Channel 5's The Cuckoo explained as divisive drama comes to Netflix

Channel 5's psychological thriller, The Cuckoo, left viewers divided after its debut in April 2024 - but it has shot to the top of most-watched charts after landing on the streaming site on October 12.

Currently the second most-watched TV show on the streaming giant, the four-part series boasts a star-studded cast, including Jill Halfpenny (Waterloo Road), Lee Ingleby (Inspector George Gently), Claire Goose (Casualty) and Freya Hannan-Mills (Whitstable Pearl).

As a host of new viewers tune in for the first time, here is everything you need to know about the thriller, including the plot, where it was filmed and what fans had to say about it when it debuted.

What is The Cuckoo about?

Couple Jessica (played by Goose) and Nick (Ingleby) move into a beautiful home in the countryside with their daughter Alice (Hannan-Mills). When financial trouble hits, they take in a lodger, Sian, portrayed by Halfpenny. While the lodger helps them dodge money troubles, she soon starts brewing problems within the family. She starts flirting with Nick and planting seeds of discord within the family.

As the tale unfolds, Jessica and Nick discover the truth about Sian's past and set out to confront the lodger, leading to the family fighting for their lives.

How many episodes does The Cuckoo have?

The series is made up of four episodes, each with a runtime of one hour so viewers can binge the entire show in one sitting.

Netflix has just added the series to its site but viewers can still stream it on My5.

Where was it filmed?

Irish fans might spot a few familiar locations as the series was shot in County Wicklow, Ireland.

What do fans say about it?

Following its channel 5 debut, the series was met with mixed reviews. Some viewers were frustrated by the drama, taking to social media to share their disappointment.

On X, formerly twitter, one viewer voiced out: "There's 4 hrs I'll never get back, you'd think with such a great cast it would be good, utter s***." A second agreed and wrote: "What absolute life sapping drivel #TheCuckoo is. Jesus Wept."

Others praised the drama highly. One person chimed in with: "Fingers crossed for a second series of #TheCuckoo, the first series was absolutely brilliant. And #JillHalfpenny's acting was absolutely amazing [...]"

And another said: "Just finished #TheCuckoo. Possibly the best drama I've seen on Channel 5 so far. Great Performance from Claire Goose and Jill Halfpenny, nice twist at the end [...]"

The Cuckoo is now streaming on Netflix