An off-grid getaway where you can immerse yourself in nature might sounds like absolute bliss - but what happens when it all goes horribly wrong? That's the theme of Channel 4's compulsive new drama, Summerwater, where everyday tensions erupt during a devastating cabin holiday.
Based on Sarah Moss’s brilliant book of the same name, the drama takes place in a remote loch-side Scottish holiday cabin park, where several families are cooped up with their families on a rainy summer's day. In scenes that will be relatable to families everywhere, tensions simmer and emotions rise - until it all comes to a tragic climax.
With filming complete and the drama on its way to our screens, here’s everything you need to know about your next binge-watch, including the plot, cast and release date.
What is Summerwater about?
Based on Sarah Moss’s bestselling book of the same name, the six-part series is set over the course of one rainy summer’s day at a remote loch-side Scottish holiday cabin park. The drama takes us into the cabins - and lives - of several different families, looking at the bubbling tensions between holidaymakers, which eventually erupt into a devastating climax.
According to the official synopsis, Summerwater weaves "together the lives of several families as they navigate unspoken conflicts, private dilemmas, and fleeting moments of beauty from their disparate cabins. The story flashes back to dramatic events in key characters’ lives before their holiday which may have consequences in the present.”
The series has been adapted by screenwriter John Donnelly (The Pass, Utopia, The Assessment), who has described author Sarah Moss as “one of our most brilliant chroniclers of modern life." He says: "In Summerwater, Sarah has found the perfect environment to explore our secrets and desires – a rain-drenched holiday park in Scotland.
"Summerwater is at once an atmospheric mystery, a hilarious and heartbreaking exploration of identity and an existential thriller. I am delighted to be working with the brilliant team at Freedom Scripted to adapt Sarah’s wonderful novel for a broadcaster with such a pedigree for bold, ambitious drama."
Mike Ellen, executive producer for Freedom Scripted, says: "Very few books come along as evocative, relevant and brilliantly drawn as Summerwater by Sarah Moss, let alone set a stone’s throw away from where I grew up! We were thrilled to attach John Donnelly as screenwriter and true to form, he has delivered amazing scripts."
Who's in the cast of Summerwater?
The cast of Summerwater includes:
- Dougray Scott (Crime, My Week with Marilyn)
- Shirley Henderson (Bridget Jones, Harry Potter)
- Valene Kane (Blue Lights, Gangs of London)
- Arnas Fedaravičius (The White Lotus S3, The Last Kingdom)
- Anna Próchniak (The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Showtrial)
- Daniel Rigby (Black Mirror, Landscapers)
- Gabriel Scott (Masters of the Air, House of The Dragon)
Is Sarah Moss's book any good?
Yes – it became a Sunday Times Top Ten Bestseller following its release 2020 and it was longlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction 2021. Critics have called it “a masterpiece” and described it as a story “that’s so engagingly told”.
How can I watch Summerwater?
Channel 4 hasn't yet shared a release date for Summerwater, but we do know that filming finished in March, so we're expecting it to arrive at some point in 2025. As soon as we have a confirmed date, we'll share it here.
