Riptide: release date, cast and latest news for Channel 5 drama

Riptide follows Alison (Joyner) as she is enjoying newlywed life. But when her husband suddenly vanishes after going surfing one morning, her life is quickly put into turmoil. Did he get pulled in by a riptide, making it a freak natural accident, or is there something more sinister at play here?

Read on for everything you need to know about the new Australian-set crime drama, including the plot, cast and release date.

Riptide release date

The new Channel 5 series premieres on Tuesday 27^th December at 9pm and airs across four consecutive nights, with the series wrapping on Friday 30^th December.

Riptide cast

The cast is led by former Eastenders actor Jo Joyner, who recently starred in gripping thriller Stay Close on Netflix.

Speaking about her new role as Alison Weston, she said: “I am really excited to be working with the fantastic teams at Fremantle, Channel 5 and 10 in Australia, and playing Alison. She is such a warm and layered character whose world is turned upside down, just when it seemed like her life was finally coming together.

"I am also thrilled to be filming in the fabulous city of Melbourne and surrounding countryside, an area that I have always wanted to explore.”

The full cast for Riptide is as follows:

• Peter O'Brien as Sean Weston
• David Berry as Dan Burrell
• Ciarán Griffiths as Michael Lane
• Benny Turland as Ethan Weston
• Asher Yasbincek as Hannah Lane

As previously mentioned, the new series has also been created by Fremantle Australia’s Jason Herbison, whose previous credits include executive producer of the much-loved soap Neighbours and acclaimed mini-series Lie With Me, one of Channel 5’s highest rating dramas of last year.

Riptide plot

Entirely filmed in Melbourne, the series focuses on the story of Alison whose life is upturned when her new Australian husband Sean suddenly vanishes one morning after going surfing.

Sean is older and wealthier, and together, the pair seem like the ultimate happy couple. They've recently moved into a luxury seaside home with Alison's daughter Hannah, and Alison soon becomes best friends with their neighbour Dan, who is a widow.

But not everything is as rose-tinted as we think. The newlyweds soon have to face the tension that their relationship has caused. Sean's son, Ethan, is against the marriage and ex-wife Rachel can’t conceal her resentment. Even Alison’s former husband Michael is a thorn in the couple’s side.

So it's safe to say that when Sean doesn't return after his morning surf, Alison's thoughts are consumed by the possibility that something else could have happened to her husband, as opposed to the police's presumption that he was drowned in a riptide.

What soon becomes apparent is the fact that Sean had amassed many adversaries, and it looks as though the answer to the question of "What happened to Sean?" could very well be close to home.

Riptide trailer

Channel 5 has released a trailer for Riptide and as well as giving a glimpse of the drama to come, the new teaser also includes interviews with the cast and director Scott Major.

Watch the trailer below.

Riptide premieres on Channel 5 on Tuesday 27th December at 9pm, airing across four consecutive nights. Visit our Drama hub for more news, interviews and features, or take a look at our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight.

The Christmas double issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast.