John le Carré's The Little Drummer Girl on the BBC this autumn

Two years ago, the BBC proved that the British public has an apatite for John le Carré's nail-biting thrillers on the small screen when The Night Manager received a glittering reception. So, in all probability, it was only a matter of time until we got another le Carré adaptation. Lo and behold: this autumn the six-part adaptation of le Caré's The Little Drummer Girl is set to come to our screens.

Who is in The Little Drummer Girl cast?

The cast of this exciting project includes Florence Pugh as the lead (most well known for her outstanding turn in 2016’s Lady Macbeth) Michael Shannon (Shape of Water) and Alexander Skarsgård (Big Little Lies, Tarzan). Best of all, the Beeb have pulled off something of a coup for this new series, with Korean film director Park Chan-wook making his first foray into TV.

Chan-wook's works (including standout foreign language film, The Handmaiden, and cult classic Oldboy) are known for their sumptuous visuals and labyrinthine plots. He seems like a perfect choice to helm one of le Carré’s intricate and winding narratives. We're looking forward to seeing if the director will be able to reign in his trademark penchant for ultra-violence for a primetime TV audience.

Chan-wook's enthusiasm for the project is promising — in a statement to the BBC he said: 'of le Carré’s many masterpieces, the one I love ahead of any other is The Little Drummer Girl. At the core of this story is an extremely painful, but thrilling, romance’.

What is The Little Drummer Girl plot about?

The Little Drummer Girl is a tale filled with espionage, global conspiracies and personal dramas. Set in 1970s, it follows an actress, Charlie (Pugh), who becomes embroiled in a plot by Israeli intelligence to take down a Palestinian terrorist.

Le Carré’s 1983 work is often cited as one of the greatest spy novel ever written, so we’re expecting big, big things from this drama when it airs this autumn. Until then, enjoy these glorious first-look images of the drama.

The Little Drummer Girl air date: TBD but likely to air sometime this autumn 2018