MGM+ acquires Gemma Arterton spy thriller 'Secret Service' for multiple regions

The five-part series, based on Tom Bradby's novel, stars Arterton as an MI6 officer investigating a senior UK politician suspected of being a Russian asset. MGM+ has secured rights for North America, Latin America, and Italy. The show explores themes of political loyalty and personal sacrifice.

The acquisition marks another step in MGM+’s expansion of international thriller programming, bringing a British espionage narrative to audiences across North America, Latin America, and Italy. Tom Bradby, the author of the source novel, anchors ITV’s flagship evening newscast, a background that lends the story of political deception an added layer of journalistic credibility. The five-episode format suggests a tightly paced, limited-run arc.

Arterton’s casting as a senior MI6 officer places the drama within a tradition of female-led intelligence stories, a subgenre that has gained traction across streaming platforms in recent years. The plot’s focus on a suspected Russian asset inside British government taps into enduring geopolitical anxieties, while the personal stakes for the protagonist — career, trust, and sacrifice — give the espionage framework an intimate, character-driven dimension.