Channel 4 has unveiled first look imagery for its upcoming darkly comedic thriller, Maya, which is created by and starring Daisy Haggard (Boat Story, Back to Life). The actress, who makes her directorial debut, is joined by The Last of Us and Time star Bella Ramsey in the six-part series.
With the brilliant Daisy Haggard at the helm, viewers are in for a treat with this one. The actress and writer is perhaps best known for her brilliant, critically acclaimed tragicomedy Back to Life, which expertly blends hard-hitting sadness with sharp comedy. If Maya is half as entertaining as Back to Life, viewers are in for a compelling watch.
What is Maya about?
The series, which was filmed on location in Scotland, is billed as an "unmissable, atmospheric psychological thriller" that explores themes of predatory male behaviour, family and love, but is also a "warm and witty celebration of the special, unbreakable bond shared between mother and daughter".
The story follows devoted single-mum Anna and her headstrong teenage daughter Maya, who are forced into a witness protection programme to escape a life-threatening danger. The mother-daughter duo leave their London lives and Anna's parents, Nancy (Harriet Walter) and George (Tom Courteney) behind, taking on new identities and relocating to a small rural town in Scotland.
The synopsis continues: "Aided by Senior Detective Constable Debs (Josie Walker) and Witness Protection Officers Tony (Stuart Bowman ) and Karen (Kiran Sonia Sawar) they try to adjust to their new reality, but the trauma of their past continues to haunt them in the form of two hitmen, Benji (Ben Chaplin) and Ted (Raphel Famotibe) who are intent on tracking them down. As the walls close in, it becomes clear that a dangerous and calculating figure from their past, the seemingly charming Bobby (Tobias Menzies ), is still a looming and very present threat."
Who stars in Maya?
Daisy Haggard leads the cast as Anna alongside Bella Ramsey as Maya. They're joined by Tobias Menzies (F1, The Crown), Harriet Walter (Succession, Downton Abbey), Ben Chaplin (September 5, The Dig), Raphel Famotibe (The Night Manager S2,), Josie Walker (Kneecap, Andor), Stuart Bowman (Dept. Q, Rebus), Tom Courtenay (Quartet, 45 Years), Kiran Sonia Sawar (Slow Horses, True Love) and Serena Manteghi (The Diplomat, Mrs Wilson).
Rounding out the cast are Archie Backhouse (Strategic Love Play, Farm Hall), Paul Blair (Outpost, Outlaw King), Sonny Poon Tip (Industry, Andor), Finlay Shack (Dept Q), Max Fincham (The Tower, The Witness), Ash Hunter (Bridgerton, Harlots), Harry Hadden-Paton (Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, Twisters), Tori Allen-Martin (Here We Go, London Kills) and Isabele Derosa (The Bombing of Pan Am 103).
When will the series be released?
Filming has wrapped on the thriller, which is a Two Brothers Pictures production (The Tourist, The Assassin), and while a release date has yet to be announced, we imagine the series will arrive some time in 2026.