Starz likes The Couple Next Door's vibe, orders season 2

Season 2 of the sexy, messy series will feature a brand new cast of characters.

Starz likes The Couple Next Door's vibe, orders season 2

Starz is going home with another Couple Next Door. The network has acquired the rights to the second season of the British erotic thriller that aims to “explore the stultifying claustrophobia of suburbia and the fallout of chasing your deepest desires.” It doesn’t necessarily do either of those things well, as The A.V. Club‘s Saloni Gajjar wrote of the first season, but it’s “oddly compelling for that very same reason, with its derivative scripts and heightened performances making for a bemusing experience. It’s not good TV, but it certainly is good trash TV.” Whether people watched it for that reason or not, the network reports that the British series was one of its most successful acquisitions ever.

The series struck a particular chord with Outlander fans, Starz president Alison Hoffman claimed in a statement. Those viewers presumably tuned in to check out what Sam Heughan (Outlander‘s Jamie) could do with a character that wasn’t stuck in the 18th century. If that’s the only reason they watched, they may be disappointed by the new installment. Season two will feature an all-new cast, with the exception of Hugh Dennis, who will reprise his role as Alan Richardson. But while the characters may be new, it seems like they’ll have as many messy entanglements as the last batch. “In season two of the steamy drama, viewers pull back the curtain of the cul-de-sac and explore the consequences of turning your fantasies into reality,” the season’s official synopsis reads. “Brilliant heart surgeon Charlotte Roberts (Annabel Scholey) and her husband, consultant anesthetist Jacob (Sam Palladio), take center stage, alongside their mysterious new colleague, Mia (Aggy K. Adams), and Charlotte’s old flame, Leo (Sendhil Ramamurthy). Leo’s return sparks a change in Charlotte, and Mia seizes the opportunity to work her way into Jacob and Charlotte’s confidence, their street and, eventually, even their bed, befriending cul-de-sac outcast Alan (Dennis), along the way. But it’s not long before Mia’s past comes back to haunt her, leading Charlotte and Jacob to question who she really is, especially when patients at the hospital start mysteriously dying. One thing is clear — giving in to their desires could have deadly consequences.”

The Couple Next Door is loosely based on Danish drama Dopamin and Dutch series The Neighbors. The new season premieres September 19 if you want to go ahead and schedule that neighborhood watch party now.

 
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