Channel 4 has secured the UK rights to the suspense thriller Long Bright River, starring Amanda Seyfried. The eight-part limited series, based on Liz Moore’s bestselling novel, comes from Sony Pictures Television and premiered recently in the US.
Here’s the Lowdown: The series features Seyfried (The Dropout) as Mickey, a police officer working in a Philadelphia neighborhood heavily impacted by the opioid crisis. When a string of murders occurs, Mickey suspects a connection to her own troubled personal history. The cast also includes Nicholas Pinnock (Top Boy), Ashleigh Cummings (Citadel), Callum Vinson (Chucky), and John Doman (The Wire).
What This Means Now: UK audiences can anticipate the arrival of this gritty drama on Channel 4 across both its streaming service and linear channel. Polly Scates, Channel 4’s Head of Acquisitions, praised the show’s “propulsive” nature and Seyfried’s performance. A specific transmission date will be announced later.
The Bigger Picture: Long Bright River combines a crime thriller narrative with a deep dive into the personal and societal fallout of the opioid epidemic. Seyfried’s casting points to a character-driven piece alongside the central mystery. The acquisition by Channel 4 brings another high-profile, star-led drama to UK screens, based on popular source material and dealing with timely social issues through the lens of a suspenseful story.
