Black Doves looks like the Christmas gift of 2024 - it has a cast seriously crammed with talent, the plot revolves around spies juggling danger and domesticity, and it's landing just ahead of the festive period.

On paper this looks epic. So is it any good? Dig beneath the glossy trailers, expensive cast, and well respected creator, is it six hours of your life you're prepared to give up?

Here's my review of Netflix thriller Black Doves after watching...

Black Doves review

On paper, this six-parter has everything you'd want in a TV thriller. The cast of the Netflix thriller is beyond amazing. No word of a lie, I could watch Ben Whishaw, Sarah Lancashire, and Adeel Akhtar all day long. The supporting ensemble cast is great, too, with some faces you won't forget.

Can you feel a but coming...? Sadly even actors this sublime aren't quite enough to elevate this spy drama from good to brilliant - and it really should have been brilliant.

Along with the festive London setting, and the unparalleled cast, Black Doves was created and written by Joe Barton. He's best known for 2019's Giri/Haji, and 2022's The Lazarus Project. Both brilliant and quirky in their own ways.

The plot sounds engaging, if slightly beyond the realms of belief. Keira Knightley stars as Helen Webb, a professional spy who is also described as "a quick-witted and dedicated wife and mother". She's in an unhappy sham-marriage to Wallace Webb, the Conservative Minister of State for Defence.

For 10 years, she's been passing on her husband's secrets to the shadowy organisation she works for: the Black Doves.

However, when her secret lover Jason is assassinated, Helen becomes determined to seek revenge.

Is Black Doves on Netflix any good?

I had very high hopes for this. Which is perhaps why it disappoints. Don't get me wrong, this thriller is entertaining. And several days later, I still find myself thinking about the characters. No feat indeed when you watch as much telly as I do.

But the series is not quite as thrilling as it promises to be. It could have been the best series of the year. But there were two scenes in episode 1 that are painful to watch. One: Purple fake blood that looked like undiluted Ribena all over Helen's face. Two: A preposterous scene when Helen - in a life or death situation - answered a call from her young daughter.

As scenes go, this was a sledgehammer move to prove the point that Helen has two young kids at home. A missed call would have been enough. We, the audience, aren't stupid. We can join the dots by ourselves.

Although you'll undoubtedly love some characters, like lovelorn Sam, others feel one dimensional. Wallace's assistant Dani, for example, had so much potential. But the characterisation feels rushed, and a bit sloppy.

I'm left feeling Black Doves should have been eight or even 10 parts to do the sometimes complicated plot justice.

Don't give up after episode 1

Despite some clumsiness in episode 1, I'd advise you not to give up on Black Doves. As the series progresses, we learn more about the characters and why they do what they do.

The best lines are saved for Sarah Lancashire's character Reed, who frankly deserves her own spin-off show.

Black Doves is very entertaining, even though it's not perfect. It is not as slick as Day of the Jackal. Rather, it's more like Mr & Mrs (the Netflix version) with some Guy Ritchie thrown in. Some of it is preposterous, some of it is brilliant. Some of it is well written, some of it is hackneyed. There's welcome humour amongst the killing (and there's lots of dead bodies).

Moreover, Keira Knightley is the least likely spy I've ever seen on screen. Helen has the brains, but not the brawn to get away with some of the fighting scenes. You'll have to suspend disbelief - a lot - but if it works for Harlan Coben...

Black Doves series 1 streams as a boxset on Netflix from Thursday, December 5, 2024.