Writer-creator Joe Barton is probably best known for his work on series such as “Girl/Haji” and “The Lazarus Project,” but those in the know, know he’s almost as famous for all the things he hasn’t made but has been tapped to create. One of the hottest screenwriters in the U.K. at the moment, Barton was once tapped to be the showrunner of the Matt Reeves’ “Gotham PD” Batman spin-off series that never came to pass, and he was one of the writers invited to pitch on the fourth season of “True Detective.” He’s written scripts for Michael Bay, has an “Amadeus” TV series in the works, and is also the writer of an untitled “Cloverfield” sequel that Babak Anvari is supposed to direct. Sure, many of these projects haven’t come to pass yet, but they speak to how in-demand Barton is. So his latest project, “Black Doves,” is a British spy and espionage series for Netflix, and it’s attracted an A-list cast.
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“Black Doves” stars Keira Knightley (“Atonement”) and Ben Whishaw (“Paddington”), and the supporting cast is aces too, including Sarah Lancashire (“Happy Valley”), Andrew Buchan (“Carnival Row”), Adeel Akhtar (“Fool Me Once”), Tracey Ullman (“The Tracey Ullman Show”), Finn Bennett (“True Detective: Night Country”), Luther Ford (“The Crown”), Andrew Koji (“Warrior”), Kathryn Hunter (“Andor”), Sam Troughton (“Chernobyl”), Ella Lily Hyland (“Fifteen Love”), Adam Silver (“The Diplomat”)  Ken Nwosu (“Look the Other Way and Run”), Gabrielle Creevy (“In My Skin”), and Omari Douglas (“Ry Lane”).
“Black Doves” centers on a female spy (Knightley), who begins a passionate affair that may endanger her secret identity when her lover becomes victim to London’s underworld and her employers send an old friend (Whishaw) to protect herHere’s the synopsis:
Set against the backdrop of London at Christmas, BLACK DOVES is a sharp, action-filled, and heartfelt story of friendship and sacrifice. It follows Helen Webb (Keira Knightley), a quick-witted, down-to-earth, dedicated wife and mother — and professional spy. For 10 years, she’s been passing on her politician husband’s secrets to the shadowy organization she works for: the Black Doves. When her secret lover Jason (Andrew Koji) is assassinated, her spymaster, the enigmatic Reed (Sarah Lancashire), calls in Helen’s old friend Sam (Ben Whishaw) to keep her safe. Together, Helen and Sam set off on a mission to investigate who killed Jason and why, leading them to uncover a vast, interconnected conspiracy linking the murky London underworld to a looming geopolitical crisis.
“Black Doves” arrives on Netflix on December 5. Watch the first trailer below.