‘Thrilling’ 6-part drama based on bestseller with Shetland star looks like a must-watch

Channel 4 has released the gripping trailer for its upcoming drama, Summerwater, and it looks like a must-watch. The six-part series, adapted by Utopia writer John Donnelly, is based on the critically acclaimed and bestselling novel by Sarah Moss and follows holidaymakers at a remote loch-side Scottish holiday cabin park, where simmering tensions eventually erupt into a “devastating climax”. The trailer teases plenty of drama and an atmospheric mystery about the dramatic lives of guests staying at the holiday park. 

With crime drama maestros Robert McKillop (Guilt, Ludwig) and Fiona Walton (Rebus, Shetland) directing, there’s no doubt viewers are in for a compelling watch. The series also boasts a brilliant cast of Scottish talent, including Dougray Scott, whose previous credits include Crime and Vigil, and Jamie Sives, who’s known for his roles in Guilt, Annika and Dept.Q. 

Other cast members include Shirley Henderson (Bridget Jones, Harry Potter), Valene Kane (Blue Lights, Gangs of London) and Shuana Macdonald (Shetland), among others. 

What is Summerwater about? 

© Sonja Blietschau

The series, which is billed as “thrilling and compulsive”, weaves together the lives of several families at a remote loch-side Scottish holiday cabin park as they navigate “unspoken conflicts, private dilemmas, and fleeting moments of beauty from their disparate cabins,” teases the synopsis. It continues: “The story flashes back to dramatic events in key characters’ lives before their holiday which may have consequences in the present.”

How to watch Summerwater? 

Summerwater airs on Channel 4 in November.