By James Hibbs

Published: Thursday, 02 June 2022 at 12:00 am

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The Midwich Cuckoos starts airing on Sky and NOW this week, and it sees John Wyndham’s classic 1957 book brought to the small screen.

Starring Keeley Hawes and Max Beesley, the creepy sci-fi series tells the story of a quiet town which is hit by a supernatural event which leaves everyone unconscious. When they wake they find that every woman of child-bearing age inside the area has suddenly and inexplicably fallen pregnant.

The series runs for seven episodes and co-stars Aisling Loftus and Ukweli Roach amongst others.

Read on for everything you need to know about the cast of The Midwich Cuckoos.

Who’s in the cast of The Midwich Cuckoos on Sky?

Keeley Hawes as Dr Susannah Zellaby

Who is Dr Susannah Zellaby? Susannah is a family and child psychotherapist who is a natural leader and a highly-respected pillar of the community. She has a complicated relationship with her daughter Cassie and the arrival of the children puts Susannah under intense pressure professionally and personally.

Where have I seen Keeley Hawes before? Hawes has been a mainstay of British drama over the past two decades, appearing in hit series including Line of Duty, Bodyguard, It’s A Sin and Doctor Who. Her other roles have been in series such as The Durrells, Ashes to Ashes and Upstairs Downstairs, alongside many others.

Max Beesley as DCI Paul Haynes

Sky / David Appleby

Who is DCI Paul Haynes? Paul is the senior police officer in Midwich, whose controlled exterior hides his deep repressed emotion. He lives with his wife Deborah in Midwich and when the blackout event results in a personal tragedy, his life is plunged into turmoil.

Where have I seen Max Beesley before? Beesley is known for appearing in series such as Suits, Mad Dogs and Hotel Babylon, and recently had a lead role in Jamestown.

Aisling Loftus as Zoe Moran

Sky / David Appleby

Who is Zoe Moran? Zoe and her partner Sam are a young couple who move to Midwich. They plan to start a family but have struggled to conceive. Their dream becomes a nightmare for Zoe when the child she has dreamt of for so long arrives.

Where have I seen Aisling Loftus before? Loftus is known for appearing in series such as Mr Selfridge, War and Peace and A Discovery of Witches, as well as in films including Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

Ukweli Roach as Sam Clyde

Sky / David Appleby

Who is Sam Clyde? Sam is a new teacher at a school in Midwich who lives with his partner Zoe.

Where have I seen Ukweli Roach before? Roach has had a long-running role in the series Blindspot, and has also appeared in Grantchester and Silk. He had a main role in the third season of Channel 4’s Humans.

Lara Rossi as Jodie Blake

Sky / David Appleby

Who is Jodie Blake? Jodie is the sister of Paul’s wife Deborah.  Jodie lives in London and hasn’t ‘settled down’ like her sister. When her latest relationship ends, she visits her sister in Midwich seeking consolation.

Where have I seen Lara Rossi before? Rossi has appeared in series including I May Destroy You and The Watch, and in films such as Military Wives and Robin Hood.

Synnøve Karlsen as Cassie Stone

Sky / David Appleby

Who is Cassie Stone? Cassie is Susannah Zellaby’s daughter. She grew up not knowing her father and has struggled with addiction and mental health problems. She still lives with her mother but they have a complicated relationship.

Where have I seen Synnøve Karlsen before? Karlsen recently played Jocasta in Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho, and has also had major roles in series including Medici and Clique.

Lewis Reeves as Curtis Saunders

Sky / David Appleby

Who is Curtis Saunders? Curtis was born in Midwich and now has his own successful business, is married to his school sweetheart, and has a large family house in a smart area of town. They have a son who means everything to Curtis. He has a chip on his shoulder – he doesn’t like outsiders or being told what to do.

Where have I seen Lewis Reeves before? Reeves played David in I May Destroy You and DC Jake Collier in Unforgotten. He has also appeared in Death in Paradise and Uncle.

Hannah Tointon as Rachel Saunders

Sky / David Appleby

Who is Rachel Saunders? Rachel married Curtis young and on the face of it has an enviable life, but deep-down she knows there are bigger horizons. When their lives are changed by the events in Midwich, she begins to find her individuality and challenge Curtis.

Where have I seen Hannah Tointon before? Tointon is perhaps best known for her role as Simon’s girlfriend Tara in The Inbetweeners, and has also had roles in Hollyoaks, Call the Midwife, Penny Dreadful and Mr Selfridge.

Cherrelle Skeete as Bryony Cummings

Sky / David Appleby

Who is Bryony Cummings? Bryony is an MI5 officer sent in to help bridge the gap between the community and state authority in the aftermath of the traumatic events in Midwich.

Where have I seen Cherrelle Skeete before? Skeete played Terri Miller in Amazon’s series Hanna, and has also appeared in Doctors and Silent Witness.

The Midwich Cuckoos comes to Sky Max and NOW on Thursday 2nd June – sign up for Sky TV here.

Looking for something else to watch? Check out our guide to the best series on Netflix and best movies on Netflix, visit our TV Guide, or take a look at the rest of our Sci-Fi coverage.

The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now – subscribe now and get the next 12 issues for only £1. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times podcast with Jane Garvey.

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