The six-part Channel 4 thriller The Gathering is set to vanish from Netflix on August 24. It won three awards at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival, including Best Series.
The 2024 drama is set in Merseyside and centres on a girl who is attacked at a rave. Producer Simon Heath described it as an "exploration of toxic teenagers". Its cast includes Sadie Soverall, Eva Morgan and Richard Coyle.
Three wins at Monte-Carlo
At the festival, The Gathering was named Best Series, while Warren Brown took Best Actor and Eva Morgan received Best Actress.
Fans call it a triumph
On IMDb, viewers have been generous with their praise. One called it a "brilliant, truly engaging drama" and added: "Absolutely loved this superb six part drama. A highlight was the outstanding performance of the young female actors - Eva Morgan was truly brilliant and Sadie Soverall was likewise first rate."
Another said: "Loved this from start to finish. I couldn't stop watching The Gathering. From the very first episode it pulled me in completely and I ended up watching the whole thing in just one day. The story is gripping, the pacing is perfect and the performances are so believable that it feels like you're right there with the characters."
'Better than Happy Valley'
One fan even compared it favourably to the acclaimed BBC drama Happy Valley, writing: "I've now seen all six episodes, I gave it 8 stars because the endings of these dramas are usually weak but now it gets a 10 (and I never give 10s!). I never thought I'd type this but: It's better than Happy Valley."
Filmed in Liverpool
The show was shot in Liverpool in July 2023, with locations including the Liverpool Empire Theatre on William Brown Street. Production later moved to The Wirral, the peninsula next to Liverpool Bay.
One fan said "Liverpool was the star" of the series, explaining: "In my opinion the City of Liverpool is the star of the drama. Nice to see different parts of the city, not the usual grubby parts." A former Liverpool teacher added: "As a former teacher from Liverpool, I can genuinely vouch for the underpinning authenticity of The Gathering's characters, setting and complexity of growing up in 2024."
The Gathering leaves Netflix on August 24 but remains available on Channel 4's streaming service.
