'It couldn't be more exciting'

Endeavour star Shaun Evans plays an M15 agent at a crossroads in new spy thriller Betrayal

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He was last on our screens as brutal murderer John Sweeney in Until I Kill You, but Endeavour star Shaun Evans is firmly back playing the good guy in ITV's new spy thriller Betrayal.

Known to millions as young Endeavour Morse in the ITV prequel that ran for 11 years, Shaun is a TV favourite. His new hero is called John Hughes, a mid-career M15 officer navigating a rapidly evolving intelligence landscape while struggling to keep his failing family life from falling apart at the same time.

"I was interested in this idea of a chap who was having a midlife crisis - or a midlife opportunity," says Shaun. "If he can no longer rely upon himself and his physicality, and his marriage is coming down on him and his work is no longer flourishing, I felt it was relatable."

Shaun, 45, has always loved spy thrillers, and Betrayal sees him also take on the extra role of executive producer.

"I've always been a fan of the genre," he says. "It seemed a happy marriage to be able to do something that's very real, very human and relatable against something which is international espionage, which couldn't be more exciting."

The show is set in part around Liverpool and Manchester, and viewers will be gripped by a shootout in the opening scenes. The action gets started early and rarely slows down with lots of twists and turns across four parts.