First look: The Couple Next Door

Summer evenings are designed for sitting outside with an ice-cold drink and a plate full of slightly over-barbecued food. Television schedulers know this, which is why they keep all the best crime dramas back for Autumn and Winter.

As much as we all enjoy catching a few rays in the garden and eating our own body weight in charred halloumi, it’s pleasing to see the nights starting to draw in and our favourite genre of TV drama creeping back into our living rooms once again.

One of the standout British crime offerings this Autumn appears to be the upcoming thriller The Couple Next Door. Let’s do a little detective work and investigate this intriguing-looking six-parter, shall we…?

What’s it all about?

The series revolves around two intertwining relationships and the fallout from their explosive combination. Evie and Pete are a nice, normal and functional couple who have decided to upgrade their property and move to a desirable and affluent new neighbourhood. There they meet Danny and Becka, who quickly become their desirable and affluent new friends.

Soon, they all grow a little too close to each other and things start to unwind in spectacular fashion…

Sound familiar? Well, foreign drama buffs may have spotted that the plot to The Couple Next Door is rather similar to that of the Dutch series Nieuwe Buren (‘New Neighbours’). In the UK it was billed as ‘The Swingers’ via Channel 4’s ‘Walter Presents’, which has a track record of showcasing the very best in dark overseas dramas.

This British drama has been written by David Allison, co-writer of such recent crime-tinged TV hits as Trust Me, Marcella, and Bedlam.

Channel 4 is calling it ‘a deliciously dark, psychological drama, exploring the claustrophobia of suburbia and the fallout of chasing your deepest desires.’ It’s also been described as ‘an addictive, emotional roller coaster’ by the broadcaster’s Head of Drama, Caroline Hollick.

So it’s not based on the Shari Lapena novel, then?

Nope. Sorry to all fans of Shari Lapena’s gripping and wildly successful 2016 book of the same name. The producers of this new Channel 4 crime drama decided not to adopt the name of the series from the Netherlands that it’s based on.

Somewhat confusingly, they opted instead for a title which is exactly the same as another really quite famous work of fiction. One which would also be ideal for a television adaption…

Who’s in it?

The four main characters are played by a quartet of primarily up-and-coming actors. There are no major household names in the principal cast list, but there’s plenty of talent to make up for it.

That said, anyone who enjoys the historical drama Outlander will recognise Sam Heughan as Danny. Poldark’s Eleanor Tomlinson plays Evie, with Jessica De Gouw (Pennyworth, Vienna Blood) as Becka and Alfred Enoch (How to Get Away with Murder) as Pete.

The recognisable Hugh Dennis also pops up as Alan. Also a writer and comedian, you’ll have seen him on BBC comedies Fleabag, Outnumbered, and Mock the Week.

Also filling out the cast are comic actors Kate Robbins (After Life) and Janine Duvitski (Benidorm), alongside Deirdre Mullins, Katie Clarkson-Hill, Stephen Frost, Stephanie Street, and Anastasia Hille.

When will the series be released?

The Couple Next Door will air on November 27, 2023 on Channel 4.

Does The Couple Next Door sound like it could be just up your street? Perhaps you’re a fan of the series it’s based on, New Neighbours? Let us know if you’re looking forward to it below in the comments…

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