Honey on BBC One tonight: Start Time, Cast, Plot and Episode 1 Preview

A dangerous mix of espionage, romance, betrayal and comedy arrives on BBC One tonight as brand-new drama Honey makes its television debut with a double-bill of episodes.

Set in East Berlin in 1982, the series follows a young MI6 agent caught between the ruthless world of Cold War intelligence and the far more complicated business of falling in love.

Honey begins tonight, Saturday 14 November, at 9pm on BBC One, with the first two episodes available to watch as a double episode. Both instalments will also be available on BBC iPlayer.

Combining the tension of a spy thriller with the familiar ingredients of a romantic comedy, the new BBC series promises something a little different from the usual period drama.

At its heart is Martha Schmitt, a 24-year-old British intelligence officer whose undercover assignment in East Berlin becomes increasingly complicated when she finds herself caught between dangerous enemies and an irresistible CIA operative.

When is Honey on BBC One?

Honey starts on Saturday 14 November at 9pm on BBC One, with a double episode launching the new series.

Viewers who prefer to stream can also watch the episodes on BBC iPlayer.

The opening double bill introduces the main characters, establishes the dangerous political landscape of East Berlin and sets up the complicated relationships that will drive the story.

With espionage, romantic tension and plenty of opportunities for things to go spectacularly wrong, Honey looks set to offer an entertaining Saturday night viewing option.

What is Honey about? BBC’s new comedy drama explained

Honey is a new BBC comedy drama set in East Berlin in 1982, during the Cold War.

The story centres on Martha Schmitt, pronounced Marta, a 24-year-old MI6 agent working undercover in one of the most dangerous environments imaginable.

Her cover identity requires her to pose as an ordinary East German woman having an affair with British diplomat Graham Anderson. It is hardly the glamorous intelligence career she imagined, and Martha is desperate to prove that she is capable of much more serious work.

But operating behind enemy lines comes with enormous risks.

Martha must avoid attracting the attention of the Stasi, East Germany’s feared secret police, particularly Friedrich Baumann, the new Head of Counterespionage against British Targets in Berlin.

Things become even more complicated when she finds herself caught between Friedrich and Aaron Neeland, a reckless and arrogant CIA operative posing as Kurt Fischer.

And while the threat of being discovered could mean imprisonment, torture or even death, Martha faces another problem that might prove just as difficult to handle: falling in love.

The BBC describes the central romantic dilemma as a Cold War ménage à trois, bringing together political intrigue, sexual tension and the familiar complications of a romantic comedy.

The series explores how relationships develop when nobody can be trusted and almost everyone has something to hide.

Honey episode 1 preview: Martha’s dangerous MI6 mission

The opening episode takes viewers to East Berlin in 1982, where MI6 officer Martha Schmitt is struggling with an undercover assignment that is far removed from the exciting intelligence work she wants to be doing.

Her humiliating cover identity involves having an affair with British diplomat Graham Anderson while pretending to be an ordinary East German woman.

Martha is desperate for the opportunity to demonstrate her abilities, but when a chance finally arrives, she makes a serious mistake and botches the mission.

Determined to redeem herself, she is paired with Kurt Fischer, a CIA officer who was responsible for ruining her operation in the first place.

It is not an ideal partnership, particularly when the two intelligence officers have very different approaches to their work.

However, the biggest danger may come from the Stasi.

Friedrich Baumann, the formidable new Head of Counterespionage against British Targets, has been watching Martha closely.

When he makes a request of her, Martha finds herself in an extremely difficult position.

With her cover already under pressure, can she afford to refuse him?

The first episode sets up the central tension of Honey, introducing a world in which one wrong decision could destroy an agent’s career or put their life in danger.

Honey episode 2 preview: A murder investigation and a strange sausage factory

The second episode sees Martha dealing with the consequences of her close encounter with Friedrich.

Having survived that particular danger, she joins forces with Kurt to investigate Hermann’s murder.

But they are not the only ones looking into what happened.

A sceptical Friedrich orders his own men, the rather inept Otto and Rolf, to investigate the killing.

The situation becomes more complicated when the Stasi seize Hermann’s notebook, forcing Martha and Kurt to take increasingly desperate measures to uncover the truth.

Their investigation leads them to Hermann’s workplace, where they must infiltrate a rather unusual sausage factory.

There they encounter Kamilla, Hermann’s sweet-natured colleague.

Could she hold the key to finding Greta?

Meanwhile, Greta is now a fugitive and increasingly terrified and confused. With her options for refuge running out, she must decide where she can turn next.

The second episode promises to develop the murder mystery while adding more of the show’s unusual humour and awkward encounters.

It also raises further questions about who can be trusted in a city where secrets are everywhere.

Who stars in Honey?

The new BBC drama features a cast led by Ann Skelly, who plays the central character Martha Schmitt.

Jannis Niewöhner also stars as Friedrich Baumann, the intimidating Stasi officer whose attention creates serious problems for the undercover agent.

The central characters bring together three very different worlds: British intelligence, American espionage and East German counterespionage.

Their competing loyalties and complicated personal relationships provide the foundation for the show’s mix of comedy, romance and thriller elements.

Ann Skelly explains what makes Honey different

Ann Skelly has spoken about the unusual way Honey combines familiar romantic comedy storytelling with the darker political backdrop of Cold War East Berlin.

She says: “It’s really surprising how the series plays with familiar romcom tropes and characters and puts them into recent history. It’s a series about very oppressive governments with very oppressive political ideology that try to control and infiltrate people’s relationships and lives. But the nature of people and human nature is that we can’t help but push through and Honey reflects the resilience of that effort. The show also explores the importance of love, sexuality and eroticism and the stakes of what it means to be alive”.

Her comments highlight the show’s intention to explore more than just the usual spy-versus-spy storyline.

While the political setting provides danger and suspense, the characters’ emotional lives are equally important.

Martha may be trained to lie, manipulate and keep secrets, but navigating her romantic relationships could prove to be her biggest challenge.

Jannis Niewöhner on playing ruthless Stasi officer Friedrich Baumann

One of the most intriguing characters in Honey is Friedrich Baumann, the Stasi officer tasked with countering British intelligence operations in East Berlin.

Played by Jannis Niewöhner, Friedrich is a formidable opponent who believes strongly in his political convictions and is prepared to go to extreme lengths to protect them.

Describing his character, the actor says: “Friedrich Baumann is the new Head of Counterespionage against British Targets in East Berlin. I would say he’s a radical – he’s known for being uncompromising in his interrogation tactics. He doesn’t shy away from scaring, hurting, torturing, or, if necessary, killing people, but he does it because he’s a true believer in communism and he really believes that this is something good that he needs to protect”.

Friedrich’s presence adds a much darker dimension to the series.

While Martha is attempting to navigate her complicated personal life and intelligence assignments, she must also avoid becoming the target of someone who has considerable power and very little sympathy for those who stand in his way.

Honey writer Emma Moran reveals the inspiration behind the series

The idea for Honey came from a desire to create a romantic comedy with a very different setting.

Writer Emma Moran wanted to take the familiar ingredients of a Bridget Jones-style love triangle and place them in the middle of a Cold War spy thriller.

Rather than treating the romantic and espionage elements as separate storylines, Moran saw natural similarities between the two.

She says: “The starting point for the series really was just wanting to do a rom-com. I’m such a big rom-com fan and I wanted to do a Bridget Jones style love triangle, with a messy woman in her twenties struggling with her career and boys. Adding that spy thriller element on top, weirdly felt quite natural. It didn’t feel like I had to squeeze the pieces together: that subterfuge, and whether someone is saying the truth to me or not, is kind of the same dynamic as, do they like me? Do they know I like them? Do they know that I know that they like me? It all felt quite natural”.

That approach helps explain what makes Honey stand out.

The series takes the uncertainty, misunderstandings and emotional complications of a traditional romantic comedy and places them in a world where deception is not simply a relationship problem but a matter of survival.

Is Honey worth watching?

For viewers who enjoy a mixture of period drama, espionage, comedy and romance, Honey could be an interesting new addition to the BBC schedule.

Its East Berlin setting offers plenty of opportunities for political intrigue, while Martha’s complicated love life gives the story a lighter and more relatable dimension.

The contrast between the serious dangers of Cold War intelligence and the awkwardness of romantic relationships is central to the show’s appeal.

There is also plenty of potential for comedy in the fact that Martha is trained to handle international espionage but appears far less equipped to deal with her feelings.

With a double episode giving viewers an immediate introduction to the characters and central mysteries, the opening night should provide a good indication of the direction the series will take.

Honey starts tonight, Saturday 14 November, at 9pm on BBC One. The opening double episode will also be available on BBC iPlayer.

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