Fans of the dark, psychological drama The Couple Next Door will be pleased to hear that, as of Monday, 14 July, Channel 4 has answered our prayers, and the second season of the series is out. Cue: steamy love triangles and tense moments galore.
Following on from the twists and turns of season one (including a very dramatic finale), the next instalment focuses on Charlotte and Jacob Roberts, a child-free couple fresh to the neighbourhood (played by Annabel Scoley and Sam Palladio), following the medical high-flyers as they navigate rapidly unravelling mid-life crises. There are a number of other new characters too - including a mysterious nurse from Norway - as well as familiar faces from the first season.
"We’ve made something that is sexier, bigger and bolder than the first series," says writer David Allison. "We’ve got this incredible crime story in the hospital – it's really dark and twisted, and we’ve got this unbelievable new cast.
“You’re going to love watching sparks fly between them.”
Returning viewers will already know that almost all of the action takes place within the idyllic cul-de-sac where the neighbours all reside. The question that many are keen to know though, is where is The Couple Next Door filmed? Is it a real neighbourhood? Can we visit?
Where is The Couple Next Door filmed?
In the steamy drama itself, we learn that the neighbourhood is set in Leeds, West Yorkshire, however, you might be surprised to learn that much of the first and second seasons were actually filmed in Belgium and the Netherlands.
That's right, the street where Charlotte, Jacob and Alan live, Appleby Drive, was actually filmed in the Netherlands, and some scenes were also shot in the Belgium city of Antwerp, famed for its rich history and vibrant fashion scene.
Hugh Dennis said: “Filming in Belgium and Holland, pretending to be Leeds, is odd because Belgium doesn’t look much like Leeds.
“However, it’s great to experience a different country and way of life.”
Of course, filming in one location, pretending that it is another, does throw up a number of hurdles.
Aggy K Adams, who plays mysterious nurse Mia, highlighted: “We were still figuring things out when we suddenly had to film outside in the snow for two weeks in the Netherlands, with temperatures around -2°C.
“We weren’t ready for snow in early November!”
You won't catch a hint of snow in the show though, as the entire set was defrosted. “The snow wasn’t expected," Adams continued. "So the art department had to deal with defrosting everything. They used lamps to melt the snow but it was too cold. Some snow had to be removed in post-production.
Adams also went on to say: "I love series one, but I think we're so much better…. I'm joking of course!
"However, series 2 is darker and more psychological."
Eek.
There are six episodes of the news series and they will air on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evening at 9pm this week and next.
If you're like us though, with very little patience when it comes to our favourite shows, all six episodes of season two are available to stream on channel4.com now.
