New Channel 5 drama The Cuckoo kicks off tonight, and we've got an exclusive clip showing the moment at which the central family have their lives turned upside down.
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In the clip, Jessica, mother to Alice and wife to Nick, is showing a woman, Sian, around her new family home, to see if she may become their lodger to get them out of financial troubles.
At that very moment, a woman knocks on the door asking for money owed to her husband, a plumber - with Sian offering up an envelope of cash as deposit for the room, the decision is made for Jessica.
Nick and Alice arrive to meet Sian as their new neighbour, with neither of them seeming happy about the prospect - a feeling we're sure will turn out to be well-founded.
You can watch the clip at the top of this article.
Jill Halfpenny as Sian in The Cuckoo. Channel 5
The synopsis for the four-part series notes that Sian "immediately begins sowing discord within the family – acting too familiar with Nick, borrowing Jessica’s clothes, and building an increasingly inappropriate rapport with Alice".
"Jessica begins to question if Sian is really who she claims to be," it continues.
"Quickly, she realises something more insidious and twisted is going on - and Jessica, Nick and Alice will be forced to fight for each other and their own lives."
Sian is played in the drama by Jill Halfpenny, while Claire Goose plays Jessica, Lee Ingleby plays Nick and Freya Hannan-Mills plays Alice.
Halfpenny told press of the series: "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!
"You’ll have moments where you’re in complete disbelief watching people behave in a certain way."
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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James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
