Apart from one hoary line from Patrick ("You know exactly who we need to call, and it ain't Ghostbusters"), Ben Chanan's dialogue was quick on its feet and clever, especially when security minister Isaac Turner (an excellent Paapa Essiedu) was sparring with the head of a Chinese tech company hoping for an AI contract with the British government.

It is slick and well-written, but the show also highlights an awkward truth. You could imagine this series being made by Netflix, Amazon or Apple TV+.

The pacing is excellent, and the action sequences are suspenseful and original. ,,, Yet there are, unfortunately, mistakes here. Essiedu is miscast. ... And Grainger, too, is underused.

Despite the manifold sillinesses, the opening scene in James Kent’s directed episode of Ben Chanan’s drama is done effectively.