Written and created by the award-winning American television writer and producer Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files, Strike Back), Nemesis is an original eight-part suspense thriller set in the world of international espionage, produced by Kudos Film & Television (Spooks, Life On Mars), in association with Big Light Productions, for BBC One and HBO’s Cinemax channel.

At the heart of the drama is Sam played by Melissa George (The Slap, In Treatment), a highly skilled operative for an elite private intelligence firm who survives an attempt on her life that may have been orchestrated by members of her own team. Once she returns to the firm, she performs her secretive duties without knowing who to trust and who wants her dead.

Adam Rayner (Hawthorne, Mistresses) plays Sam’s colleague at the firm and love interest. The dedicated and complex members of the firm operate in the shadows, must often confront life and death situations on secret missions and are sometimes unaware of who or what they are fighting for.

Writer Frank Spotnitz says: “I’m incredibly excited about the ambition of this series. It’s got action on a cinematic scale, huge story twists and turns, and intriguing characters who are both emotionally and morally complex. I can’t imagine a better cast, director or production team to bring it all to life.”

Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning, says: "Melissa George is a fantastic choice to play BBC One's new leading lady known as Sam, a complex and mysterious Bourne style female spy unlike anyone we've seen on TV before."

Chief Executive, Kudos Film and Television, Jane Featherstone, says: “Casting the lead role of Sam was always going to be a challenge, and we are very lucky to have the brilliant Melissa George in the role. She’ll bring guts, subtlety and strength to the role, which is exactly what we need. Starring opposite Melissa is the brilliant Adam Rayner as Aidan, together their fantastically complicated romance will keep audiences gripped.”

Additional cast includes Stephen Dillane (Game Of Thrones), Morven Christie (The Sinking Of The Laconia) Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Lost, Strike Back), Lex Shrapnel (Captain America: The First Avenger), Uriel Emil (Criminal Justice), Patrick Malahide (Five Days, Billy Elliot), Stephen Campbell Moore (The Bank Job, History Boys) and Oscar Kennedy (Toast).

Filming has started and will take place on location in Scotland, London and Morocco. Commissioned by Danny Cohen, Controller, BBC One and Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning, the producer is Eliza Mellor (Albert Schweitzer, Derek), director is SJ Clarkson (Dexter, Toast) and executive producers are Frank Spotnitz, Jane Featherstone, Stephen Garrett and Alison Jackson from Kudos Film & Television, and Christopher Aird from the BBC. Kary Antholis is President, HBO Miniseries.