‘Adultery‘ has finally got its UK premiere date, with ITV confirming that the provocative new six-part drama starring Dominic Cooper (Preacher, Agent Carter) and Romola Garai (Vigil, One Life) will arrive this October on ITV and STV.
The series kicks off on a Sunday at 9pm, with the second episode airing the following evening at the same time. For those who would rather not spend a week wondering just how badly everyone is about to mess up their lives, all six episodes will also be available to stream on ITVX and STV Player.
Created by Danny Brocklehurst (Fool Me Once, Brassic), ‘Adultery’ centres on Tom Kirkman (Cooper) and Beth Brookes (Garai), two people who form an immediate and intense connection. Unfortunately, there’s a rather significant complication: both have families, and their teenage children are already in a relationship with each other. Awkward doesn’t really begin to cover it.
Tom’s 15-year-old daughter Jess, played by Leila Khan (Heartstopper), has fallen head over heels for her schoolmate Ollie, played by Johnny Sanpher. Their young romance is all-consuming, but when Tom meets Ollie’s mother Beth, the grown-ups develop an attraction of their own. Unlike the teenagers, however, they have a great deal more to lose if they act on it.
And it’s not just Tom and Beth who will have to deal with the fallout. Shelley Conn (Bridgerton, Gen V) plays Tom’s wife Hannah, while Matthew McNulty (Domina, Deadwater Fell) stars as Beth’s husband Neil. Two couples, two children in love, and a spectacularly ill-advised attraction between their parents. You can probably rule out a relaxed family dinner.
More Than Just An Affair
Despite the title, ‘Adultery’ isn’t simply about two people sneaking around behind their partners’ backs. ITV describes the drama as a story exploring class, grief, social media, parenthood and the complicated decisions people make when desire clashes with responsibility.
The wider cast includes Andrew Knott (Gavin & Stacey, Protection) as Dave, the former husband of Beth’s recently deceased best friend, James Murray (The Crown, Masters of the Air) as Tom’s brother Paul, and Charley Webb (The Long Shadow, Better) as Paul’s wife Leah.
Speaking about the series at a recent cast Q&A, Brocklehurst described it as a “grown-up drama about family and love and marriage and people of a certain age”. He also suggested that the audience’s sympathies might shift as the story unfolds, saying “everybody will bring their own baggage and morality and prejudices to the show”.
In fact, Brocklehurst revealed that the production filmed several different endings while exploring how the story could conclude. So it seems the question isn’t only whether Tom and Beth’s relationship will blow up their families, but what comes after the damage is done.
Cooper praised the writing, saying “everything was completely on the page… it was so naturalistic”, while Garai added that “every page of this script was just character and emotion… as an actor that’s your heaven, but also there’s nowhere to hide.”
It’s certainly a strong cast for a story that seems determined not to give viewers an easy answer about who deserves their sympathy. Whether people end up rooting for Tom and Beth, shouting at the television, or doing a bit of both remains to be seen.
The six-hour drama is produced by Poison Pen Studios, part of ITV Studios, with Will Sinclair directing the first three episodes and Daniel O’Hara directing the final three. Brocklehurst created and wrote the series, with Sarah Lewis serving as producer.
‘Adultery‘ Season 1 premieres Sunday, 25th October 2026 at 9pm on ITV and STV. All six episodes will also be available on ITVX and STV Player.
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