The Channel 4 drama premieres next week.

By Morgan Cormack

Published: Tuesday, 21 November 2023 at 17:30 PM


As we inch closer to winter, our TV schedules are very quickly being filled up with thrillers, dramas, documentaries and much more.

Well, in the psychological drama stakes, if you’re looking for something quite dark and shocking, look no further than Channel 4’s The Couple Next Door.

The new drama stars Poldark’s Eleanor Tomlinson as Evie and Alfred Enoch (How to Get Away with Murder) as her husband Pete.

The pair move to a new neighbourhood, where they meet Danny (Sam Heughan) and Becka (Jessica De Gouw), another married couple who seemingly welcome them into their lives.

But the psychological thriller doesn’t stop there as, according to the synopsis, they “become sexually entangled in a way that will change their lives forever”.

Discussing those intimate scenes, Tomlinson chatted to Radio Times magazine for this week’s issue. The actress revealed that they worked with a “brilliant” intimacy coordinator, Vanessa Coffey.

Actually, the suggestion to work with Coffey came from Heughan, who had worked with her on Outlander’s sex scenes, which have won praise for their sensitivity.

Tomlinson told Radio Times magazine: “Everybody felt comfortable. The way that the sex scenes are shot isn’t necessarily what you would expect. I was keen to get across [the idea] that you can make something just as sexy by implying it.”

With a star-studded cast and a steamy plot line, fans can’t wait to see what the new series has in store, with Heughan recently revealing that the “stylised” drama is also “very sexy” and “very dark”.

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Heughan said: “I think the show is constantly turned on his head. That’s what I loved about it, from the beginning, is this kind of weirdness.

“It’s a stylised show, but it’s very sexy, very dark. And I think people will be disgusted or excited. Everyone’s going to be on different sides on this.”

In addition to Tomlinson, Heughan, Enoch and De Gouw, the series also stars Hugh Dennis as a ‘peeping tom’ who lives in the neighbourhood, with Kate Robbins cast as his wife.

doctor who 60th radio times cover
Radio Times magazine.

The Couple Next Door airs on Channel 4 in the UK from Monday 27th November, and on STARZ in the US in 2024. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or visit our Drama hub for more news and features.

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