Channel 4 thriller The Undeclared War has all the trapping of a serious hit, made by the same team behind the acclaimed adaptation of Wolf Hall, and starring the likes of Mark Rylance, Simon Pegg, and Adrian Lester.
Starring alongside them is Hannah Khalique-Brown as Saara Parvin, a genius 21-year-old hacker and the audience surrogate who introduces us to the world of GCHQ.
Focussing on a cyberattack that devastates UK infrastructure, creator Peter Kosminsky says that the world depicted is “certain to impact our lives significantly in the years ahead”.
But when is The Undeclared War set, and are the events portrayed realistic?
When is The Undeclared War set?
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The Undeclared War is fictional and set in the near-future in 2024, two years from the present day.
In The Undeclared War, post-Brexit Britain has a different prime minister (Boris Johnson has been ousted) and is on the brink of a general election, while the country is post-lockdown, but mask-wearing and hand-sanitising is still encouraged following Covid-19.
The series comes from the mind of BAFTA Award-winning writer and director Peter Kosminsky (The Promise, The State), who spoke about the show’s setting while speaking at a press event attended by RadioTimes.com.
“The Undeclared War is a cautionary tale,” he said. “It’s very thoroughly researched, it took five years to make.
“I’m not saying this is the way things will turn out but I’m saying there’s nothing in this show that either hasn’t happened, or is not being sort of ‘war-gamed’ by the people here and in other countries who try to prepare for this kind of thing.
Kosminsky continued: “There are no techniques shown or strategies described that aren’t happening and aren’t real. The characters are fictional, completely fictional. And I call it a cautionary tale because I think that if we’re not careful, this hot war will escalate to the point where it threatens our civilisation.
“I think it’s as serious as that. So that’s why I wanted to tell the story.”
The Undeclared War will start at 9pm on 30th June 2022 on Channel 4. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our TV Guide or visit our dedicated Drama hub for the latest news.
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