‘The Couple Next Door’: Inside ‘Outlander’ Star Sam Heughan’s ‘Very Sexy Series’
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Outlander heartthrob Sam Heughan temporarily hangs up his kilt for this dark psychological thriller about sexual entanglements in the suburbs of England. In the six-parter, The Couple Next Door, he plays traffic cop Danny, who lives in an upscale community with his yoga instructor wife, Becka (Jessica De Gouw). The two have an open relationship and welcome the new couple on their street, teacher Evie (Eleanor Tomlinson) and journalist Pete (Alfred Enoch) with very open arms.
“The main theme of the show is desire and what happens when ordinary people cross their own moral boundaries,” says executive producer Jo McGrath. “It’s the anticipation of this forbidden sex, that slow-burning obsession which will eventually ignite in spectacular fashion and which makes this a very sexy series.”
(Credit: Starz)
To cast the irresistible Danny, “We needed a star actor who could exude sex appeal but at the same time convey real emotion and vulnerability,” says McGrath who sees something of Heughan’s Outlander character, 18th century Highlander Jamie Fraser, in Danny. “They are both brave, adventurous and loyal. They’re somewhat flawed heroes, stubborn but capable of change. Danny is a macho alpha male, but underneath that tough-guy exterior, he’s a man with secrets struggling to keep his job and family on track.”
Danny’s secrets aren’t just about what goes on behind closed bedroom doors. There are some shady doings at work that, if discovered, could blow up his life. And what he chooses to hide from Becka could split them apart.
All that innocent Evie sees, though, is a glamorous couple offering adventure. “Evie meets Danny and Becka at a stage in her life where she’s clearly yearning for more excitement. She’s feeling reckless, and Pete hasn’t properly picked up on those signals — it’s not the Evie he thinks he knows,” McGrath reveals.
Pete not being on the same page with Evie makes for serious tensions between the two. Another complication comes from a third couple who doesn’t join in the bed-hopping but does play a major role in this curtain-twitching community. “Alan [Hugh Dennis] and Jean [Kate Robbins] have their own twisted storyline, which will really ramp up the tension for Danny and Becka in particular,” McGrath hints. Let’s just say they have a telescope, and Alan doesn’t use it for stargazing.
The Couple Next Door, Series Premiere 2024, Starz
This is an abbreviated version of TV Guide Magazine’s 2024 Preview cover story. For more on other buzzy shows and must-see TV in 2024, pick up the issue, when it lands on newsstands on January 4.
