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The Mother of Dragons is officially becoming the Mother of PONIES and Peacock. Game of Thrones alum Emilia Clarke has been tapped to lead Peacock’s upcoming 1970's spy thriller series, PONIES. She’s also signed on as one of the show’s executive producers, marking the second time in her career that she’s doubled up on her job titles on the same project.
PONIES centers around two female CIA operatives working together to solve a mystery during the height of the Cold War. Although the show was ordered straight-to-series (i.e., Peacock is so confident in the idea for the show that a pilot is unnecessary), it’s still very much in the early stages of development.
Here’s everything we know about Ponies, coming to Peacock on January 15, 2026.
What is PONIES about?
According to Peacock, PONIES will be set in Moscow, Russia, in 1977. The description from the network’s blog states, “Two ‘PONIES’ (‘persons of no interest’ in intelligence speak) work anonymously as secretaries in the American Embassy. That is until their husbands are killed under mysterious circumstances in the USSR, and the pair become CIA operatives. Bea is an over-educated, Russian-speaking child of Soviet immigrants. Her cohort, Twila, is a small-town girl who is as abrasive as she is fearless. Together, they work to uncover a vast Cold War conspiracy and solve the mystery that made them widows in the first place.”
When is the PONIES release date?
NBC/Peacock
The show premieres on Peacock on January 15, 2026. There are 8 episodes that are each an hour long.
Who's in the PONIES cast?
NBC/Peacock
The show was co-created by Susanna Fogel (who co-wrote Booksmart) and David Iserson (whose writing credits include Mad Men and Mr. Robot). Fogel will serve as PONIES’s director, executive producer, and co-writer. Iseron will serve as PONIES’s show runner and co-writer.
The PONIES cast includes:
- Emilia Clarke
- Haley Lu Richardson
- Adrian Lester
- Artjom Gilz
- Nicholas Podany
- Petro Ninovskyi
- Vic Michaelis
What is a PONIE?
NBC/Peacock
In spy speak, “PONIE” stands for “persons of no interest.” The term appears to have been made up for the show. However, according to Merriam-Webster, a “person of interest” is someone who is believed to be possibly involved in a crime, but has not been charged or arrested. Based on this definition, I’d assume that a PONIE is a spy who flies way below the radar.
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This post has been updated.
