Apple Orders ‘Safe Houses’ Spy Thriller Series from Homeland Co-Creator

Apple TV is continuing to create new and original shows, and their latest project comes from Gideon Raff, the award-winning writer and creator of the hit series Homeland. Homeland was originally based on Raff’s Israeli series, Prisoner of War. According to reports from industry publications like Variety, the new series, titled Safe Houses, will consist of eight episodes, with Raff leading the creative team as showrunner. The show is a spy thriller, and early details suggest a suspenseful and captivating story.

“Safe Houses” is a gripping new espionage thriller that begins after a top CIA officer is murdered in Madrid. The story centers on Sofia Jiménez, an agent on the run who’s been accused of the killing, and Elizabeth Winthrop, the widow of the victim, who is also investigating. As they both dig for the truth, they uncover a large-scale conspiracy with potentially global consequences. The series, which is based on Dan Fesperman’s 2018 novel of the same name, continues Apple TV’s tradition of delivering exciting thrillers.

I’ve always been impressed with Gideon Raff’s work, especially shows like Prisoners of War and its American adaptation, Homeland – which rightfully won two Emmys! He clearly has a knack for compelling drama. Beyond those hits, he also created the miniseries The Spy and Dig, both gripping stories centered around espionage, which really showed his expertise in the genre. So, it doesn’t surprise me at all that he’s tackling a new series for Apple TV. I’m particularly excited about the premise – investigating an assassination from two totally different viewpoints. It’s a really innovative idea, and if done well, I think it could be a huge success for the platform.

‘Safe Houses’ Continues Apple’s Trend of Creating Thrilling Spy Shows


Apple TV

The series Safe Houses has a production team in place, and will be a collaboration between Apple Studios and Wiip. Otto Bathurst, the director behind episodes of Black Mirror, Halo, and the BAFTA-winning Peaky Blinders, will direct the initial episodes. In addition to executive producing, Raff will also direct multiple episodes, alongside Adam Berkowitz.

Apple TV+ has also had success with the spy series Slow Horses, which is adapted from novels by Mick Herron. Each of the five seasons so far has been based on a different book in the series, and all have received excellent reviews. If Safe Houses performs well, Apple TV could potentially adapt more of Dan Desperman’s spy and thriller novels. Although casting and a production timeline for Safe Houses haven’t been announced yet, updates are likely to come soon.

Read More

2025-11-05 01:22