Ring the alarm! Netflix's raunchy mystery thriller The Hunting Wives is finally coming to UK screens – and we can't wait to tune in.
The long-awaited premiere follows the chart-topping show's huge US success when it landed on the streamer in July, and UK viewers will be able to binge it on ITVX at the end of December.
Starring The Beast in Me's Brittany Snow and The Proposal's Malin Åkerman, the eight-part series – already renewed for a second season – follows former PR executive Sophie as she starts a new life in East Texas and becomes entangled with an exclusive group of women known as the Hunting Wives.
HELLO! news and features writer Tess Hill was hooked when it first dropped in the US. She said: "The many plot lines of The Hunting Wives made it impossible for me to press pause. It's a show that truly goes there – there's multiple affairs, visceral hunting scenes and several plausible murder suspects. Plus, Brittany's role on the show is her juiciest to date."
Based on May Cobb's 2021 novel and created by Rebecca Cutter (Hightown), the series racked up an impressive 1.58 billion minutes of viewing in August, according to The Hollywood Reporter. If you love the mystery, toxicity and drama of shows like Big Little Lies, Desperate Housewives and Virgin River, then this one is definitely for you.
Fans of May Cobb's 2021 bestseller can rest easy knowing the adaptation is in safe hands. Cobb herself serves as an executive producer on the series, ensuring the show retains the book's signature sultry East Texas atmosphere. However, showrunner Rebecca Cutter expands on the adaptation by giving the ensemble cast more screen time for their own scandalous sub-plots.
Read on for everything you need to know about the show that's about to become your next TV obsession.
© Steve Dietl,Netflix/StarzThe show has been hailed as a raunchy watch
What is The Hunting Wives about?
The story centres on Boston-based Sophie O'Neil (Brittany Snow), a loving wife to her husband Graham (Evan Jonigkeit) and mother to their son, until a traumatic event shakes their family.
Believing a fresh start will help them heal, Graham moves the family to East Texas.
© Netflix/StarzBrittany Snow plays Sophie
The synopsis continues: "There, Sophie grapples with her spiraling anxiety and jarring new surroundings. Then she encounters the enigmatic Margo Banks (Malin Åkerman), who is married to the gregarious Jed Banks (Dermot Mulroney), Graham's boss.
"Sophie soon finds herself enmeshed with Margo and thrust into the extravagant lives of her exclusive inner circle of privileged, affluent girlfriends, known as the Hunting Wives.
© Steve Dietl,Netflix/StarzDermot Mulroney plays Malin's on-screen husband
"Both tantalizing forces unlock Sophie's deepest desires and forgotten needs. But when a local young woman is murdered, sending shock waves throughout their small community, Sophie, Margo and the Hunting Wives find themselves entangled in the mystery.
"As they try to protect their own, the group starts to question what they think they see, and nothing prepares Sophie for what is about to happen next."
© Steve Dietl,Netflix/StarzThe show lands on ITVX in December
Who stars in The Hunting Wives?
Leading the cast are Brittany Snow (Pitch Perfect) as Sophie and Malin Åkerman (Watchmen) as Margo, who are joined by Dermot Mulroney (My Best Friend's Wedding) as Jed Banks and Evan Jonigkeit (X-Men: Days of Future Past) as Graham O'Neil.
The series also features Chrissy Metz (This Is Us) as Starr, Jaime Ray Newman (Catch Me If You Can) as Callie, Katie Lowes (Wreck-It Ralph) as Jill, Madison Wolfe (The Conjuring 2) as Abby and Chosen Jacobs (It) as Jamie.
© NetflixThe Hunting Wives Rotten Tomatoes
The show proved a hit with critics, achieving a strong 76% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
In its review, NPR wrote: "It's silly, it's raunchy, it's high drama. But if it's up your alley, you might find it a pretty well-executed bit of entertainment," while Boston Globe wrote: "It's extremely silly, and yet this week, despite having a lot to do, I somehow watched all eight episodes. Enjoy."
New York magazine added: "Whichever way The Hunting Wives goes in a second season, though, it'll be building on a rock-solid foundation of soap-opera plotting and a strong grasp of tone."
The Hunting Wives will be available to watch on ITVX in the UK from 27th December. All eight episodes of season one are available to watch in the US on Netflix.
