30 Mar CHANNEL 4 AND STARZ ORDER TAUT THRILLER THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR STARRING SAM HEUGHAN, ELEANOR TOMLINSON, JESSICA DE GOUW AND ALFRED ENOCH
Channel 4 and STARZ have commissioned a six-part thriller, The Couple Next Door, starring Sam Heughan (Outlander, Suspect), Eleanor Tomlinson (The Outlaws, Poldark), Jessica De Gouw (Pennyworth, Our Man from Jersey) and Alfred Enoch (Tigers, How To Get Away with Murder) from Eagle Eye Drama. The series is a deliciously dark, psychological drama, exploring the stultifying claustrophobia of suburbia and the fallout of chasing your darkest desires.
When Evie (Eleanor Tomlinson) and Pete (Alfred Enoch) move into an upscale neighborhood, they find themselves in a world of curtain twitching and status anxiety. But soon find friendship in the shape of the couple next door, alpha traffic cop Danny (Sam Heughan) and his wife, glamorous yoga instructor Becka (Jessica De Gouw). Sam Heughan heads up the cast as Danny who shares a passionate night with Evie, his beautiful but troubled neighbor.
Sam Heughan said: “I’m thrilled to be working with Eagle Eye Drama and director Dries Vos again and adding a third series with my STARZ family. Dries has a unique visual flair and I’m sure we’re going to make something special.”
Eleanor Tomlinson added: “Evie is an exciting challenge for me – a girl whose world is turned upside down as she navigates devastating trauma, which isn’t helped by unresolved issues from her past. We have an excellent team on board, and I am looking forward to exploring this dark and complicated world alongside Sam and our director Dries.”
“Sam has truly found his home at STARZ as he continues to shine on our slate,” said Kathryn Busby, President of Original Programming for STARZ. “This marks our third series with the brilliant actor and we cannot wait to see the chemistry he and Eleanor will ignite together in this provocative series.”
Caroline Hollick, Head of Drama, Channel 4 said: “This series is an addictive, emotional roller-coaster with something to say about modern sexual mores, with an electrifying cast that will set our screens on fire.”
Jo McGrath, Executive Producer and CCO of Eagle Eye Drama, commented: “At the heart of this series are two couples who get increasingly close to each other, and one fateful night become sexually entangled in a way that will change the rest of their lives forever. You never really know what goes on behind closed doors but this series sets out to make you wonder.”
Loosely adapted from the Dutch series “New Neighbours” (“Nieuwe Buren”, a TV adaptation of the bestselling Dutch novel of the same title by Saskia Noort) the series is written by David Allison (Marcella, “Bedlam”), directed by award winning director Dries Vos (“Suspect,” “Professor T”), Series Produced by Jen Burnet, and is Executive Produced by Jo McGrath, Walter Iuzzolino and Alison Kee. The Couple Next Door is commissioned by Channel 4’s Head of Drama, Caroline Hollick and Commissioning Editor, Rebecca Holdsworth. Karen Bailey, EVP of Programming, is the executive overseeing “The Couple Next Door” for STARZ.
The series is produced by Eagle Eye Drama and distributed worldwide by Beta Film. The Couple Next Door begins filming in Leeds and Belgium later this year. “The Couple Next Door” will be available on Channel 4 in the UK and on STARZ in the US and Canada, as well as on LIONSGATE+, the international premium streaming service from STARZ, in Latin America, including Brazil.