Ann Skelly leads the cast of Honey, a six-part BBC One thriller set in East Berlin in 1982, which debuts this evening, November 14. The series follows MI6 operative Martha Schmitt on a dangerous undercover mission complicated by romance.
The BBC says the drama will “explore a shadowy world of counter-espionage and risky but irresistible relations”. Martha (pronounced Marta) faces the constant danger of exposure as she tries to evade Friedrich, the newly appointed Stasi Head of Counter-espionage against British Targets, Berlin Office. Caught between Friedrich and the impulsive CIA operative Aaron Neeland, she is blindsided by passion.
Lead Cast and Characters
Ann Skelly, 29, is an Irish actress who made her television debut in the crime drama series Red Rock. One of her breakthrough roles came as the lead character in the drama film Kissing Candice. She may also be recognised for appearing in the historical drama miniseries Death and Nightingales, alongside Jamie Dornan and Matthew Rhys. Most recently, Skelly portrayed Adelaide Guinness, inspired by the real-life aristocrat Adelaide 'Dodo' Guinness, in the Netflix historical drama House of Guinness.
Rory Kinnear, 48, is an English actor best known for his portrayal of Dave Fishwick in Bank of Dave and Bill Tanner across four James Bond films. His other acclaimed performances include Sir Fopling Flutter in The Man of Mode and Iago in Othello. He recently appeared as Tom Bombadil in the Prime Video series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which has returned for a new season. He also portrays British Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge in the Netflix hit series The Diplomat, which has just been commissioned for another series.
Supporting Roles
Nate Mann, 30, is an American actor who features in the Apple TV+ miniseries Masters of the Air. The performer also had a recurring role in the miniseries Apples Never Fall. Jannis Niewöhner, 34, is a German actor recognised for his role as Gideon de Villiers in the Timeless trilogy of films: Ruby Red, Sapphire Blue and Emerald Green.
Sonita Henry, 49, is an English actress from Kent whose first major television role came in the series Olympus, as Medea. She subsequently secured parts in The Chelsea Detective and Black Cake, and portrayed Detective Khan in the series Wild Cherry. Sonia Ritter is an English actress and theatre director, best known to British audiences for her portrayal of Doreen Coleman in EastEnders. She made her television debut in the ITV crime drama Hard Cases, and has appeared in EastEnders on three separate occasions throughout her career. Her first appearance came as a welfare officer in 1995, followed by a role as a registrar in 1999. Most recently, in September 2024, she portrayed Doreen Coleman, a fellow prison inmate of Chrissie Watts (Tracy-Ann Oberman).
Further Cast Members
Additional cast members include Elena Flury as Lena Schneider, Gabija Jaraminaite as Sonja Krause, Oliver Cudbill as Stefan Peters, Julian Niedermeier as Otto Kowalski, Valentino Dalle Mura as Rolf Müller, Romualdas Lavrinovicius as Otto G Brunstrom, Sofia Oxenham as Greta Abstreiter, and Lasse Boje Haye Weber as Hermann Metzl.
Honey airs on BBC One on Saturday from 9pm.
