ABC to air 'Assets' miniseries, starring Jodie Whittaker

U.S. television network ABC says it plans to air a CIA-themed miniseries called "The Assets," starting next month. The eight-part program is to premiere Jan. 2. It is based on real-life events surrounding CIA counter-intelligence officer Sandy Grimes, who is played in the small-screen series by Jodie Whittaker. "The year 1985 serves as the backdrop to the final showdown of the Cold War when Sandy and her partner Jeanne Vertefeuille [played by Harriet Walter] vowed to find the mole who would turn out to be the most notorious and dangerous traitor inside the CIA, Aldrich Ames [played by Paul Rhys]," ABC said in a news release Monday. "Sandy is in a race against time to save the Soviet intelligence officers from being caught and killed. Living her own double life at home, this beautiful wife and mother vowed to stop at nothing until she uncovered the truth. 'The Assets' will look inside the true, personal stories of the conclusion of the Cold War as told by the keepers of the nation's secrets: the CIA."