Iris is another thriller from Neil Cross, who created the gritty, London-set Luther, starring Idris Elba as the titular maverick detective. The series won the Drama Series award at the RTS Programme Awards in 2012, and Elba the Actor – Male award in 2014.

This time around, Cross is setting his story in sunny Sardinia. A genius and drifter called Iris Nixon (Algar), as enigmatic as she sounds, flags harmful content on social media for a living. But she lives for puzzles.

When she stumbles upon a mysterious internet thread requesting help in cracking a secret code, Iris cannot resist her competitive curiosity. This leads her to the charming philanthropist, Cameron McIntyre (Hollander).

Only after beating all the code-breakers does Iris realise she has unlocked a dangerous technology that has the power to change the world. Suspicious of Cameron’s motives, she steals the code and disappears.

She attempts to reinvent herself as Ms Brooks, moving to the Sardinian coast to tutor the daughter of a wealthy family. But, all the while, the cyber hunt for Iris’ location, and Cameron’s own search, draws her deeper into a deadly game of cat and mouse.

Cross said: “All I wanted to do was to make a show I wanted to watch. Iris is an unapologetically exciting, witty, chase-driven adventure show and features a lead character the like of which I don't think we've ever met before on TV. With Niamh Algar and Tom Hollander bringing these complex characters to life, coupled with Terry McDonough's direction, I couldn't be more excited to share this world and these characters.”

The lead director for the eight-part series is Terry McDonough, who has previously directed episodes of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. Sarah O’Gorman, who has helmed episodes of The Witcher and The Last Kingdom, also directs.

Iris will start filming in June 2024 in Sardinia, Italy. The series will be available on Sky and NOW in the UK.