Deadwater Fell: David Tennant, Cush Jumbo to lead cast of new Channel 4 drama

David Tennant and Cush Jumbo will lead the cast of new Channel 4 drama Deadwater Fell.

The new four-part series is written by Daisy Coulam (Humans, Grantchester) and produced by Kudos, part of Endemol Shine UK.

It follows two families in the aftermath of a horrific crime in the small fictional town of Kirkdarroch

A teaser reads: “When a seemingly perfect and happy family is murdered by someone they know and trust, the small Scottish community they call home becomes riven with mistrust and suspicion as those closest to the family begin to question everything they thought they knew about their friends…”

As much as it is an exploration of the anatomy of a terrible crime, Deadwater Fell (w/t) is equally a forensic dissection of two relationships – Kate and Tom, Jess and Steve.

BAFTA and NTA-winning David Tennant (Broadchurch, Dr Who, Good Omens) stars as Tom Kendrick, the local GP, a trusted, admired and much-liked member of the community. A doting father to three little girls, a loving husband, his marriage to Kate, played by Anna Madeley (Patrick Melrose, The Crown, Utopia) appears nothing short of perfect.

Teacher Kate works at the local primary school working alongside her best friend, and closest confidante, Jess Milner, played by Cush Jumbo (The Good Fight, The Good Wife, Vera).

Jess is married to Police Sergeant Steve, played by Matthew McNulty (Versailles, Cleaning Up, The Terror), who has not had to deal with much crime in the sleepy village.

But in one night the illusions of happiness and contentment are shattered as the community is drawn to Kate and Tom’s family home in the forest by the flicker of flames and the smell of smoke.

Amid the confusion of the house fire, Kate and her three children are found dead, and Tom, who is found alive, is rushed to hospital. It soon becomes apparent, however, that Kate and her children weren’t killed in the fire and the village realise that something unspeakable has happened.

As the fingers of suspicion point first to Tom, then to others as more details of that night emerge, Jess becomes desperate to understand what could have caused such a tragedy, and what secrets lie at the root of this terrible act. She puts everything she has on the line to get to the truth, no matter how difficult that truth may be to accept.

David Tennant said: “Daisy Coulam has written something very special, chilling and fascinating with these scripts. I am honoured and delighted to be part of telling this extraordinary story.”

Cush Jumbo added: “I’m so excited to be part of bringing Daisy’s dark and mysterious story and the character of Jess to life.”

The series starts filming this month entirely on location in Scotland.