‘Secret Service’ to Remain a Secret on MGM+
Once again, we are asking Amazon to stop pretending MGM+ is an actual going concern and fold it into Prime as it did with Freevee.
Fans of Gemma Arterton will be delighted to know that Secret Service, her latest series from the same production studio as Funny Woman, has officially landed American distribution. The ITV series was first announced in 2024 and is based on the bestselling novel by Tom Bradby, the first in his Katherine Henderson Thrillers series; it debuted in the U.K. in April 2026. Bradley published his third installment, Triple Cross, in April 2025, so more seasons are clearly waiting in the wings, should ITV choose to move forward.
However, as we’ve noted here recently, ITV is currently the first of the Great British Broadcasters to be swallowed whole by a competitor in the current Rebundling era of the streaming revolution. That means renewal chances are slim while the two companies work toward closing the deal in 2027. We had hopes an American distributor like BritBox or Masterpiece could resolve this issue by acting as co-producer, and maybe even taking the lead on shepherding the series while ITV is otherwise occupied. Sadly, that’s not the case. In fact, it’s the worst of all possible choices: The series is going to sit with the other unmarked graves of shows that are not seen in this country because they are hidden away on MGM+.
Once again, we are asking Amazon to stop pretending MGM+ is an actual going concern and fold it into Prime as it did with Freevee. So many good shows are trapped on the service, and literally no one outside the business (and a fair amount of those in it) even knows it exists. Rogue Heroes, Westies, that upcoming Jon Hamm show (the first time I’ve seen a show that belongs on Apple TV showing up on the wrong service)... Ok, maybe not Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue, but you get the idea. The idea of encouraging anyone to shell out for MGM+ when it is clearly just Amazon is a non-starter. Do we really have to wait for an entire James Bond spinoff TV series to be made and flop on the platform before anyone is willing to admit the inevitable?
Here’s the series synopsis:
Suspenseful, timely, and cinematic, Secret Service follows senior MI6 officer Kate Henderson as a covert investigation uncovers evidence that a high-ranking UK politician may be working as a Russian asset. With trust shattered and her career on the line, Kate must navigate the shifting sands of political loyalty, international threat, and personal sacrifice.
(Potboiler Productions Ltd & A3MI)
Arterton is familiar to PBS viewers, but the rest of the ensemble are also well-known and loved PBS favorites, including Roger Allam (Endeavour), Alex Kingston (Doctor Who), Mark Stanley (Game of Thrones), Amaka Okafor (Bodies), Rafe Spall (Trying), Aoife Hinds (The Long Call), Avi Nash (Black Mirror), Alma Prelec (Fifteen-Love), and Khalid Abdalla (The Crown).
Author Bradby adapted the script from his own novel, with Jemma Kennedy co-writing the adaptation. James Marsh serves as lead director, with Farren Blackburn also helming select installments. Gail Egan and Andrea Calderwood executive produce for Potboiler Productions.
Secret Service currently has no confirmed release date on MGM+, not that anyone will see it once it does. Our best hope is that Amazon decides to put the series on Prime Video in second run, where viewers might actually have a chance of noticing it.
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