Emilia Clarke is heading back to prestige TV, this time swapping dragons for dead drops and dossiers. The Game of Thrones alum will star in Ponies, a Cold War–era murder-mystery and espionage thriller set in 1970s Moscow, with the series ordered straight to series by Peacock and set to premiere on January 15, 2026.
Quick read:
-
Ponies premieres on Peacock on January 15, 2026.
-
Clarke and Richardson play widowed secretaries turned CIA operatives in 1977 Moscow.
-
Series is an eight-episode Cold War espionage thriller with Clarke also executive producing.
Cold War murder, widows, and a vast conspiracy
Set in Moscow in 1977, Ponies follows two so‑called “ponies”—intelligence slang for “persons of no interest”—who quietly work as secretaries at the American embassy. When their husbands are mysteriously killed in the USSR, the women are pulled into the world of espionage, recruited as CIA operatives and forced to untangle a conspiracy that stretches deep into Cold War politics.
Credits: Peacock
Clarke plays Bea, an over‑educated, Russian‑speaking child of Soviet immigrants, while Haley Lu Richardson co‑stars as Twila, a small‑town American who is “as abrasive as she is fearless,” making the duo an unlikely but compelling investigative team at the heart of the murder-mystery.
A new spy thriller fronted and produced by Emilia Clarke
Ponies comes from co-creators Susanna Fogel (The Flight Attendant, The Spy Who Dumped Me) and David Iserson (Mr. Robot, New Girl), who serve as writers, directors, and executive producers on the series. Clarke isn’t just starring—she’s also on board as an executive producer, signaling a strong creative stake in how this Cold War world takes shape on screen.
The eight-episode espionage thriller will drop weekly on Peacock starting January 15, 2026, giving viewers a grounded, character-driven alternative to higher-fantasy projects while still tapping into Clarke’s proven genre appeal. With its blend of period intrigue, personal tragedy, and a central female partnership, Ponies is already being positioned as a must-watch spy series for early 2026.
Read next: George R.R. Martin confirms multiple Game of Thrones spinoffs at work (Yes, sequels too!)
If you have any important filming news about House of the Dragon, or if you want to collaborate with us or want to write for us, please drop us a message here.
