Former EastEnders and Rivals actor Danny Dyer has landed himself a new role in a big new Channel 4. The Siege is based on the book of the same name by Ben Macintyre, with Slow Horses and Veep writer Will Smith penning the script, and Des and Time director Lewis Arnold behind the camera.

Set in the 1980s, the six-part series takes place over a week as six armed men takes 26 people hostage at the Iranian embassy in London, demanding autonomy for their people.

Over the next few days, the gunmen, the hostages and the authorities all try and maintain control of the situation, as things threaten to go catastrophic.

While the world watches, the SAS secretly plans to stage a rescue mission.

The show promises to not only be a thriller with all of the tense moments that come with the genre, but also include “poignancy, insight and humour”.

Alongside Dyer, we’ve got David Morrissey, Motaz Malhees, Omid Djalili, Nicola Stephenson, Sean Pertwee, Asim Chaudhry, Moe Bar-El, Aneurin Barnard, Mark Bonnar, and Gwilym Lee.

“The Iranian embassy siege and the daring raid which ended it was an iconic moment that forged the ferocious reputation of the modern SAS”, Channel 4’s chief content officer Ian Katz said.

“The show is a heart-stopping, emotional thriller that reveals the little-known motivations of the hapless hostage-takers and the very human reality of what went on inside the embassy as the world looked on and Britain’s most lethal soldiers practiced their high stakes assault.”

He continued: “It will change the way people understand the siege and reveal how close the famous SAS operation came to disaster. We’re thrilled to be working with Will Smith, Ben Macintyre, Lewis Arnold, Patrick Spence and the remarkable cast.

“This major commission underlines Channel 4’s commitment to dialling up exceptional drama in its slate of original British programming.”

Alexandre Piel, the head of drama for co-producer ARTE France, said: “The Siege is our first coproduction with UK, and we are truly honoured to be associated with Channel 4 on this fantastic project.

“Will Smith is a brilliant author. His adaptation of Ben Macintyre’s novel masterfully blends a gripping thriller with the emotional depth of this tragic event. He made it an intense, moving, and funny story all at once.”