Vicky McClure steps into the unsettling world of sleeplessness and old family secrets in Insomnia, a new psychological thriller premiering this Sunday, July 6, at 9 PM on Channel 5. The first episode, titled Mummy?, puts McClure in the role of Emma, a woman whose descent into severe insomnia just before her 40th birthday mirrors her mother’s own past mental breakdown.
The series, adapted from Sarah Pinborough’s novel, positions Emma against her growing fear that she has inherited the same “bad blood” that led to her mother’s violent psychotic break. This personal dread is amplified by the sudden and unexplained hospitalization of her mother, along with the unexpected arrival of Emma’s estranged sister. These events make Emma question her own safety and grip on reality.
As Emma’s paranoia worsens, she tries to find answers in her painful past, hoping to avoid a similar tragedy. The show’s premise hinges on Emma’s struggle to understand what happened to her mother, and what that might mean for her own future.
Insomnia is a Left Bank Pictures production for Channel 5. Executive producers include Sarah Pinborough and Vicky McClure. Börkur Sigthorsson directs the series.
