It’s that time of year when we’re all looking for a reason to sit down on our couch and not get back up.
Luckily, there’s a whole host of brand-new, binge-able series out there for us to enjoy.
But there is one show in particular that you may not heard of as it’s seriously underrated.
Viewers have flocked to social media to heap praise on the new series, with one fan exclaiming: “Binged it – so good.”
Another viewer shared: “I had to watch all the episodes last night. What an amazing drama—epically written with an outstanding cast.”
A third chimed in: “Absolutely brilliant from start to finish. Highly recommend.”
Someone else simply described it as: “Just phenomenal.”
Critics have echoed the enthusiasm. Phil Harrison of The Guardian named it his show of the week, calling it “a darkly plotted and sunnily staged piece of escapism.”
Digital Spy was equally impressed, writing: “You’ll have a right rollicking good time while you’re in the thick of it.”
Emma Loffhagen, writing for the London Evening Standard, praised the show as “a guaranteed crowd-pleaser,” noting that “the conditions for a drama are pre-baked into it – it offers fertile ground for commentary on the human condition, as well as romance, action, and deception.”
The Castaways is a mystery thriller set in an enticingly sunny and tropical location.
Adapted from The Sunday Times bestseller of the same name by Lucy Clarke, the series stars Sheridan Smith and Céline Buckens as sisters.
Its synopsis reads: “Lori and Erin are on the holiday of a lifetime to Fiji. But after a huge fight, Erin never boards their final flight and the plane never arrives at its destination.
“Months later, no plane has been found, no survivors discovered. Until now.
“Each shocking twist will help to reveal the truth about what happened to Lori and the other passengers – a truth that someone on the island will kill to keep secret.”
In an interview with Virgin Radio U.K., Smith opened up about her experience working on the TV series, describing it as a major departure from anything she’s done before.
“I can’t swim. I’m scared of heights. I’m scared of spiders. I’m basically scared of everything,” she admitted. “And yet, I took this job after reading just one episode—the plane crash episode—and thought, ‘I can handle that.’ But suddenly, I found myself in the water for four episodes… and I can’t swim. I also had to jump off cliffs. Still, I managed to overcome some of those fears!”
Reflecting on the experience, she added, “I’m really glad I did it. It’s full of action and completely different from any role I’ve taken on before.”
She went on to tease what’s in store for viewers: “There are so many twists and turns. Once my character is on the island with the other plane crash survivors, all kinds of suspicions start to arise. She’s immediately wary of everyone.”
