The Catch gives first look at Jason Watkins, Peaky Blinders’ Aneurin Barnard

By James Hibbs

Published: Tuesday, 29 November 2022 at 12:00 am

Channel 5’s upcoming drama The Catch is set to release in the new year. It stars Jason Watkins, Aneurin Barnard and Poppy Gilbert. Now, RadioTimes.com has got an exclusive first-look at the series, with images of all three in the four-part drama.

One initial image released by the channel sees Barnard’s character Ryan looking steely into the distance, while another sees Watkins’s Ed comforting his daughter Abbie, played by Gilbert. A third image sees Ryan and Abbie looking into each other’s eyes in front of a stunning rural backdrop.

The upcoming series is a psychological thriller, which sees local fisherman Ed’s life spiralling out of control, after Ryan enters Abbie’s life and threatens to take her away from him.

Ed determines to discover the truth about Ryan before it’s too late, but a dark secret from his own past and his own obsession means he risks losing everything.

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Jason Watkins and Poppy Gilbert in The Catch.
Channel 5

The show is set against the coastline of the south-west of England, and is set to tackle themes including toxic masculinity and grief, as it raises questions as to whether we should be judged by the actions of our distant past and at what point we have to stop blaming other people for the life we’ve led.

The new drama was first announced in July of this year, and is based on the novel by TM Logan. This is the second of Logan’s books that the channel has adapted, after The Holiday was released in March 2022.

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Aneurin Barnard and Poppy Gilbert in The Catch.
Channel 5

When the series was first announced, McDonald & Dodds star Watkins said: “I’ve always loved thrillers on screen and The Catch has all the ingredients to keep audiences hooked. Three-dimensional characters, a family unit under stress, with a tragedy at the heart – all brilliantly framed in the thriller genre.

“I’m always looking for parts I may not have played before and Ed is a person in extremis, trying to do what’s best. Failing and succeeding in equal measure. It’s great to play a character so buffeted by events.”

Meanwhile, Peaky Blinders‘ Barnard said: “I am extremely looking forward to working on The Catch, there is such a wonderful group of talented people making this drama thriller.

“It’s so great to work in a calm environment with people who love story telling as much as I do. The script has a wonderful intensity which will deliver a gripping drama for audiences. The cast has a very close chemistry, which I hope delivers on the screen.”

The Catch is coming to Channel 5 in the new year. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what’s on.

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