Line of Duty actor Lee Ingleby is set to star in a new four-part thriller for Channel 5 – and it sounds seriously good!
Titled The Cuckoo, the series follows a woman named Sian, who inserts herself into the lives of married couple Nick and Jessica and their adopted daughter Alice.
Leading the cast as Sian is Jill Halfpenny (The Long Shadow), whilst Lee plays Nick and Claire Goose (Unforgotten, The Bay) portrays Jessica.
© Joseph SinclairThe official synopsis reads: "The Cuckoo follows the story of Sian, a lodger who is taken in by Nick and Jessica. They have just bought the house of their dreams, a grand doer-upper in the countryside town that Jessica grew up in. However, as the financial crisis hits the family fall on tough times and suddenly their home is on the line. They are forced to pull their adopted teenage daughter, Alice out of her private school and into the local comprehensive. Nick finds another job, but it’s still not enough to make ends meet. With no other choice, Jessica decides they need to take in Sian as a lodger to help.
"Sian is beautiful, flirty, and mysterious. She immediately begins sowing discord within the family – acting too familiar with Nick, borrowing Jessica’s clothes, and building an increasingly inappropriate rapport with Alice. Jessica begins to question if Sian is really who she claims to be? Quickly she realises something more insidious and twisted is going on and Jessica, Nick and Alice will be forced to fight for each other and their own lives."
© Rachell SmithFilming for the series is currently underway in Ireland, with the series expected to air on Channel 5 in 2024.
Writer Barunka O'Shaughnessy, whose previous credits include The Teacher and Motherland, created the series and will pen the first episode. Meanwhile, Silent Witness and Death in Paradise writer Rebecca Wojciechowski will pen the remaining instalments, and Brian O'Malley (The Ex-Wife, That Dirty Black Bag, Alex Rider) will direct.
Sebastian Cardwell, who ordered the series for Channel 5 and is the Deputy Chief Content Officer, UK at Paramount said in a statement: "We're thrilled to be teaming up again with Clapperboard to bring this tense and twisty series to our viewers. Equipped with a gripping script and household names Jill Halfpenny, Lee Ingleby, Claire Goose and Marjorie Yates as our lead cast, The Cuckoo (w/) is another brilliant addition to our expanding drama slate."
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© Faye ThomasSuzi McIntosh, Senior Executive Producer at Clapperboard, the production company behind the drama, added: "I could not be more excited to be gathering such a fantastic and dynamic cast and crew to make this thriller that will keep us on the edge of our seats throughout. Watch this space, we are all in for a treat."
