Deceit (2021 miniseries)

Deceit is a British four-part television drama miniseries, based on the true story of a controversial undercover operation carried out by the Metropolitan Police in 1992. Niamh Algar stars as the undercover police officer, codenamed "Lizzie James", who attempts to entrap a suspect in a murder investigation. It premiered on Channel 4 on 13 August 2021, and all subsequent episodes were made available for streaming on All 4 that same day after broadcast. The series, written by Emilia di Girolamo and produced by Story Films, received critical acclaim.

Cast

 * Niamh Algar as Sadie Byrne / Lizzie James
 * Sion Daniel Young as Colin Stagg
 * Eddie Marsan as Paul Britton
 * Harry Treadaway as DI Keith Pedder
 * Rochenda Sandall as Lucy
 * Nathaniel Martello-White as Baz
 * Jack Riddiford as Robert Napper
 * Edwin De La Renta as Mark (Kash) Bailey
 * Simon Kunz as Sir Harry Ognall

Production
In August 2020, Channel 4 Drama announced they had commissioned a new show with the working title My Name is Lizzie, examining the investigation into the killing of Rachel Nickell in 1992.

Later retitled Deceit, the show includes scenes of verbatim dialogue as part of a fictionalised retelling of events.

Release
It was first shown on Channel 4 each week, starting on 13 August 2021. All four episodes were made available on the channel's streaming service All 4 after the first episode was broadcast.

Critical reception
Lucy Mangan, writing for The Guardian, praises Algar's "phenomenal performance" and MacCormicks "magnificent and stylish" direction, and says the only problem the show has is that "it is dealing with events that are stranger than fiction." Sara Wallis from Daily Mirror believes that the miniseries are "not hammer-blow viewing that reconstructs grisly murders" but a more detailed account of the impact of undercover work on Sadie. During the BBC Radio 5 Live program, Algar expressed her opinion of Emilia di Girolamo's work, calling it "something unique" and "one of the most exciting dramas."

Sean O'Grady, writing for The Independent, named Deceit "a gripping portrayal of a real-life undercover operation". For her performance, Algar was nominated for Best Actress at the 2022 British Academy Television Awards.