Stephen Graham has proven himself to be one of Britain’s best actors, with the star continuously wowing us on screen. From Adolescence to A Thousand Blows, he's given us some of the most talked-about shows on TV - but one you might not have heard of is crime drama, The Walk-In. The chilling drama stars Graham as the real life activist Matthew Collins, a reformed anti-fascist campaigner, who works to infiltrate and destroy far-right extremist groups - and we'd highly recommend watching the 10/10 series tonight.
Across five episodes, the series brings to life a fascinating - and rather eerie - story of extremism in modern Britain - one that unfolded barely a decade ago. At the centre of the series it is former neo-Nazi turned anti-fascist activist Collins who, when a disillusioned member of terrorist organisation National Action reaches out, finds himself in a high-stakes operation to put an end to a terror plot.
With The Walk-In now available to watch on ITV, here’s everything you need to know about the series, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.
What is The Walk-In about?
As we mentioned, the true story drama is based on the real-life experiences of reformed neo-Nazi turned activist Matthew Collins (Stephen Graham), who worked tirelessly to infiltrate far-right terrorist organisation National Action. Despite being banned in the UK in 2016 following the horrific murder of MP Jo Coxin, the group continued to operate underground.
The drama plays out the events that unfolded between 2017 and 2018, which involved ringleader Jack Renshaw's (Dean-Charles Chapman) plans to assassinate Labour MP Rosie Cooper. When a member of National Action secretly reaches out to Collins, he works alongside campaign group Hope Not Hate to guide the undercover operation from behind the scenes.
The informant, Robbie Mullen (Andrew Ellis) continues attending the meetings in order to gather evidence and we see how the operation helped foil another assassination plot and bring those involved to justice, with Renshaw being sentenced to life imprisonment.
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Speaking on The Graham Norton Show about the drama, Stephen explained: “It's very close to my heart - it's a very poignant and powerful drama that's really relevant to what is happening today. It is a wonderful piece and what I really like is being part of something that puts a mirror up to society. I was a bit nervous at first about people's reaction to it, but the way it has been received is phenomenal."
Who’s in the cast of The Walk-In?
The full cast of The Walk-In includes:
- Stephen Graham (White House Farm, Adolescence) as Matthew Collins
- Andrew Ellis (This Is England, Boiling Point) as Robbie Mullen, the informant
- Dean-Charles Chapman (Game of Thrones) as Jack Renshaw
- Leanne Best (Ripper Street, Line of Duty) as Alison, Matthew's wife
- Jason Flemyng (Trigger Point, Pennyworth) as Nick Lowles, chief executive of Hope Not Hate
- Chris Coghill (Shameless, Doctors) as Chris Lythgoe
- Bobby Schofield (SAS: Rogue Heroes, This City Is Ours) as Matt Hankinson
- Dean Lennox Kelly (Shameless, Jamestown) as Renshaw’s Father
- Nicola Stephenson (Holby City, Waterloo Road) as Renshaw’s Mother
- Steven Miller (Casualty, Shetland) as Young Lenny
- David Hayman (The Paradise) as Older Lenny
- Remy Beasley (Stella) as DC Victoria Henderson
- Brendan O'Carroll (Mrs. Brown's Boys) as Uncle Ronnie
- Andrew Havill (The Crown) as Mr. Atkinson
- Bryony Corrigan (The Goes Wrong Show) as Jo Cox
Is there a trailer for The Walk-In?
Yes, you can watch the trailer for The Walk-In below.
Is The Walk-In any good?
Yes, especially if you’re a fan of hard-hitting dramas. It's both chilling and compelling with viewers calling it “necessary” television that shows how easily dangerous ideologies can take hold. Stephen Graham is, of course, also brilliant in it.
Where can I watch The Walk-In?
You can watch all five episodes of The Walk-In on ITVX now.
What other Stephen Graham dramas can I watch now?
If you’re looking for timley TV exploring real-world problems, we’d recommend Netflix's Adolescence. The gut-wrenching series follows 13-year-old Jamie Miller’s arrest after he's accused of murdering a girl from his class, with Graham playing Jamie’s heartbroken father, Eddie. You can watch Adolescence now on Netflix. Another powerful watch is Little Boy Blue, which dramatises the death of 11-year-old Rhys Jones who was fatally shot on his way home from football practice in 2017. Little Boy Blue is available to watch now on ITVX. For more great Stephen Graham series to watch now, check out our pick of his best roles here.
