Deep State (TV series)
British espionage thriller about a recalled MI6 agent.
Deep State is a British espionage thriller television series, created by Matthew Parkhill and Simon Maxwell. It first broadcast in the United Kingdom on Fox on 5 April 2018, and in the United States on Epix on 17 June 2018. The series follows former MI6 field agent Max Easton, played by Mark Strong, who is recruited back into the field. A second series, set in Mali and starring Walton Goggins as an ex-CIA operative, premiered on 28 April 2019 in the United States.
- first_broadcast
- 5 April 2018 (UK)
- creator
- Matthew Parkhill and Simon Maxwell
- network
- Fox (UK), Epix (US)
- starring
- Mark Strong, Walton Goggins, Joe Dempsie
- series_count
- 2
- production_company
- Endor Productions for Fox Networks Group of Europe and Africa
Lore & Background
The series was written and created by Matthew Parkhill and Simon Maxwell, with Parkhill also serving as showrunner, executive producer, and director of four of the eight episodes in the first series. Filming for the first eight-part series began in May 2017. The cast includes Mark Strong as Max Easton, a former MI6 field agent, alongside Walton Goggins, Joe Dempsie, Karima Adebibe, Lyne Renée, Anastasia Griffith, and Alistair Petrie. The second series, commissioned on 5 April 2018, stars Walton Goggins as Nathan Miller, an ex-CIA operative drawn into a political crisis in Mali.
Reader's Guide
Deep State represents a modern British espionage thriller that blends family drama with geopolitical intrigue. Its first series centers on Max Easton, a retired MI6 agent forced back into service, exploring themes of loyalty and deception within intelligence agencies. The second series shifts focus to a new protagonist in a different region, expanding the narrative scope. The series was produced by Endor Productions for the Fox Networks Group of Europe and Africa, and its dual-country broadcast (UK on Fox, US on Epix) highlights its international appeal. While not groundbreaking, it contributed to the genre by featuring a strong cast and serialized storytelling across two distinct seasons.
Did You Know?
- The first series began filming in May 2017.
- Matthew Parkhill directed four of the eight episodes in the first series.
- A second series was commissioned on the same day the first series premiered: 5 April 2018.
- The second series premiered in the United States on 28 April 2019.
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