It’s the ideal time of the year for escapist telly and creator Neil Cross has understood the assignment perfectly. His new Italy-set Sky thriller is exactly what a dank October calls for: Hitchcockian capers in exotic Mediterranean locations with a pair of charismatic adversaries jousting over stolen diaries, unbreakable codes and a mysterious new form of intelligence that may just herald the apocalypse. Read on to find out how Cross’s Italian job came together.

What is The Iris Affair about?

If you’ve caught him in Joe Wright’s Hanna , you’ll know that Tom Hollander is good when he’s good, but even better when he’s an absolute psychopath. Meet Cameron Beck, a silver-tongued entrepreneur who has staked the house on a new, all-powerful piece of tech he’s nicknamed ‘Charlie Big

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