There's a new horror-thriller series coming this spooky season and it's called Teacup. The Peacock original series is based on Robert McCammon's Stinger and it follows a group of people in Georgia who find themselves trying to survive.
What to Watch had a chance to talk with star Scott Speedman about the series at San Diego Comic-Con 2024. Talking about Teacup's appeal to fans, Speedman said: "I think the family aspect of it and how attached to the characters people are going to be. When watching these shows it's always surprising what becomes very successful," he said. He cited how The Bear came out of nowhere and captivated audiences, and it comes down to the right cast and story. "I think there's a broad appeal once we get into [the story] with how emotional [Teacup] gets, and how once those genre elements take off it's full on." (He isn't wrong here... we've screened the first four episodes and the show grabs you from the start and never lets go!)
"Teacup easily defied labels," said executive producer James Wan in a statement. "It's a genre-bending blend of horror, mystery and drama, with layers that unfold like a captivating puzzle. It goes beyond chills and thrills and holds up a mirror to humanity, exploring the darkness that resides within us all. We hope you enjoy this wild ride as much as we've loved creating it!"
Here's everything we know about Teacup.
Teacup release date
Teacup premiered on October 10. The eight-episode series will release two new episodes every Thursday on Peacock.
Here's what we know about the season finale airing October 31:
Teacup episode 7: "This is Nowhere Part I"
"Suspicions grow as the group realizes one of their own poses a deadly threat to Arlo; Donald joins Ruben on a mission to settle unfinished business at the Navarro farm; Maggie contemplates the unthinkable."
Teacup episode 8: "This is Nowhere Part II"
"After discovering who among them is after Arlo, Maggie and James resort to the unthinkable to save their family and neighbors."
Teacup is a Peacock original series, which means you need a subscription to be able to watch. You might have Peacock as part of your existing cable package, or you can subscribe to the streaming service directly.
Teacup episodes and recaps
Teacup episode 1: "Think About the Bubbles"
"The animals start acting strangely on the Chenoweths' isolated farm. Maggie avoids her husband James when their son goes missing. The family, including Grandma Ellen and Maggie's daughter Meryl, are joined by neighbors as they search for the boy."
Teacup episode 1 recap
Teacup episode 2: "My Little Lighthouse"
"With no mobile phone service and the power out, the Chenoweths and their neighbors desperately seek help; Maggie realizes something very strange is going on with Arlo."
Teacup episode 2 recap
Teacup episode 3: "Quite for No Reason"
"After learning a devastating secret about his wife, Ruben joins James to seek help at the Navarro farm; Arlo reveals the terrifying reality of their situation and leads Meryl and Nicholas into the woods."
Teacup episode 3 recap
Teacup episode 4: "In the Heart of the Country"
"James and Ruben are held captive at the Navarro farm; on their way back from the woods, Arlo, Meryl and Nicholas encounter McNab, a mysterious man who claims to help, but whose true intentions remain unclear."
Teacup episode 5: "I'm a Witness to the Sickness"
"Travis, holding James hostage, recounts how he was shot and took refuge in the Navarros' basement. James realizes the imminent danger to his family."
Teacup episode 6: "You Don't Know What It Means to Win"
"James, Ruben and the kids bring a wounded McNab back to the Chenoweths'. James has a chilling realisation about his mother and her recent actions."
Teacup premise
Here's the official synopsis of Teacup from Peacock:
"Teacup follows a disparate group of people in rural Georgia who must come together in the face of a mysterious threat in order to survive. Inspired by the New York Times bestselling novel Stinger by Robert McCammon."
Executive producer and showrunner Ian McCulloch released a statement about developing Teacup:
"When Atomic Monster first approached me about creating a series adaptation of Robert McCammon’s Stinger — a no-holds-barred, gargantuan spectacle of a novel along the lines of The Stand, Independence Day and Mars Attacks — to be honest, I didn't want to throw my hat in the ring. I'm not a spectacle writer. I'm a less-is-more writer. I gravitate more toward what are known as keyhole epics. Large stories told through small lenses. Think Signs, The Thing, A Quiet Place.
"But here's the thing. I read Stinger and it stayed with me. Wouldn't leave me alone. I just couldn't stop thinking about its razor-sharp premise, how it unfolds over the course of a single harrowing day, and about the relatable and real family McCammon puts center stage. That's when the flash bang-light bulb idea hit…
"What if I adapted Stinger in a way that honors the book and stays true to the kinds of stories I like to tell? Keep the conceit. Keep Stinger's most effective elements. Take away the large ensemble. Take away the giant set pieces. Even take away the book's crowded town setting. The adaptation would be like an acoustic guitar version of, say, a Radiohead song. It won't have the production value, electronic instruments, loops, or synthesized bells and whistles but it will still have the melody, the structure, the lyrics, the real magic at the core, all the stuff that makes a great song a great song.
"All of which is to say I could suddenly see exactly what to do and how to do it. Two weeks later, Atomic Monster had the script for the first episode. Soon after that, Peacock bought it. Not so long after that, both my creative and career dreams actually started coming true as more scripts were written, hires made, actors cast, sets built, and production began…
"Of course, during production the series changed and evolved. Just as it should. Even the title's different. Stinger is now Teacup. The reasons for this are too spoilery to share but watch the first few episodes and all will be revealed. Point being, the series is now very much its own thing: a puzzle-box mystery, an edge-of-your-seat thriller, a can't-but-must look horror story, a family drama, a science fiction epic — of the keyhole variety, of course. But as singular, strange, and surprising as I hope Teacup is, all you need to do is peel away the layers, characters, situations, and mythology and look behind the thrills, chills, hairpin turns and make-you gasp reveals. Do all that and you'll see, at its heart, Teacup is still very much standing on the shoulders of Stinger. Just as it should."
Teacup cast
Teacup features a very talented cast that includes Yvonne Strahovski (Chuck), Scott Speedman (Grey's Anatomy), Chaske Spencer (The Twilight Saga: New Moon), Kathy Baker (Picket Fences), Boris McGiver (Servant), Caleb Dolden (The Requiem Boogie), Emilie Bierre (A Colony) and Luciano Leroux (Yellowjackets).
Teacup trailer
There's no full trailer for Teacup yet, but here are a few teasers to whet your appetite.
A short teaser featuring the show's release date debuted at San Diego Comic-Con 2024. Take a look below:
