Fans of gripping crime dramas can now stream Deadwater Fell, a chilling four-part series starring Scottish actor David Tennant, for free on Channel 4. The show, which originally aired in 2020, has been hailed by viewers as 'genuinely brilliant'.
The series follows a devastating crime that leaves a small Scottish community questioning everything they thought they knew about their neighbours. Tennant stars as Dr Tom Kendrick, a respected GP and pillar of the local community who appears to have a happy family life with his wife Kate and their three children.
However, that all changes when a fire tears through the family home, killing Kate and the children while Tom is found alive. Tom soon becomes the prime suspect as investigators discover that the family were not killed by the fire itself.
Cast and Plot
The drama also stars Cush Jumbo as Tom's close friend Jess Milner and Matthew McNulty as her partner Steve, who are left trying to understand what could have happened to their friends. As suspicion begins to spread throughout the village, Jess becomes determined to uncover the truth and understand what happened on the night of the fire.
The official Channel 4 synopsis describes the story as one where a seemingly perfect family is murdered by someone they know and trust, leaving the community "riven with mistrust and suspicion".
Inspiration and Praise
While Deadwater Fell isn't based on one specific true story, writer Daisy Coulam drew inspiration from real crimes while developing the series and consulted with a forensic psychologist. Producer Emma Kingsman-Lloyd explained that the show's creators were interested in the forensic detail often seen in true crime documentaries.
Speaking in a Q&A session at the time, she said: "We're both a little bit obsessed with true crime shows which is where the initial thought came from, because Daisy [Coulam] said that she wanted to write something that had the forensic detail of a true crime documentary show."
Deadwater Fell has received praise from both viewers and critics alike, with particular attention paid to the performances from the main cast. One viewer wrote: "The acting is first rate, Tennant does genuinely steal the show, but when is he anything less than brilliant? Cush Jumbo and Matthew McNulty are excellent also."
Another, after watching the whole series, penned: "After finishing all four episodes I liked it very much. It's not Vera/Midsomer/etc. It's different, and I liked it very much. Good work."
Viewer Reactions
A third viewer praised the show's willingness to avoid straightforward heroes and villains, saying it was "plain out rejecting to sugar coat any of the characters". They added: "Everybody's flawed, all of them are pretentious in their every day existence. And the bonus: It manages to pull it off, without being cynical."
Another viewer was left wanting more, as they stated: "I truly enjoyed the show and the story. I didn't realise it was only four episodes when I started watching it...I want more! The cast and the writing was wonderful. I hope to see more episodes to come."
Deadwater Fell is available to stream now for free on Channel 4.
