SERIES PREMIERE

ABC'S THRILLING 8-PART MINI-SERIES, "THE ASSETS," DEBUTS THURSDAY, JANUARY 2 10:00-11:00 PM ET

"The Assets" is an eight-part mini-series based on the real life events of CIA counter-intelligence officer Sandy Grimes (Jodie Whittaker, "Broadchurch"). The year 1985 serves as the backdrop to the final showdown of the Cold War when Sandy and her partner Jeanne Vertefeuille (Harriet Walter, "Babel") vowed to find the mole who would turn out to be the most notorious and dangerous traitor inside the CIA, Aldrich Ames (Paul Rhys, "The Borgias"). 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.

"My Name is Aldrich Ames" (Series Premiere) -- As the Cold War enters its final act, the CIA is sent scrambling when a rendezvous with a prized asset goes horribly awry. CIA officer Sandy Grimes begins her investigation into the source of the problem and quickly discovers that this lost asset is just the tip of the iceberg. Little does she know that this is just the beginning of a decade-long mole hunt, and the mole is one of her cohorts - Aldrich Ames, on "The Assets," airing THURSDAY, JANUARY 2 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

"Jewel in the Crown" -- The CIA scores a major break when Vitaly Yurchenko, a high-ranking KGB officer, defects to the US. Assigned as the lead in the debriefing, Aldrich Ames engages in a verbal cat-and-mouse game to determine whether he is in danger of being ratted out. Ames considers taking drastic measures when Yurchenko reveals that he knows of a mole in the CIA. Meanwhile, Sandy frets over the safety of a beloved and esteemed asset, General Dmitri Polyakov on "The Assets," airing THURSDAY, JANUARY 9 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

"The Assets" stars Paul Rhys ("The Borgias") as Aldrich Ames, Jodie Whittaker ("Broadchurch") as Sandy Grimes, Harriet Walter ("Babel") as Jeanne Vertefeuile, Stuart Milligan ("Jonathan Creek") as Arthur O'Neill, Julian Ovenden ("Downton Abbey") as Gary Grimes, Christina Cole ("Casino Royale") as Louisa Tilton, and Ralph Brown ("Withnail and I") as Lawrence Winston.

"The Assets" is based on the book Circle of Treason: A CIA Account of Traitor Aldrich Ames and the Men He Betrayed by Sandy Grimes and Jeanne Vertefeuile. Morgan Hertzan, Rudy Bednar and Drew Chapman executive produce the series. "The Assets" is produced by Lincoln Square Productions.