THIS WEEK’S CHOICE

New six-part thriller set against the back drop of the 2003 occupation of Iraq.

October 2003, and Baghdad has been occupied by American forces for six months; but the disbandment of the Iraqi army, the police and civil leadership in the aftermath of the invasion means, there is no one in charge and no effective rule of law.

In the midst of this chaos, crime and paranoia, Iraqi ex-policeman Muhsin al-Khafaji (Waleed Zuaiter; Omar, Altered Carbon) has lost everything and is battling daily to keep himself and his sick daughter, Mrouj, safe.

When he learns that his estranged elder daughter Sawsan is missing, Khafaji is forced into a desperate search to find her.

Khafaji feels powerless until he meets Frank Temple, an ex-police officer played by double Olivier Award-winner Bertie Carvel (Dr Foster, Jonathan Strange and Dr Norrell), who has arrived from Britain on a mission to rebuild the Iraqi Police Force from the ground up.

Temple recruits ex-cop Khafaji to give his operation some much-needed local credibility. But, unbeknown to both Temple and his nemesis, upstanding American Military Police Captain John Parodi, played by Golden Globe-nominated Corey Stoll (House of Cards, First Man), Khafaji is compelled by his own, secret reasons to risk everything by collaborating with the occupying forces.

“It’s important to remember the setting is military and political, but the subject is domestic and petty criminal. It’s a family drama set in a warzone, but it’s also part of the great British tradition of detective shows. Khafaji is doing Poirot backwards in heels – he’s got his own family struggles and fighting a corrupt range of parties. A lot of people don’t want him to do his job.”