Reimagined into a contemporary political setting, this series is based on a popular novel which centres on a ruthless British assassin, known only as “the Jackal", and the intelligence officer intent on capturing him.

[5] The screenwriter Ronan Bennett was set as writer and showrunner, with Brian Kirk as the lead director,[6] followed by Anthony Philipson, Paul Wilmshurst and Anu Menon.

The series also gives more of an insight into the Jackal as a protagonist and Redmayne said he chose the project because "the idea of getting to spend a proper amount of time with this enigma felt like great material to mine".

The website's consensus reads: "A globetrotting thriller made eerily plausible by Eddie Redmayne's reptilian performance, The Day of the Jackal turns dark deeds into good fun.

[25] Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times gave it three and a half out of four stars, saying, "From Eddie Redmayne as the titular character to the gorgeous and expansive location shoots in London, Budapest, Vienna and Croatia to the major action set pieces ... Clichéd as it might be to say this, each of the 10 chapters is more like a movie than an episode of television.

"[26] Writing for The Guardian, Rebecca Nicholson gave it four out of five stars, calling it "a taut, lean drama that makes the most out of its acting talent and lays the foundations for a whole lot of well‑executed action.

"[27] David Fear of Rolling Stone praised the two leads, but felt the show's runtime was bloated, writing, "[Redmayne is] one of the best things about this updated Jackal, especially when the series slows down to procedural speed and simply observes the professional killer researching his jobs, scouting locations, shooting target practice.

Instead, it gilds the lily with unnecessary backstory and peripheral melodrama allegedly designed to “flesh out” characters, and you’re left with an epic amount of gorgeous, globetrotting Mid TV.