'Dead & Buried' Will Rise on Acorn TV
The BBC Northern Ireland series 'Dead & Buried' will be resurrected in the U.S. on Acorn TV.
On the surface, the BBC series Dead & Buried looks like your run-of-the-mill psychological thriller. A woman, Cathy, discovers Michael, the man who murdered her brother, has been released from jail; she slowly spirals into obsession as the show questions who the bad guy really is in the scenario – the one who killed before, but served his time, or the one who can't accept the past isn't prologue and that people can change.
But the series isn't just on the BBC; it's a show made specifically for BBC Northern Ireland and set in the border counties between Belfast and the Republic of Ireland. In short, it's an allegory for the post-Troubles world, where Michael represents the IRA and Cathy a stand-in for all those family members who lost loved ones during the bombings. It's about the cycle of violence, and how hard it can be to break it, to find forgiveness, and to face a peaceful future.
The story has taken a circuitous route to the small screen. It originally started life as a BBC Radio 4 drama called The Gaining of Wisdom, and then later adapted as a one-woman play, Bag for Life, which debuted at the Playhouse Theatre in Londonderry. The four-part series version debuted in Northern Ireland in mid-2024 and now finally makes its way across the pond to Acorn TV, and will debut in May 2026.
Here's the series synopsis:
When out shopping with her son, young mum Cathy McDaid bumps into Michael McAllister, the man responsible for killing her brother Terry 20 years ago. Unaware he had been released from prison and is living in the same town, Cathy pays her solicitor a visit and discovers the killer had been released years ago. Taking to social media, Cathy uncovers the successful career and family life Michael has forged for himself since his early release from prison, while she grieved for her brother.
Unable to comprehend that he's now a free man, teacher Cathy goes against the advice of her best friend Sally Bowman and creates an online alias in order to befriend Michael, instigating a clandestine relationship with the man she despises and embarking on a campaign of harassment and deceit. As Cathy’s obsession grows, dark fantasies of revenge and reality blur as she sets out on a campaign of psychological warfare to destroy Michael’s life. The series uncovers how far Cathy is prepared to go to seek revenge for her brother’s death and the catastrophic impact it has on all their lives.
(BBC/Steffan Hill)
Annabel Scholey (The Sixth Commandment) stars as Cathy, with Colin Morgan (Belfast) as Michael. The rest of the cast includes Kerri Quinn (Hope Street) as Cathy's BFF, Sally; Waj Ali (Out There) as Cathy's husband, Raymie; Niamh Walsh (Jamestown) as Michael's wife, Lena; and newcomer Micheal Hanna as their son, Andrew. Joanne Crawford (Blue Lights) and Owen Roe (Vikings) round out the main ensemble.
The four-part series was written by Colin Bateman (Doc Martin), adapted from his BBC4 radio drama and original stage play with TV script writer Mary Kate O'Flanagan. Director Laura Way (The Serial Killer's Wife) helmed all installments. The series is produced by Three River Fiction and Vico Films in association with All3Media International, commissioned by BBC Northern Ireland and Virgin Media Television in Ireland.
Dead & Buried premieres on Acorn TV on Monday, May 4, 2026, with weekly episodes to follow through the end of the month.
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