Sarah Parish leads an all-star British cast as no-nonsense DI Pamela Green in a gripping six-parter set in an ‘alternative reality’ where all men are kept under house arrest overnight to protect women in Paramount’s thought-provoking drama, Curfew.
Here's everything we know about the new drama...
Curfew release date
All six episodes of the ambitious crime thriller are available to stream on Paramount Plus from Thursday, October 10.
Curfew: What inspired this controversial drama?
In March 2021, 33-year-old Sarah Everard was murdered while walking home from a night out in South London. As vigils were held in Everard’s honour, the crime sparked a national conversation around violence against women, leading to calls for all men to be forced to stay home after dark to protect them.
Curfew explores that very kind of society - set in an ‘alternative reality' where all men live under the terms of the ‘Women’s Safety Act’, bound by a strict curfew from 7pm to 7am and tracked by an ankle tag 24 hours a day.
"The theme of this drama will certainly push buttons; some people will be very angry and it’ll likely prompt some heated debate but that’s what we need," Bancroft actor Sarah Parish says of the six-parter, based on the novel After Dark by Jayne Cowie.
Curfew cast
Sarah Parish turns detective as no-nonsense DI Pamela Green, who’s called to investigate when a woman is found brutally murdered outside a Women’s Safety Centre.
"Pamela’s own daughter was murdered three years prior to the last femicide before curfew was introduced, so this case feels personal to her," says Parish. "Pamela feels she let her daughter down by not keeping her safe and wants to atone for her death."
Pamela’s convinced the killer is male but, with the murder occurring during the hours of the curfew, her theory is swiftly rejected. Pamela, however, intends to prove it...
"Pamela saw some pretty awful things pre-curfew to know the difference between how men and women kill," says Parish. "This is a very violent death, so Pamela’s gut instinct tells her the killer is definitely male - she won’t rest until he’s caught."
Who else stars in Curfew?
Mandip Gill - best known for playing Doctor Who's companion Yasmin Khan - portrays Sarah, an employee at the Women’s Safety Centre that's central to Pamela's investigation.
"Sarah works as a tagger at the centre and has her own reasons for supporting the curfew," says Gill. "When we meet Sarah, she’s struggling with a divorce, she’s having an affair and she’s clashing with her teenage daughter Cass (Casualty’s Imogen Sandhu), who’s angry because the curfew has affected someone close to her."
With tensions already running high among men’s liberation activists outside the centre, Sarah then encounters a volatile situation at work where she feels forced to taser someone, kick-starting a chain of events with far-reaching consequences…
"Sarah’s a good person, who just does some messed up things, usually out of love for her daughter," explains Gill. "In this instance, Sarah does something without thinking; her behaviour has serious ramifications and her life starts to spiral from that point."
Making her TV drama debut as Sarah’s best friend Helen is none other than X Factor 2008 winner and West End star Alexandra Burke. "As a teacher, Helen wants to educate her students and support the rules that are in place," explains Burke. "But she finds herself torn between wanting to do the right thing while being loyal to her loved ones."
Indeed, especially when the Women’s Safety Act starts to impact on Helen’s relationship with her boyfriend Patrick, played by Murder in Provence’s Oliver Alvin-Wilson.
"The Women’s Safety Act isn’t just about curfew; Helen and Patrick have to go to a meeting at a ‘cohabitation centre’ to get permission to live together," explains Burke. "Helen wants Patrick to be happy, but there's uncertainty in her heart because she’s worried he’ll mess it up. Helen’s a complex character with a big secret."
Curfew also stars Mayflies' Mitchell Robertson as a rookie cop - and former curfew enforcer - Eddie, assigned to help Pamela on the case. The honourary male on the team, Eddie certainly sets the cat amongst the pigeons with his involvement in the investigation.
Which other famous faces can we expect to see in Curfew?
Curfew boasts a veritable who's who of top British TV talent.
Anita Dobson plays Janet, who runs a 'motherhouse', a refuge-style home for women who don't want to cohabit with men.
Lucy Benjamin plays DCI Sue Ferguson, who is overseeing the murder investigation. A staunch supporter of the curfew, she's adamant the killer is a woman.
Larry Lamb plays Rhys Holden, whose family arrives in the UK from the US and must learn to adjust to life under the curfew system, which he's vehemently opposed to.
Bobby Brazier plays James, a vocal schoolboy who thinks curfew should be abolished.
Is there a trailer for Curfew?
YES! This little snippet gives you a taste of what's in store...
What To Watch says...
An important message, effectively executed, Curfew might anger some people and confuse others. But one thing's guaranteed: everyone will be talking about it!
Curfew is available to stream as a box set on Paramount+ from Thursday, October 10.
