In the Teaser for Starz's 'The Couple Next Door,' Suburbia Is Full of Secrets
![Sam Heughan and Jessica De Gouw in "The Couple Next Door"](/sites/default/files/styles/hero__1070x485/public/2023-10/75028_S1_-%20Embargo%2000_01%2022nd%20August%202023%20-%20The%20Couple%20Next%20Door%20-%20First%20Look-2.jpg?h=3111e3b9&itok=L1uCFgTs)
Sam Heughan and Jessica De Gouw in "The Couple Next Door"
(Photo: Starz)
Starz has released the teaser trailer for its upcoming thriller The Couple Next Door, a dark psychological drama about status, obsession, and the dark side of suburbia that features a quartet of attractive people at its center and a propulsive story of betrayal and paranoia.
Loosely adapted from the Dutch series New Neighbours, the series follows the story of Evie and Pete, a couple who move into an upscale neighborhood full of nosy neighbors and status seekers, all driven by the pressure to keep up the appearances of success and happiness with those around them. (And everyone's always up in everyone else's business.)
But when the pair strikes up an unexpected friendship with the couple next door --- a traffic cop named Danny and his yoga instructor wife Jessica --- things seem to be looking up. At least, until the attraction simmering between Evie and Danny leads the two to spend a passionate night together, an act that will change everything for both couples.
The Couple Next Door gives two period drama fan favorites the chance to tackle more contemporary roles together: Sam Heughan, best known for his portrayal of the hunky Scotsman Jamie Fraser on sister Starz series Outlander, alongside Eleanor Tomlinson, whose big breakout came when she played Demelza on the BBC's recent remake of the classic series Poldark. The duo portrays Danny and Evie, whose illicit affair serves as the catalyst that drives much of the story. (And, if the teaser is anything to go by, the pair have fairly sizzling chemistry.)
They're joined by Alfred Enoch (Foundation) and Jessica De Gouw (The Secrets She Keeps) as Pete and Becka, Evie and Danny's respective spouses Other notable cast members in the six-part series include Hugh Dennis (Fleabag) and Kate Robbins (Unforgotten), who play nosy neighbor who likes to spy on the scandalous goings-on across the street and his wife.
Here's the series synopsis:
When Evie and Pete move into an upscale neighborhood, they find themselves in a world of curtain twitching and status anxiety. But soon find friendship in the shape of the couple next door, alpha traffic cop Danny and his wife, glamorous yoga instructor Becka. As time goes on, these two couples get increasingly close to each other and one fateful night, become sexually entangled in a way that will change their lives forever.
The show is one of a string of new series that are probably most correctly categorized as "domestic thrillers," stories focused on the tensions inherent in interpersonal relationships like marriage and friendships rather than faceless killers or criminals. Suspicion, betrayal, and paranoia abound, as well as psychological issues often fueled by the competitive or challenging nature of life in modern society.
Directed by Dries Vos (Suspect) and written by David Allison (Marcella), the six-part series is described as an addictive, emotional roller coaster that explores how we can never truly know what's going on in other people's private lives. Jo McGrath, Walter Iuzzolino, and Alison Kee serve as executive producers and the producer is Jen Burnet.
The Couple Next Door aired on U.K. network Channel 4 earlier this year, and is slated to premiere on Starz this winter.