Sky's upcoming thriller series The Iris Affair is set to bring a fast-moving, sophisticated cat-and-mouse chase to the Spanish coast, with creator Neil Cross drawing inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock and classic adventure series. The show, starring Niamh Algar and Tom Hollander, aims to blend wit, glamour, and suspense in a modern yet old-fashioned style.
Cross, known for his work on Luther, revealed that the idea for the series came from his own frustration at not finding a show that matched his mood. 'I was flicking through the channels, and my DVD collection, looking for this precise show I was in the mood to watch. I couldn't find it. So I wrote it,' he said.
The creator cited Hitchcock's North by Northwest and To Catch a Thief, as well as Lew Grade's productions like The Saint and The Persuaders!, as key influences. He also acknowledged the work of Nigel Kneale, particularly the cosmic horror themes explored in Quatermass, which inform the show's underlying sense of dread.
Cross described the series as 'contemporary but not topical,' deliberately avoiding a ripped-from-the-headlines approach. Instead, it taps into timeless themes of fear and the pursuit of knowledge, reminiscent of Prometheus or Frankenstein. 'These themes are as old as the hills… which hopefully makes them timeless rather than timely,' he added.
The show's setting in Italy was a deliberate choice, with Cross noting that he had spent too much of his career filming in London at 3am. The protagonist, Iris, is described as a solitary, itinerant genius—a 'Bad Will Hunting'—who lives on the fringes of society. The series promises a blend of intellectual intrigue and stylish escapism.
