Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the first episode of Netflix’s Black Doves.
The creator of Black Doves has revealed that the Netflix thriller was in part based on a ‘horrific’ real-life event - which was ‘much darker’ than the show.
The series follows Keira Knightley as Helen, a spy whose secret identify is exposed after she has an affair.
In Black Doves, Helen is married to a Government minister, however, it is a marriage done so she can pass secret information to British intelligence.
This is a massive plotline throughout the show, and one that creator and showrunner, Joe Barton, has said is inspired by real-life events.
What is the 'Spy Cops' scandal?
Barton said that part of the show was inspired by him finding out that about a scandal involving 140 British police officers.
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Supposedly without knowledge of senior police officials, they infiltrated various political groups across the country.
As reported by The Guardian, this even led to what were referred to as ‘spy cops’ marrying senior members within the political groups they infiltrated.
Barton said in an interview with Radio Times: “They infiltrated that environmental group and had ended up having children with it.
“A really horrific story, much darker than this.
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“But I was like, ‘Okay, that idea, that duplicitousness of having a pretend marriage lasting years and years and years and then it’s disappeared’. That was really part of the inspiration for it as well.”
What happened to the ‘spy cops’ Black Doves is based on?
The ‘spy cops’ were reported by The Guardian in 2012, who revealed the fact that not only were they married to activists, but in some cases even had children with them.
The relationships, which have been deemed an abuse of power, lasted up to nine years.
The Met Police apologised to seven women who came forward after the revelations came to light, and paid out massive sums of compensation to at least 12 women, according to Spy Cops.
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As per The Guardian, Martin Hewitt, an assistant commissioner, issued a statement which said: “Thanks in large part to the courage and tenacity of these women in bringing these matters to light it has become apparent that some officers, acting undercover whilst seeking to infiltrate protest groups, entered into long-term intimate sexual relationships with women which were abusive, deceitful, manipulative and wrong.
“I acknowledge that these relationships were a violation of the women’s human rights, an abuse of police power and caused significant trauma.
“I unreservedly apologise on behalf of the Metropolitan police service.
“I am aware that money alone cannot compensate the loss of time, their hurt or the feelings of abuse caused by these relationships.”
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A public inquiry into the scandal was issued in 2014, with evidence hearings starting in October 2024 and continuing until January 2025.
How does the scandal factor in to Black Doves?
Barton admits that the show inspired one of the clear central plot points of the show, Helen’s fake marriage to a top UK government minister to leak secrets.
Though this doesn’t play a massive ongoing part in the plot, the entire plot stems back to this aspect of Black Doves.
The show has been a massive success so far, spending almost two weeks on the top of Netflix’s charts in the UK.
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The series, which also stars Ben Whishaw and Sarah Lancashire, received a score of 95 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes and 7.3 on IMDb.
Black Doves is available to stream on Netflix now.
Topics: Netflix, TV and Film, TV, Politics
Michael Slavin