ITV Betrayal: Shaun Evans stars in gripping new M15 thriller filmed in Liverpool and Manchester
A gripping new series is coming to ITV, set in the shadowy world of MI5.
The new espionage thriller and relationship drama, titled Betrayal, is set in London and Manchester, with filming and production currently underway in Manchester and Liverpool.
Bringing the four-part series to life is BAFTA and Emmy-nominated director Julian Jarrold, with Liverpool’s Shaun Evans (Until I Kill You, Endeavour, Vigil) starring as M15 operative John Hughes.
ITV Betrayal plot
Regarded by his colleagues as out of touch with the times, John joined MI5 during the war on terror and was at the forefront of averting the biggest terrorist plots on UK soil. Now in his 40s, he 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.
On a hunch John meets Ehsan, a British Iranian man with links to the Manchester gangland who claims he has intelligence about a plot on UK soil. Before he can share intel, Ehsan is executed by a lone gunman, and John impulsively kills the assassin in retaliation.
This triggers a chain of events which puts John in direct collision with his superiors who are furious that he appears to have got involved in a Manchester gang turf war. John thinks there's more to it than that and starts digging into Ehsan’s past. He knows he’ll have to redeem himself if he’s to save his career and reputation, all the while struggling with his own mental health after having killed a man.
John’s efforts to save his career and his marriage are also tested by Mehreen, an intelligence operative who is brought in to take over John’s duties on the Iran desk. Their connection is electric, and John must wrestle with temptations his younger self would readily have surrendered to.
Struggling with his own demons, his love for his family and his complicated loyalty to the institution he’s been part of for over 20 years, John sets out to find the truth of the explosive security threat to the UK before it's too late.
Joining Shaun is acclaimed film, television and theatre actress Romola Garai, who this year was nominated for two Olivier Awards, winning for The Years. Romola plays John’s partner, Claire, whose trust in him is strained by the secrecy and demands of his work.
ITV Betrayal cast
- Shaun Evans
- Romola Garai
- Zahra Ahmadi
- Nikki Amuka-Bird
- Gamba Cole
- Omid Djalili
- Matthew Tennyson
- Hayley Tamaddon
- Anthony Flanagan
- Paddy Rowan
- Waj Ali
- Karim Kadjar
- Emma Cunniffe
- Georgina Rylance
- Ben Lambert
- Julia Watson
- Julian Wadham
- Elham Karimpour
- Aidan Rivers
- Corin Silva
- Eliza Agrosoaie
When will ITV Betrayal be released?
Written by award-winning playwright and screenwriter David Eldridge, Betrayal is produced by Irma Inniss and will premiere on ITV1, STV, ITVX, and STV Player in 2026.