Dominic Cooper & Romola Garai to Commit ‘Adultery’ on ITV
To cheat or not to cheat, that is the question.
Domestic thrillers are plentiful in British television — and a lot of them seem to deal with one specific topic: Infidelity. From Obsession and The Killing Kind to the BAFTA-winning Doctor Foster (which is returning for a third and final season), cheating is everywhere, used as both a plot twist and a thematic device. ITV’s forthcoming drama Adultery isn’t being terribly subtle about joining their ranks when it arrives on screens this autumn.
A relationship drama about a whirlwind affair that threatens the stability of two families, the series stars Dominic Cooper (The Gold) and Romola Garai (Vigil) as Tom and Beth, two strangers who meet when their children begin a romantic relationship at school. The tension between them is intense and immediate, and the pair must grapple with both their guilt and their unpredictable desire.
“There’s a psychological equation. It says that ‘attraction plus an obstacle equals excitement’. But what happens if the attraction is too strong, if the obstacles are too great? What then? Do you threaten everything?” Garai’s voice intones in the trailer, laying down the central conceit of this whole endeavor. Will Tom and Beth ruin their loved ones’ loves for the chance to be together?
Here’s the series’ synopsis.
The provocative love story raises questions about class, grief and the effects of social media, as it takes the viewer on a rollercoaster story of passion, parenthood and peril, as Tom Kirkman and Beth Brookes embark upon a passionate and intense love affair that threatens to uproot their whole lives. Adultery is naturally authentic and bristling with passion as it focuses upon two ordinary families and messy complications.
The series also stars Matthew McNulty (After the Flood) as Beth’s husband Neil, Shelley Conn (Bridgerton) as Tom’s wife Hannah, with Leila Khan (Heartstopper) and newcomer Johnny Sanpher as the two teenage lovers.
The ensemble includes Andrew Knott (Protection) as Dave, the ex-husband of Beth’s recently deceased best friend, as well as James Murray (Masters of the Air) and Charley Webb (The Long Shadow) as Paul and Leah Kirkman, Tom’s brother and sister-in-law.
The series is created and written by Danny Brocklehurst (Brassic), with Will Sinclair (Vera) and Daniel O’Hara (The Red King) splitting directing duties evenly across the six-part series. Brocklehurst is also an executive producer, alongside Ben Stephenson, Preethi Mavahalli, and Luke Woellhaf for Poison Pen Studios, and Polly Hill for ITV. Sarah Lewis is the series producer.
Adultery is slated to premiere on ITV before the end of 2026. It does not yet have an American distributor, but considering the stars and subject matter, it’s either going right to Netflix or straight to BritBox.
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