julian Wadham (Black Doves, The Crown).

Television newcomers Elham Karimpour, Aidan Rivers, Corin Silva and Eliza Agrosoaie also join the cast.

Betrayal is written by award-winning playwright and screenwriter David Eldridge.

ITV said in a statement: “Produced by Irma Inniss (Mr Loverman, The Bay) Betrayal follows John Hughes (Shaun Evans), a mid-career MI5 officer grappling with a rapidly changing security landscape and his own personal demons.

“When John’s clandestine encounter with a potential British-Iranian informant ends in bloodshed, he comes under scrutiny from superiors including Simone Grant (Nikki Amuka-Bird).

“As John navigates the murky world of espionage, the strain on his marriage to GP Claire (Romola Garai) becomes increasingly unsustainable.

“Tensions escalate further with the arrival of Mehreen Askari-Evans (Zahra Ahmadi), a sharp, ambitious operative who has recently transferred from MI6, challenging both his professional standing and emotional control.”

Produced by Mammoth Screen, the ITV Studios label behind critically acclaimed drama Code of Silence, Betrayal is also produced in association with Navarino Pictures.

The series is executive produced by Mammoth’s founder and Chief Creative Officer Damien Timmer, alongside David Eldridge, Shaun Evans, Julian Jarrold and Tom Leggett.

The show was developed by Rebecca Keane, Mammoth’s creative director.

Commissioned for ITV by Polly Hill, Director of Drama, Polly and Drama Commissioner, Huw Kennair Jones, oversee the production on behalf of the broadcaster.

Production company Mammoth Screen is part of ITV Studios, which will distribute the series internationally.

Betrayal will premiere on ITV1, STV, ITVX, and STV Player in 2026.