Want a gripping spy thriller to add to your TV diet? Look no further than Classified, a drama that’s been described as “hugely watchable” and compared to both The Night Manager and Bodyguard. The 10-part thriller was first broadcast in Canada under the title Classé Secret in 2022, but it's now heading to Channel 4 courtesy of Walter Presents this week – and let's just say it's ticking a lot of boxes.

From Mr. & Mrs. Smith to the more recent Black Bag, which starred Cate Blanchett, we’ve long enjoyed the trope of married spies on screen. Classified hinges around Rachel and Émile, two wedded Canadian Security Intelligence Service agents who live a normal and quiet life with their two daughters. Glorious, it seems. But when a shooting takes place near the American embassy, their lives quickly start to unravel. Think snipers, subterfuge and plenty of secrets.

With Classified set to arrive on Channel 4 this week, here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming spy series, from the plot to the cast and the release date, before you tune in.

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What is Classified about?

The French Canadian series will introduce us to secret service agents Rachel (Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin) and Émile (Patrick Labbé), who are married with two children and have a quiet, ordinary home life. But when a shooting reveals a CIA mole in the Canadian service, everything changes between them.

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Channel 4

Émile finds himself torn between his relationship and profession, as secrets come out and threaten to derail everything. According to the official synopsis, “Their work is tough. Their lives are tougher. Murderous secrets in a remote community.”

Who’s in the cast of Classified?

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Channel 4

The cast of Classified includes a wide variety of well-respected French-Canadian actors, including:

  • Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin as Rachel
  • Patrick Labbé as Émile
  • Paul Ahmarani as Jacques Thomassin
  • Madeleine Péloquin as Valérie Kasher
  • Andreas Apergis as Adrien McKenna
  • Gabriel Arcand as Philip Miller
  • Leïla Thibeault-Louchem
  • Mali Corbeil-Gauvreau as Marine Miller-Darcy
  • Charlotte Bégin as Azure Miller-Darcy
  • Geneviève Boivin-Roussy as Anne Miller
  • Sofia Blondin as Sarah Adamson
  • Susie Almgren as L'Interrogatrice
  • Lee Villeneuve as Marcel Desjardins

Is Classified any good?

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Channel 4

Well, one good sign is that Walter Presents have snapped up the show. The broadcaster's curated collection of international dramas, hand-picked by TV connoisseur Walter Iuzzolino, is typically on the money when it comes to exciting television. It was responsible for bringing us the deliciously addictive The Shadow, the story of a young journalist who's haunted by the words of a beggar she meets on the street, plus the unforgettable memory loss thriller Promethea and unnerving father-daughter series The Devil’s Leap. So it's in good company at least!

How can I watch Classified?

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Channel 4

As we mentioned, Classified is arriving on our screens this week! The full series will be available to stream on Channel 4 from Friday 1st August. You can check out the full Walter Presents collection on the streamer here, which includes Pale Mountains, Pandora, Memento Mori and more.

Which other spy thrillers can I watch now?

slow horses
Jack English

Want to get your heart racing with some more brilliant spy thrillers? For starters, we'd recommend BAFTA-winning Slow Horses, which has excitingly been commissioned for a whopping seventh series (series 5 hasn't even aired yet!). You can catch up on the first four series on Apple TV+. If you've already seen Slow Horses, try Netflix's Bone Palace, which revolves around “The Nest” - a refuge for those who must, under no circumstances, be found. For years, it’s remained quietly concealed, with its inhabitants who include ex-spies Simon (Felix Kramer) and Meret (Susanne Wolff) enjoying relative safety. That is, until one of their former targets figures out their location – and is determined to hunt them down, whatever it takes.