Ready for your next binge-worthy drama? Step forward, Killing Eve

BBC1, SATURDAY 15 SEPTEMBER, 9.15PM / BBC3 BOX SET

When Fleabag dropped on BBC3 back in July 2016, we were blown away by creator Phoebe Wallerbridge’s performance as the title character, and the astonishing power of her scripts. Fleabag was not a standard sitcom: despite being incredibly funny, its darkly emotional underbelly swelled right up till series one’s bruising final episode. While Killing Eve, the latest showcase of Wallerbridge’s scripting talents, operates in a different genre (being based on Luke Jennings’

thriller Codename Villanelle novellas), it sees her pull off a similar trick, ignoring the lines between comedy and drama.

THE SPY WHO SANG KARAOKE

Whereas the much-missed BBC spy drama Spooks was stylised and heightened, we meet M15 security officer Eve (Grey’s

Anatomy star Sandra Oh) in a hungover state the morning after a karaoke blow-out, and so instantly buy her as a real person. Frustrated by the limitations of her job, and bored with her pleasant marriage to Niko (Owen Mcdonnell), Eve secretly investigates a series of assassinations across Europe, convinced these killings have been carried out by the same woman. And she’s right.

COMER CHAMELEON

My Mad Fat Diary and Doctor Foster’s Jodie Comer delivers a hugely different performance as Villanelle, a vain, superficial and wonderfully unpredictable Russian assassin. Despite being a funny character, Villanelle brings a real sense of darkness to the show: one particular violent moment in this opening episode confirms that Killing Eve will constantly surprise us with a hard, ruthless edge.

VERDICT

Produced for BBC America, Killing Eve already premiered Stateside in April, and you can now binge on the whole series via BBC3. Waller-bridge’s distinctive writing voice, combined with fantastic performances from Oh and Comer, plus strong direction and inspired musical choices, make this a real TV highlight of the year.