The story examines contemporary Britain as tension build at a remote Scottish holiday park

Filming begins this week (w/c 25 November) in Scotland on Channel 4 drama Summerwater, based on the novel by Sarah Moss.

John Donnelly has adapted the original as a 6 x 60’ series; it is produced by Glasgow-based Freedom Scripted and C4’s Indie Growth Fund. Robert McKillop directs; Jules Hussey is series producer. Ellen, a former BBC, STV and World Productions development producer, founded Freedom Scripted in 2018; it joined C4’s Indie Growth Fund in 2022.

Summerwater is set over the course of one rainy summer’s day at a remote loch-side Scottish holiday-cabin park. Bubbling tensions build between several families, with each episode focusing on one or two of the ensemble of characters, ultimately depicting a picture of modern Britain on the edge while exploring the strength of community…

Screenwriter Donnelly said at the time of the commissioning news: “Sarah Moss writes with perception, compassion and wit about sex, love, and the dark impulses of the human heart. She is one of our most brilliant chroniclers of modern life.

“In Summerwater, Sarah has found the perfect environment to explore our secrets and desires – a rain-drenched holiday park in Scotland. Summerwater is at once an atmospheric mystery, a hilarious and heartbreaking exploration of identity and an existential thriller. I am delighted to be working with the brilliant team at Freedom Scripted to adapt Sarah’s wonderful novel for a broadcaster with such a pedigree for bold, ambitious drama.”

Mike Ellen, executive producer for Freedom Scripted, added: “Very few books come along as evocative, relevant and brilliantly drawn as Summerwater by Sarah Moss, let alone set a stone’s throw away from where I grew up!

“We were thrilled to attach John Donnelly as screenwriter and true to form, he has delivered amazing scripts. I’m really excited to be working with such a talented producer as Jules and can’t wait to see what Robbie does with this. We all feel there couldn’t be a better home for the show than with Ollie Madden, Sarah Stack and the team at Channel 4 Drama.”