Page Eight

After a considerable break, PBS’ Masterpiece Contemporary is bringing British intelligence officer Johnny Worricker back to finish his story. You may remember the 2011 political thriller Page Eight from a few years back. If not, let me refresh your memory.

Bill Nighty starred as Johnny Worricker, an MI-5 agent, now retired from the field and working as intelligence analyst. As the story begins, he is given a file by his boss and best friend Benedict Baron (Michael Gambon). This dossier contains very damning information regarding Prime Minister Beasley (Ralph Fiennes) and his collusion with the American government’s operation of secret torture camps. Dear old Ben dies and Worricker spends the rest of this adventure falling back into spy mode, staying one step ahead of the British intelligence community until he has proof that the source of the aforementioned report can be trusted. In the end his refusal to return the file and keep quiet means Johnny’s career is over and he is forced to flee the country.

And this is where the story picks up this next installment of the Johnny Worricker Trilogy entitled Turks & Caicos (which just so happens to be the group of British islands where our hero has chosen to hide out).

Political thriller Page Eight has not just one but two sequels headed to America this Fall! Now dubbed The Worricker Trilogy, the story will continue on with all the spies and espionage-focused goodness you could possibly want.

The original Page Eight aired on both BBC Two and PBS in 2011 and follows the story of Johnny Worricker, an MI-5 agent who discovers a potentially explosive report that alleges the British Prime Minister has details about the US government torturing prisoners in secret overseas prisons. A moral crisis ensues, Worricker’s boss/mentor figure dies, and he ends up leaving the country to destinations unknown to face an uncertain future.

For the sequels, the always amazing Bill Nighy reprises his role as Worricker from the original Page Eight in two more feature length episodes. He is joined by an all-star cast Christopher Walken, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Rupert Graves, James Naughton, Felicity Jones, Judy Davis and more. (You may remember that Fiennes and Davis both appeared in Page Eight as well.)

Both installments will air on Masterpiece this Fall, on November 9 and 16, respectively.

Learn more and watch the UK trailers for both below.