Andrew Lincoln Discovers His Inner Rage In the First Images From ITV's 'Cold Water'

Nearly fifteen years after his last appearance in the 2010 series Strike Back, British actor Andrew Lincoln (The Walking Dead) is finally set to return to British TV in the forthcoming ITV thriller Cold Water. Unfortunately, for those (read: me) who were fervently hoping for a return to his more romantic Love Actually or Wuthering Heights-inspired roots, his new series certainly sounds as though it has some unexpected dark edges and an uncomfortably timely hook. 

We've all read about it: The men aren't okay. Whether it's the supposed male loneliness epic, their struggles to connect with the fairer sex, or the long-tail emotional impact of toxic masculinity in society, right now is (at least allegedly) a rough time to be a guy. This attitude looks to be a big influence on this six-part series, which focuses on a middle-aged man chafing at the limits of his life as a stay-at-home father, and the ease with which a particularly charismatic leader can amplify, co-opt, and redirect those feelings into something much darker and more dangerous. 

Lincoln plays John, a repressed man who can't deal with the fact that middle age has arrived and that fatherhood appears to be all he has to show for it. When a playground confrontation brings his identity crisis to a head, he suddenly decides to move his family out of London to the fictional rural village of Coldwater. There, he finds himself entangled with his charismatic next-door neighbor, a seemingly perfect pillar of the community who runs the local all-male book club and whose intense opinions speak to the anger John seems to be constantly carrying with him.

Here's the series' (surprisingly lengthy!) description.

When his failure to intervene in a violent confrontation in a playground brings his identity crisis to a head, John ups and moves his family to the rural idyll of Coldwater, as far away from London as possible. Upon arrival, John is quickly befriended by next-door neighbour Tommy, a charming, confident man and devoted husband to the local vicar Rebecca. He is a man of faith, a pillar of the community and self-appointed leader of the village’s all-male book group. 

John is both impressed and slightly fascinated by Tommy. His wife Fiona, played by Indira Varma, despises him. Fiona saw the move to Coldwater as an opportunity to leave the past behind them and reignite the spark in their fading marriage. When her husband’s relationship with their enigmatic new neighbour becomes increasingly intense, Fiona’s suspicions are aroused. She is unconvinced Tommy is all he seems to be.

When John’s long-repressed rage comes to a head with disastrous results, he soon finds himself unexpectedly indebted to his new friend, unaware that Tommy himself is harbouring horrifying secrets. It’s only after a series of unsettling incidents start to occur that John begins to wonder who the real Tommy actually is.

Alongside Lincoln, the series' buzzy cast includes Indira Varma (Obsession) as John's wife Fiona, a successful former chef who sees the family's move as an opportunity to both leave the past behind and re-ignite the fading spark in her marriage. Ewan Bremmer (Our Flag Means Death) plays Tommy, the charismatic neighbor with plenty of secrets of his own, and Eve Myles (The Crow Girl) is his wife, local Coldwater vicar Rebecca. 

The six-part drama is written by David Ireland who, in addition to being a successful playwright, also recently penned the Sky/Sundance Now series The Lovers. Lee Haven (Doctor Who) directs the first three episodes, with Andrew Cumming (Shetland) helming the back half.

Executive producers include Chris Fry (Landscapers), Alice Tyler (The Following Events are Based on a Pack of Lies), Lydia Hampson (Fleabag), Jane Featherstone (Eric), Ireland, and Lincoln. Brian Coffey (Dinosaur) is the producer.

Cold Water will air later this Fall on ITV1 and ITVX. The series doesn't have an American distribution partner yet, but given Lincoln's popularity in the U.S. as a result of his many years on The Walking Dead, it certainly seems likely to find one. ITV Studios is handling international sales.