Other names announced to star in the drama include Jason Flemyng (The Missing), James Cosmo (Game Of Thrones), Aneurin Barnard (Cilla) and Maeve Dermody (Serangoon Road), as well as German actor Rainer Bock (Inglorious Basterds).

The series, produced by Sid Gentle Films Ltd, has been adapted from Len Deighton’s intriguing, alternate history novel of the same name by one of the UK’s most successful writing partnerships – Bafta award-winners Neal Purvis and Robert Wade (SPECTRE, Skyfall, Casino Royale) – who have previously penned five James Bond films including The World Is Not Enough, Casino Royale and Skyfall. Set in Nazi-occupied London, the five-part thriller is based on the premise that the Germans won the Battle of Britain.

Bafta nominee Riley will play lead, British Detective Douglas Archer, who finds himself working under the brutal SS in occupied London. When investigating what appears to be a simple black market murder, ‘Archer of the Yard’ is dragged into a much darker and treacherous world where the stakes are as high as the ultimate outcome of the war.

Starring alongside him, Bosworth plays American journalist Barbara Barga, who becomes inextricably linked with the murder case that Archer is investigating. A dark and intricate story of moral ambiguity, the series poses the question of what you would do if faced with the choice of collaboration or joining a brutal resistance.

Sam Riley says: “Archer is a compelling and complex character. He is a good guy struggling to reconcile his job as a policeman within the repressive Nazi machine. Neal Purvis and Robert Wade have written a gripping screenplay that pays homage to Len Deighton’s novel. I am very much looking forward to working with this talented team.”

Kate Bosworth adds: “I am thrilled and honoured to be a part of this incredible team, bringing an iconic novel to the screen.”

The ambitious series will be directed by the multi award-winning director Philipp Kadelbach. An established and highly-acclaimed German director, SS-GB marks Kadelbach’s first move into English-language TV series. Previous credits include Naked Among Wolves and Generation War and feature films including The Secret Of The Whales and Hindenburg: The Last Flight.

Philipp Kadelbach comments: “I am extremely excited and lucky to be working with such a talented and international cast. Together we are embarking on the enormous challenge of creating an enthralling and thought-provoking fictional world and I can’t wait to start.”

Sally Woodward Gentle, Lee Morris, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade are executive producers on SS-GB for Sid Gentle Films Ltd. and Lucy Richer for the BBC. The series is produced by Patrick Schweitzer. The series begins production this month and will air on BBC One in 2016.

With thanks to BBC Media.