Black Ops (TV series)
A British comedy thriller about undercover police officers.
Antonio Zugaldia from Washington, D.C., United States · CC BY 2.0
Black Ops is a British television comedy series made for BBC One, created by Gbemisola Ikumelo, Akemnji Ndifornyen, Joe Tucker, and Lloyd Woolf. The show follows two police community support officers, Dom and Kay, who join the Greater London Police and become undercover operatives in East London. The first series aired in May 2023, and a second series premiered on 8 January 2026, with a third series commissioned in May 2026.
- Genre
- Comedy thriller
- Network
- BBC One
- First aired
- May 2023
- Number of series
- 3 (as of May 2026)
- Creators
- Gbemisola Ikumelo, Akemnji Ndifornyen, Joe Tucker, Lloyd Woolf
- Lead actors
- Hammed Animashaun, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Akemnji Ndifornyen
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Comedy
- Creator
- Gbemisola Ikumelo / Akemnji Ndifornyen / Joe Tucker / Lloyd Woolf
- Writer
- Joe Tucker / Lloyd Woolf / Gbemisola Ikumelo / Akemnji Ndifornyen / Racheal Ofori / Patricia Elcock / Thara Popoola / Christine Robertson
- Director
- Ben Gregor / Akaash Meeda
- Starring
- Gbemisola Ikumelo / Hammed Animashaun / Akemnji Ndifornyen
- Composer
- Tawiah / Lindsay Wright
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Language
- English
- Num Series
- 2
- Num Episodes
- 12
- Executive Producer
- Gbemisola Ikumelo / Akemnji Ndifornyen / Josh Cole / Joe Tucker / Lloyd Woolf
- Producer
- Carol Harding / Kim Crowther
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Black Ops was commissioned by the BBC in August 2021 as a six-part series produced by BBC Studios and Mondo Deluxe. The creators—Gbemisola Ikumelo, Akemnji Ndifornyen, Joe Tucker, and Lloyd Woolf—developed the show as a blend of comedy and thriller, with Ikumelo noting the deliberate mixing of dark and comedic tones. Filming for the first series began in June 2022 in Luton, with additional locations in Thamesmead and Waltham Forest. The series debuted on BBC One on 5 May 2023 at 9:30 pm, with episodes also available on BBC iPlayer. In February 2025, all six episodes of series 1 became available on Hulu in the United States.
Reader's Guide
Black Ops received generally favorable reviews for its first series, with critics praising the lead performances and the show's ability to merge broad comedy with crime drama. The Guardian awarded five stars, calling it a 'pitch-perfect, star-packed joy,' while the Daily Telegraph gave four stars, noting the 'terrific pairing' of the leads. Some reviewers, such as those from The Independent and Financial Times, offered three-star reviews, citing occasional tonal inconsistencies but acknowledging the show's humor. Series 2 also garnered positive reviews, with The Guardian describing it as 'likably silly' and 'hugely fun,' and the i Paper calling it 'one of the funniest and sharpest new sitcoms in recent years.' The series won the Best Comedy Programme award at the 2024 Broadcast Awards and received four nominations at the Royal Television Society Programme Awards in March 2024, including Best Comedy Writing and Best Scripted Comedy. At the 2024 British Academy Television Awards, Ikumelo won Best Female Comedy Performance, and Animashaun was nominated for Male Performance in a Comedy Programme.
Did You Know?
- The first series of Black Ops aired in May 2023 on BBC One.
- A second series was commissioned in August 2023 and premiered on 8 January 2026.
- Filming for the second series took place in Wigan and Manchester in February 2025.
Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Black Ops (TV series)?
Black Ops is a British comedy thriller series broadcast on BBC One that follows two police community support officers, Dom and Kay, as they are thrust into undercover work in East London. The show blends procedural police drama with sharp, character-driven humour.
Who created Black Ops (TV series)?
The series was co-created by Gbemisola Ikumelo, Akemnji Ndifornyen, Joe Tucker, and Lloyd Woolf, who developed the concept for BBC One. Ikumelo and Ndifornyen also appear in leading roles alongside Hammed Animashaun.
What is the premise of Black Ops (TV series)?
Dom and Kay start as ordinary PCSOs with the Greater London Police but are unexpectedly assigned to run covert operations in East London. The comedy arises from the clash between their unglamorous community-patrol background and the high-stakes world of undercover policing.
How many series of Black Ops have aired?
The first series went out in May 2023, a second series premiered on 8 January 2026, and a third series was commissioned in May 2026. That brings the total to three series as of mid-2026.
Why is Black Ops (TV series) notable in British TV?
It stands out for pairing the typically tense undercover-police format with a genuinely comedic tone, giving a fresh voice to Black British characters in a genre that usually leans purely serious. Its rapid progression from a single 2023 series to a third commissioned instalment within three years signals strong audience and network confidence.
More in British thriller television series 1-24
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