‘The Ridge’ Will Rise on Acorn TV in July
Acorn TV announces it has picked up the Scottish-New Zealand co-production 'The Ridge'.
After a decade of starring in the time-traveling romance Outlander, Lauren Lyle is doubling down on the atmospheric crime dramas. She successfully starred as the titular detective in Karen Pirie, the first TV adaptation of Val McDermid’s mystery series of the same name, which has been a sleeper hit on BritBox in the States. Now, she’s back with a new series, The Ridge, a multinational co-production from BBC Scotland, mostly set down under in New Zealand.
The series was first announced in early 2025, described in the press release as “Kiwi Noir” (as opposed to the Scottish-set “Tartan Noir” of Karen Pirie). Lyle isn’t a detective in this one, just an innocent sister who flies halfway around the world to attend her sister’s wedding, only to discover that death got there first. Naturally, she teams up with her sister’s fiancé in an attempt to solve what she’s certain is murder.
However, between her only addiction struggles, her attraction to her would-be brother-in-law, and the misty mountains of the island nation’s landscape, she soon becomes entangled in something beyond her ability to control.
Here’s Acorn’s version of the series synopsis:
This six-part psychological thriller is centered on Mia, a Scottish doctor who is fleeing addiction and leaves her professional life in tatters. She accepts a wedding invitation from her estranged sister in New Zealand – only to find the would-be-bride dead upon arrival. Caught up in grief and pulled by a dark attraction to her late sister’s fiancé, Ewan, Mia is soon drawn into the small town’s web of lies and secrets.
(Acorn TV)
Lauren Lyle (Karen Pirie) stars as Mia, with New Zealand actor Jay Ryan (Top of the Lake) as Ewan. They are joined by an ensemble of Scottish and New Zealand actors, including Taqi Nazeer (Shetland), Cora Bissett (Annika), David Van Horn (The Brokenwood Mysteries), Claire Dargo (River City), Dulcie Smart (Rematch), Florence Hartigan (Madam), and Chloe Parker (Grafted).
(Acorn TV)
Created by novelist Nora Chassler and producer David Murdoch, The Ridge was co-written with Alan Campbell, Kate McDermott and Jess Sayer. Directors Douglas Mackinnon (Good Omens) and Robyn Grace (Sweet Tooth) split helming duties between them. The series’ executive producers include Jon Rutherford, Erik Pack, and Ivan Schneeberg & David Fortier for Boat Rocker.
The Ridge premieres Monday, July 27, 2026, with one episode a week, through the end of August.
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