David Tennant (Broadchurch) and Cush Jumbo (The Good Wife) have been set as the leads in Deadwater Fell, Channel 4’s four-part crime drama from Grantchester scribe Daisy Coulam.
Deadwater Fell tells the story of two families in the aftermath of an unthinkable crime. One night the the community of Kirkdarroch, Scotland, is drawn to Kate and Tom Kendrick’s family home in the forest by the flicker of flames and the smell of smoke. Amid the confusion of the house fire, Kate and her three children are found dead, and Tom, who is found alive, is rushed to hospital.
It soon becomes apparent, however, that Kate and her children weren’t killed in the fire and the village realise that something unspeakable has happened. As the fingers of suspicion point first to Tom, then to others as more details of that night emerge, Kate’s best friend Jess Milner becomes desperate to understand what could have caused such a tragedy, and what secrets lie at the root of this terrible act. She puts everything she has on the line to get to the truth, no matter how difficult that truth may be to accept.
David Tennant has been cast as Tom Kendrick, while Cush Jumbo plays Jess. Rounding out the cast is Anna Madeley (Patrick Melrose, The Crown) as Kate, Tom’s wife who appears nothing short of perfect; and Matthew McNulty (Versailles, The Terror) as Steve, Jess’ other half who was born and raised in Kirkdarroch, where he serves as a police sergeant.
Daisy Coulam created the series and is penning the scripts. Kudos are producing, with Emma Kingsman-Lloyd, Karen Wilson, David Tennant and Daisy Coulam serving as the executive producers. Caroline Levy is the series producer. The Boy With The Topknot helmer Lynsey Miller is attached to direct. Deadwater Fell was originally commissioned by Channel 4’s Head of Drama Caroline Hollick and Channel 4’s Commissioning Editor Manpreet Dosanjh back in January. Production is set to get underway later this month on location in Scotland. Endemol Shine International will handle global sales.
