Nowadays, it can feel like we’re endlessly bombarded with hoax calls and suspicious messages, and while most are simply a nuisance, some can escalate into life-ruining scams, with devastating consequences. Channel 5’s unmissable drama Cold Call tells the story of a fraudster who succeeds in conning an ordinary woman – and it’s a scarily relatable crime thriller that you’ll want to binge in one sitting.
The series introduces us to hard-working single mother June Clarke (Sally Lindsay), who’s already struggling financially when her life is torn apart by a devious scammer who steals all her desperately needed money. Faced with losing her job, bereavement and a series of unthinkable setbacks, she sets out on a quest for answers – and revenge.
With the series available to stream now, here’s everything you need to know about Cold Call, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.
What is Cold Call about?
The four-part drama, which first aired in 2019, takes us to Manchester and follows struggling care worker and single mother June (Sally Lindsay), who’s barely keeping it together. She works gruelling hours at a care home before returning home to look after her elderly mother, Sophie (Melanie Kilburn). But her situation becomes even more precarious when she loses her job and discovers that her daughter, Hana (Taj Atwal), is pregnant.
To try to keep their heads above water, she makes the difficult decision to sell the family home – but all the money from the sale is taken instantly in a cold-call scam; and she’s pushed even further to the brink when her mother dies. Fuelled by incandescent rage, she embarks on a quest for justice and tracks down the fraudster, Kirk Wiley (Line Of Duty's Paul Higgins), a successful businessman. Soon she risks everything she has left as she delves into the heart of his murky world to retrieve her money – but the question is, how far is she willing to go?
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Sally Lindsay previously revealed what compelled her to take on the lead role. ‘The pitch was a complete page-turner, the story jumping off the page straight away,’ she previously told Chalkboard TV. ‘I can’t wait to bring this very modern thriller alive, exploring how far a very normal woman will be stretched when she’s horribly deceived and her entire life and family are destroyed. I think the subject matter is extremely of the moment, with the divide between the haves and have-nots getting ever wider,’ she added.
Who’s in the cast of Cold Call?
The cast of Cold Call includes:
- Sally Lindsay (The Madame Blanc Mysteries) as June Clarke
- Daniel Ryan (The Bay, Innocent) as Des
- Paul Higgins (Line Of Duty) as Kirk Wiley
- Taj Atwal (Daddy Issues) as Hana
- Elizabeth Counsell (Bull) as Elisabeth Wiley
- Katie Redford (Doctors) as Lizzie
- Samantha Power (Ackley Bridge) as Laura
Is Cold Call any good?
Yes – Sally Lindsay’s performance as an ordinary woman whose life is upended by a scam in seconds feels scarily plausible in the current world we live in. The relatability of the plot gives this thriller a realistic edge since anyone could imagine this kind of scam affecting themselves or a loved one.
Is there a trailer for Cold Call?
Yes – you can watch the trailer for Cold Call below.
How can I watch Cold Call?
You can watch Cold Call now on Channel 5.
What other Channel 5 thrillers can I watch now?
If you’re after another intriguing thriller, check out Riptide, which stars Jo Joyner as Alison, a smitten newlywed in an idyllic beach home in Australia. One day, when her husband doesn’t return home from surfing, her life is torn apart at the seams and an explosive mystery unfolds. You can watch Riptide now on Channel 5. Another domestic thriller we’d recommend is Lie With Me. A wife on the brink, Anna (Charlie Brooks), moves with her family to Australia to try to mend her marriage, which has been broken by her husband’s infidelity. When she hires a new nanny, Becky, a dark secret threatens to destroy the last of Anna’s sanity. You can watch Lie With Me now on Channel 5.
