ITVThe Walking Dead star Andrew Lincoln will return to UK screens this autumn in Coldwater, a new six-part drama set in a rural Scottish town.
Created by award-winning playwright David Ireland and produced by SISTER – the company behind Black Doves, Eric and Chernobyl – the series follows stay-at-home dad John (Lincoln), who secretly resents his life. After failing to step in during a violent playground confrontation, he uproots his family to the fictional village of Coldwater.
There, John befriends charismatic neighbour Tommy (Ewen Bremner), a pillar of the community, who John’s wife Fiona (Indira Varma) immediately distrusts.
But as John’s long-repressed rage begins to surface and his dependence on Tommy deepens, a series of unsettling events unfold, forcing him to question who his new friend really is.
‘I asked if it was a middle-aged Fight Club’
Sister Pictures for ITVSpeaking about the project, Lincoln said he turned down work in the US to take on the role.
“It was one of those scripts that was really interesting and about lots of things. It made me laugh in all the wrong places and squirm with recognition, and it constantly surprised me with the unpredictability of the characters.
“I was quite scared about playing a character that was so unpleasant and weak and emasculated. I wasn’t quite sure tonally where it sat, so I said no twice! And then I had a lovely chat with David, and I couldn’t walk away from it.
“I said to David, ‘Is this a middle-aged Fight Club?’ And he went ‘absolutely not.’ Then he came back the next day and said, ‘If Edward Norton and Helena Bonham-Carter had kids and then moved to the Highlands, it might be that.'”
Lincoln, who also serves as executive producer, praised the show’s cast, which includes comedians Greg Hemphill and Johnny Watson.
“We just got some of the best actors and actors I’ve always wanted to work with – and then this whole swathe of Scottish comedic royalty too. We felt very, very blessed. That’s all largely down to David’s writing.
“I’ve waited so long to work with the brilliant Indira Varma. It’s been one of the greatest thrills to build this marriage and relationship with someone that I admire so much.”
He added: “I hope that the mad, anarchic energy that has been surrounding this project has percolated into the end product because it’s been an amazing job. I’ve loved working in Scotland with this brilliant crew and cast.”
‘Tommy is an alpha-male, whereas John is unsure of who he is’
Sister Pictures for ITV
Sister Pictures for ITVDavid Ireland, who began writing the series in 2020, drew on his personal reflections on masculinity and fatherhood.
“Everything I write is personal. I find I write a lot about my father, and because I am now a father.
“It’s about how different things are for my generation of men, my generation of fathers, and my son’s generation.
“The alpha maleness of Tommy is fairly attractive to many; he’s very self-assured, whereas John is very unsure of who he is. He doesn’t really know what he’s supposed to be doing in life.
“The series explores these two opposite men and how their relationship becomes co-dependent, coercive and ultimately dangerous.”
‘It’s absurd, it’s original and full of heart’
Sister Pictures for ITVIndira Varma, who has starred in Obsession, Luther and Game of Thrones, echoes Ireland, pointing to modern masculinity as a central theme.
“One thing I really love about this series is the way David Ireland is looking at what it means to be a man,” she said.
“What is a man’s role? So what does it mean to be a man if you are not the breadwinner in your family? Especially if you’re not having sex with your wife at the moment because you’re both tired, parents, busy, the spark’s gone at the moment. How do you express your maleness?”
Sister Pictures for ITVVarma has known Lincoln since she was 17, having both grown up in Bath and later attending the same theatre school, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.
“He is joy in a human form, and he’s probably the best number one I’ve ever worked with,” she said. “He’s a brilliant actor, intelligent and thoughtful, and he works really hard, and he’s got an amazing sense of story. So we’re able to really sort of dissect our character’s journey and our relationship in the series together.
“I hope people will enjoy the series for the reasons that I enjoy the series – it’s bizarre. It’s weird. It’s absurd. I think it’s original.
“It’s full of heart and striving for betterness in relationships, in friendships, in life – and it’s got intrigue and madness in there as well.”
Coldwater starts on Sunday, September 14, at 9pm on STV and STV Player.
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