The Cuckoo's Jill Halfpenny and Lee Ingleby: 'People will shout at the TV'
The stars of the new Channel 5 drama tease the wild events to come.
The stars of Channel 5 drama The Cuckoo have teased what's to come, warning that viewers may be left "screaming" at the television as the characters wander into an increasingly dangerous scenario.
The story follows a family of three as they move from the city to the countryside, hoping to turn over a new leaf after suffering a sequence of financial woes and personal struggles.
Husband-and-wife Jessica (Claire Goose) and Nick (Lee Ingleby) decide to take in a lodger named Sian (Jill Halfpenny) to make a saving on their costly expenses, but things quickly go awry.
While Sian strikes up a heartfelt connection with their young daughter, Alice (Freya Hannan-Mills), the parents become increasingly mistrustful of their houseguest, whose troubled past risks destroying the fragile life they've built.
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The Cuckoo star Halfpenny told press of her latest Channel 5 project: "It’s fun, and it’s perfect for if you come in from work and you're tired after a hard day, looking to be distracted.
"It might feel familiar because there’s a nod to an older type of show that you might have watched when you were in your teens, and it’s intense, but we’re not out to rip you to pieces, it’s entertaining. And people will shout at the telly!
She added: "You’ll have moments where you’re in complete disbelief watching people behave in a certain way."
Co-star Ingleby also felt that The Cuckoo was likely to provoke an impassioned response from viewers at home, even wondering what the Gogglebox cast will have to say as events spiral further and further out of control.
He explained: "People will definitely be shouting at the TV during this show because you just can’t help but get involved, and when you get involved you end up screaming!
"It got to a point where I’d be filming a big scene just wondering what the Goggleboxers would say about it. I'm sure there'll be a few wrangling fists, rolling eyes and clenched teeth!"
It certainly sounds like we can expect some regrettable life choices from the central characters, but who will be left standing at the end? Tune in to The Cuckoo next week, airing nightly next week from Monday 8th to Thursday 11th April.
The series is written by David Turpin (The Winter Lake) and Rebecca Wojciechowski (Silent Witness), with Brian O’Malley (The Ex-Wife) and Megan K Fox (Too Good to be True) on directing duties.
The Cuckoo premieres on Channel 5 at 9pm on Monday 8th April 2024. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
