Picture this: you’re happily settling into your second marriage when you discover a body in the basement on your home. A body alongside mementoes belonging to your husband’s first wife, no less. That’s the premise of Forever Home, the outstanding TV adaptation of Graham Norton’s popular novel, which has attracted quite a cast, including Shetland’s Douglas Henshall, Happy Valley's Shane Zaza and Waterloo Road's Denise Welch.
At the centre of the brilliantly compelling mystery series is Carol, who finds the long-dead body hidden in the depths of her home and realises she's living with a killer. The story that her husband's first wife ran away never to be seen again now looks like a lie - and the fact he’s insisted on never selling the house suddenly makes sense. But that’s just the beginning of the secrets…
With the series starting on Channel 5 tonight (14th September), here’s everything you need to know about Forever Home before you tune in, including the plot, trailer, cast and what time it’s on.
What is Forever Home about?
As we mentioned, the new Channel 5 series is based on Graham Norton’s 2022 novel, Forever Home, and revolves around Carol Crottie (Amy Nuttall) who’s settling into a second marriage. So far, so ordinary. But when Carol discovers a body in her basement, it soon becomes clear that her partner, Robert, is hiding some very dark secrets.
According to Robert (Douglas Hensall), who now has dementia, his first wife, Joan, ran off with his brother 20 years ago, leaving behind their two young children Kaden and Sally. But when Robert’s anxiety about the house’s hidden basement rises, Carol’s curiosity is piqued and she and her mother make the horrific discovery. And it seems that one dark family secret will soon to be replaced by another…
Forever Home is one of five novels penned by Graham Norton, who says: "In writing Forever Home, I was initially inspired by the simple idea of packing up a home later in life, and the ‘what if’ scenarios and complexities that come with later-life relationships.”
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He added: “There’s a Norwegian expression, Butter on Bacon, and I guess that’s what a tv adaptation of one of my books feels like. It’s beyond the cherry on the cake, it is this wonderful undreamt of extra pleasure. I love writing fiction but never imagined the stories going any further than the page. I love how the book now has this new life – maybe it’s like becoming a grandparent – my baby has now had a baby.”
Amy Nuttall, who plays Carol, told Channel 5 of her character: “Writer Clara Salaman summed her up perfectly when she wrote in the script that 'Carol is the mouse that will learn to roar.' Hopefully an audience will find her very recognisable.
“She is very warm, kind and extremely compassionate, but I think she is underestimated. Even by herself. She is forced to confront things that she never imagined - like her partner’s dementia and long-buried family secrets.”
Douglas Henshall, who plays Robert, added: “Robert is in a horrendous situation. It’s the amount of denial that must be present to be able to continue with this façade while underneath the turmoil is enormous. I like all those components in this, which is partly what makes it such a great story and one that is so well told.”
“To all intents and purposes the Barries are a perfectly normal family. And like most normal families they do have their skeletons in the closet. It’s just that theirs happens to be in a freezer in the cellar.”
Who’s in the cast of Forever Home?
The cast of Forever Home includes:
- Amy Nuttall (The Feud) as Carol Crottie
- Douglas Henshall (Shetland) as Robert Barrie
- Denise Welch (Waterloo Road) as Carol’s mother Moira Crottie
- Lewis Cope (Emmerdale) as Kaden Barrie
- Shane Zaza (Happy Valley) as Daniel Evans
- Jenny Walser (Heartstopper) as Sally Barrie
- Kevin Whately (Inspector Morse) as Silent Dave
- James Baxter (Waterloo Road) as Patrick Tanner
Is there a trailer for Forever Home?
Yes, you can watch the trailer for Forever Home below.
How can I watch Forever Home?
Forever Home starts tonight (Monday 14th September) at 9pm on Channel 5.
What other mystery series can I watch now?
For another brilliant mysteries featuring a Happy Valley star, we’d recommend The Loch. The series stars Siobhan Finneran and Laura Fraser as detective duo, Lauren and Annie, who find themselves hunting down a serial killer - and it’s a nightmare neither of them want to be in. You can watch The Loch on ITVX. For Nicola Walker fans, we’d suggest River. The drama introduces us to Detective Inspector John River (Stellan Skarsgård) and his colleague, Detective Sergeant Jackie "Stevie" Stevenson (Nicola Walker). And here’s the gripping bit: Stevie has been murdered and John sees Jackie everywhere, even though she’s gone. River is also available to watch on ITVX.
