By the time Killing Eve trudged towards its end in 2022, no one was asking for the continuation of what was once a great spy dramedy.

Perhaps that's why the BBC has kept it something of a state secret that Honey, its splashy new Cold War drama, is exactly that.

This prequel follows Fiona Shaw’s Carolyn Martens, played here as a young agent by Ann Skelly (House of Guinness), as she goes deep undercover in 1982 East Berlin. As 'Martha' she works primarily as a honeypot to get kompromat on targets for her handler, Graham (Rory Kinnear).

As she tries to evade detection by the new Stasi head of counter-espionage, Friedrich (Jannis Niewöhner), she finds herself entwined with an arrogant CIA operative going by the name Kurt (Nate Mann). Soon, both spycraft and romantic entanglements ensue.

Only four episodes were made available for preview at the time of writing, but so far there are no flash-forwards to the characters in the present day and, beyond its protagonist, there are very few tangible links to the original show.

That said, like Killing Eve, Honey has a swaggering, bold sensibility and its tongue firmly in its cheek. It's also bolstered by its stunningly realised East German setting. The visual 1980s stylings are breathtakingly rendered and give the series a splendour and intricacy in production design and costuming that feels beyond most BBC dramas.

It also benefits from some smart, knotty and surprising plotting, plus razor-sharp dialogue, courtesy of writer and creator Emma Moran. Having been involved with the BBC’s Comedy Room initiative and previously working on panel shows such as Have I Got News for You, her background livens up every scene — even as the narrative isn't afraid to lean into the grit, darkness and tyranny of the era.

Meanwhile, Skelly gives a sensitive, funny and raw performance as Carolyn/Martha. Glimmers of Shaw’s version of the character are there, but she has also made an entirely standalone creation in her own right – no mean feat.

Just as Killing Eve sent Jodie Comer's star into the stratosphere, this feels like Skelly's time to shine. It's also a testament to the production's faith in its material that the cast is made up of largely lesser-known young actors, with only Kinnear providing recognisable heft.

Mann works wonders as the showboating American agent, while Niewöhner is a particular standout. Every line he delivers is loaded with double meanings and an unknowable streak, making him laughable one moment and terrifying the next. He brings to mind Christoph Waltz's chilling turn as Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds – although infinitely more ridiculous.

This is also a show that wears its sexuality firmly on its sleeve. Whereas Killing Eve played around with its central duo's flirtations right up to its conclusion, much to the ire of fans, Honey dives straight in to complex sexual dynamics, power games and ménage à trois. Thankfully, it never feels gratuitous – instead, it is a central thematic crux on which the drama rests; a show of rebellious, punky spirit in a repressive system.

Given that Honey occasionally meanders, with a clear trajectory for the narrative not always remaining in sight, hopefully the remaining two episodes manage to deliver a strong ending. It would be a shame if, like Killing Eve, Honey were to suffer the same laborious fate as its predecessor.

Honey will launch on BBC iPlayer and BBC One from Saturday 14 November.

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