Charming smuggler-turned-spy Harry Palmer is getting a new lease of life in the ITV adaptation of The Ipcress File, the first major screen adaptation since the iconic film starring Michael Caine in the role of Harry.
Set in Berlin in 1963, we follow former British Army sergeant Harry Palmer (Joe Cole), whose dodgy dealings as a fixer and smuggler come to an abrupt end, landing him in prison. But when British secret services come knocking, it seems that Harry’s knowledge of Berlin’s underworld could come in handy after all – and maybe even keep him out of prison.
On why his The Ipcress File character is the anti-Bond, Joe Cole explained: “He’s a detective, he’s a spy, but he is very different. I think he’s, you know, he doesn’t have a lot of money. He’s from a working-class background. He’s operating in a different world with different classes. He’s hyper-intelligent and he’s fun, and for me, the most important thing was trying to capture that.”
Speaking at a press event attended by RadioTimes.com, Cole said he tried to make Harry Palmer more palatable to a modern-day audience, but also stay true to the spirit of the 1960s character.
He explained: “It was this constant battle of trying to make him not sound like a d**k, [to] make him kind of toe the line between not being facetious, not sarcastic; likeable but also pushing those buttons, but just enough that you don’t immediately turn off.”
Read on for everything you need to know about The Ipcress File.
The Ipcress File release date
The Ipcress File premieres on Sunday 6th March 2022 on ITV at 9pm, 2022, with the 6 episodes running weekly.
The Ipcress File cast
Peaky Blinders star Joe Cole takes on the iconic role of Harry Palmer, first played by Michael Caine, in ITV’s new adaptation of The Ipcress File.
He’s joined by Them’s Ashley Thomas as Paul Maddox; Bohemian Rhapsody star Lucy Boynton as Jean Courtney; and Us star Tom Hollander as William Dalby, who recruits Harry.
The series has been written by Trainspotting scriptwriter John Hodge and directed by Emmy Award-winner James Watkins (McMafia, Black Mirror, The Woman In Black).
Watkins said: “We can’t wait to bring Len Deighton’s intoxicating web of spies – sexier than Smiley’s People, more real than Bond – to a wider television audience. With his sly wit and understated integrity clashing against the establishment, working-class spy Harry Palmer is more relevant than ever.”
The Ipcress File trailer
A first trailer for The Ipcress File was released in January, which you can watch below.
The trailer begins with Lucy Boynton’s Jean explaining the mission to Cole’s Harry Palmer. “We have an operation in Berlin,” she says. “It’s the retrieval of a missing person.”
We later learn exactly why the missing person is of such high importance: he is responsible for designing atomic bombs. “Great,” deadpans Cole as Palmer.
The Ipcress File premieres on ITV on Sunday 6th March at 9pm. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
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