Paramount+ Picks Up Eve Myles' 'The Guest' for an October Arrival

Most of the chatter around the Paramount sale since it closed has focused on the news division, an understandable choice by the media, considering the apparent bribery that occurred to ensure its passage through the FCC, and the subsequent rightward shift of its hires for that division. It's also seen as the most relevant angle, as most consider the sale of the streaming service Paramount+ to be a fait accompli. Despite all evidence pointing to this inevitable conclusion, the Ellisons aren't ready to declare the flagship streaming service DOA, which means it is once again shopping around the U.K. to see if any shows are going free.

Viewers have witnessed this before, under the Redstone regime, which initially attempted to create its own slate of U.K. originals. (The first two failed*, and the rest were subsequently canceled.) Paramount then tried to transform the Showtime brand into the streaming service's "prestige TV signifier," placing all its British releases under that banner, which only worked marginally better. The Ellisons are thankfully skipping the "make your own originals" portion and going straight into Showtime Signifier territory, picking up ITV's recent hit The Guest, starring Eve Myles, and taking a flyer on the upcoming Andrew Lincoln-fronted Coldwater for 2026. 

(*PBS says thank you for The Gold.)

There's little to tie these together, other than "lead actor American fans might recognize." But unlike Coldwater, which the studio will have time to market, The Guest, which is part of the growing Welsh revival in the U.K., is heading directly stateside to debut on Paramount+ and Showtime in mid-October, and will probably find itself lost on Paramount+ alongside the previous regime's The Woman in the Wall and A Gentleman in Moscow.

Here's the series synopsis:

The Guest is a fast-paced story that centres on the toxic and beguiling relationship between a successful business owner, Francesca, and her employee, Ria. Ria has never had the time or opportunity to think about what she might actually want from the world. So, when she starts cleaning for Fran, she’s intoxicated by this confident and self-assured woman who encourages her to take control of her life, and when Ria flourishes, an intense friendship is forged.

However, when Fran’s advice leads to a shocking event, the lives of these two very different women become intertwined by shared secrets and dangerous plots. What follows is a compelling and manipulative game of cat and mouse. But just who is playing who?

Eve Myles (Torchwood) stars as Francesca, with Gabrielle Creevy (Black Doves) as Ria. The main cast also includes Sion Daniel Young (Lost Boys & Fairies) and Emun Elliott (The Gold). Supporting cast includes Bethan Mary-James (Death Valley), Julian Lewis Jones (House Of The Dragon), Joseph Ollman (Queenie), Clive Russell (The Witcher), and Catherine Ayers (The Way).

Welsh writer Matthew Barry (Industry) created the series and penned all installments. All four episodes of The Guest are directed by Ashley Way (Who is Erin Carter?) and produced by Karen Lewis. Both Berry and Way executive produce alongside Davina Earl & Nicola Shindler for Quay Street Productions, with Rebecca Ferguson & Nick Andrews for the BBC. 

The Guest will debut on Paramount+ on Friday, October 17, and then air on the Showtime cable network at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, October 19, 2025, with subsequent weekly releases through mid-November. Coldwater will debut in 2026.