Gemma Arterton's new spy thriller series, Secret Service, has been branded a 'cliché' by furious viewers who admitted they 'switched off' after tuning into the first episode. The show, which launched on ITV on Monday night, failed to impress its audience, who fumed that the storyline 'lacked ammunition'.
Plot and Cast
Former Bond girl Gemma, 40, plays the leading lady in the new drama, an adaptation of Tom Bradby's novel of the same name. The storyline follows Gemma as Kate Henderson, an MI6 officer and head of Russia Desk, who learns that a senior British politician could be a potential Russian asset. The synopsis teases: 'When evidence points to a high-level Russian mole inside the UK government, possibly among the contenders to replace an ailing Prime Minister, Kate's professional and family lives collide dangerously.'
Gemma stars alongside Rafe Spall as her husband, a Special Advisor, and Amaka Okafor as The Rt Hon. Imogen Conrad MP. The cast also features former Doctor Who star Alex Kingston, Adolescence's Mark Stanley, and Amandaland star Rochenda Sandall.
Viewer Reactions
Ahead of uncovering the Russian-linked plot, the first episode followed Kate in her home life, preparing her children for school and heading off to work. She was then told she would be heading to Malta to meet MI6 asset Lena, who was working closely with a target—head of Russian intelligence Igor Borodin—by being placed in his family home as a nanny. After Lena plants a device in the home, Kate soon hears that a British politician has been diagnosed with cancer and is stepping down from their role.
However, viewers expecting high-octane action from the start soon took to social media to complain about the debut episode. On X, formerly Twitter, one penned: 'This is losing me in 10 mins. Does it get better? I'm bored.' Another agreed: 'Hmmmm....Not feeling it so far.' A third added: 'This is a bit dull,' while another suggested they struggled to understand 'what was going on' in the first few minutes. A fifth viewer concurred: 'I have given up, and turned it off,' as a sixth continued: '20 mins in and still no clue what the hell is going on.'
Critical Response
Many TV reviewers echoed these sentiments. The Guardian wrote: 'ITV’s Secret Service rummages through its faux-leather briefcase for fresh ideas. Not the easiest of tasks, given the number of cliches that swirl around the genre’s cufflinks.' The Telegraph added: 'After a buzzy start, the series slows down, lumbering the cast with wooden dialogue and too many annoying scenes where we have to strain to read text messages and text on computer screens.' Radio Times penned: 'Gemma Arterton’s spy thriller lacks ammunition... Secret Service ends up feeling – like its title – a little too generic.'
Mixed Reviews
However, many other viewers were quick to disagree. One wrote on X: 'Interesting. Love spy drama,' while another agreed: 'Binging Secret Service. Not bad so far. On Episode 3.' Good Housekeeping compared it to hit Apple TV series Slow Horses, adding: 'ITV’s bold new spy thriller takes us right to the heart of MI6 where Kate Henderson heads up the Russia Desk and finds herself in some serious trouble (that’s an understatement) – and it’s utterly glorious viewing.' The Times concluded: 'Gemma Arterton has a licence to thrill in spy drama.'
Behind the Scenes
It comes after Gemma opened up about her secret pregnancy that took place as she filmed the new ITV drama. She explained that she was three and a half months pregnant when shooting began, and producers eventually had to use CGI to hide her 'very obvious' bump. Gemma welcomed her second child with her husband Rory Keenan late last year and shared the news earlier this month. She told The Times: 'I can so see it when I watch it. I started at about three and a half months pregnant and they just kept expanding the waistlines. By the end, I was six months and it was just undeniable and I think they had to do a bit of CGI on a couple of shots because it was very obvious. I mastered the art of, you know, the lean that hides it, certain positions, bags, arms crossed, all that.'
Gemma told ITV of her role: 'There has been lots of talk about a female Bond and it's not like that. What sets this apart from a lot of others is that it looks at the domestic as well. She is a mother of two teenagers, she has a busy life, how do you live a life with so much secrecy? It's hard enough being a parent, without all this other stuff on top. I really connected with that actually.' Secret Service is available to stream in full on ITVX.
