The Drowning

There must be something in the water at Channel 5. In 2020, it won Channel of the Year at both the RTS Programme Awards and the Broadcast Awards. The RTS’s judges remarked that it was “a confident broadcaster reaping the rewards of years of steady growth and development – a channel that increasingly now both surprises and delights”.

That momentum careered into 2021, as The Drowning – the four-parter about a mother who befriends a child she believes is her missing son – became its most-watched drama to date. A record 5.1 million tuned in for the first episode.

The Drowning

Monday 1st February

Channel 5, 9pm

A new thriller starring Jill Halfpenny (Dark Money) as Jodie, a mother struggling to rebuild her life after her son went missing at a lakeside gathering eight years ago.

The series stars Jill Halfpenny (Liar) as Jodie, a mother still recovering from the loss of her son who went missing eight years ago.

When she encounters Daniel (Cody Molko), she is convinced he is her son. But her fixation threatens to collapse the life she’s painstakingly rebuilt, as it leads her down a dangerous and morally dubious path.

In Jodie’s way stands Daniel’s impassive and protective father, Mark (Rupert-Penry-Jones).