Our First Look at Andrew Lincoln in 'Cold Water' Feels Familiar

Andrew Lincoln has spent most of the last decade battling zombies and equally terrifying humans as part of AMC's The Walking Dead franchise. But while his performance as Rick Grimes on both the flagship series and its limited-run spin-off The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live is unarguably iconic, Lincoln is (like Hugh Laurie before him on House), actually British. He initially made his name in British television, starring in programs as diverse as Afterlife, The Woman in White, Teachers, and Wuthering Heights. There's also his role in Love Actually, which still inspires memes to this day.

Nearly fifteen years since his last appearance in the 2010 series Strike Back, Lincoln is finally set to return to British TV in the forthcoming ITV thriller Cold Water. However, if the first image from the production is anything to go by, this role bears a striking (at least physical) resemblance to the one he most recently left behind. The character he's playing — a middle-aged man chafing at the limits of his life as a stay-at-home father — couldn't sound more different than the family-oriented, heroic Rick. But, wow, their fashion sense sure does vibe. 

(Does this guy happen to own a cowboy hat? That is what I'm really asking.)

Grimes stars as 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.

Alongside Lincoln, the series boasts an all-star ensemble cast. Indira Varma (Obsession) is 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 is expected to premiere on ITV in the latter half of 2025. Given Lincoln's star power among U.S. viewers, it seems likely to find an American distributor reasonably easily when the time comes. Maybe AMC+?