One of the best parts of this time of year is that while you may not know what day it is, you certainly know there's a whole slate of binge-worthy TV lined up just waiting for you to dive in. One such show is The Hunting Wives, which finally dropped on ITVX on 27 December – and viewers can't get enough of this guilty-pleasure watch.
Originally airing in the US in July, the raunchy eight-parter follows a former PR executive, played by Brittany Snow, who starts a new life in East Texas with her husband. There, she meets an exclusive group of women with whom she becomes entangled after a local woman is murdered. Based on May Cobb's 2021 novel, the show is perfect for fans of twisty whodunits with a glamorous cast, such as Big Little Lies, Desperate Housewives and Virgin River.
HELLO!'s 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."
Keep reading to find out what viewers are saying about The Hunting Wives…
UK fans who can now stream the show for free on ITVX took to X, formerly Twitter, to share their thoughts on the highly anticipated show.
"The Hunting Wives is on ITVX for anyone who hasn't watched it yet. I'm about to press play on my millionth rewatch, this is the best day of my life," said one viewer, while another penned: "The Hunting Wives is gloriously trashy; we can't stop watching it."
A third added: "I really enjoyed this series, not only because of the LGBT relationship, but because the plot captivated me. It was worth watching; it kept me hooked until the very last minute!"
The show has proven a hit with critics as well, and is currently sitting at 76 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes. In its five-star review, The Guardian wrote: "Blackmail! Murder! Horny Republicans! This starry bonkbuster is about as good as nonsense television gets."
Meanwhile, Tech Advisor added: "As a piece of pure backstabbing, catfighting and drunk-and-disorderly escapism, The Hunting Wives effortlessly hits the target."
Brittany Snow plays Sophie while Evan Jonigkeit plays Graham
What is The Hunting Wives about?
The story follows Sophie O'Neil (Brittany Snow), who moves cross-country from Boston to East Texas with her husband Graham (Evan Jonigkeit) after a traumatic event shakes their family.
The official 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.
"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."
The show has proved a hit with viewers and critics
What is the inspiration behind The Hunting Wives?
In an interview with Woman's World, author May Cobb revealed the inspiration behind her bestselling novel. "It was my mom actually," she said. "We were driving through the back roads of East Texas, where we're from, and she told me that in high school, the rich boys would invite girls like her – who were more middle class – out to 'hunting parties.' They'd drive into the woods, sit on the hoods of their cars and shoot small game.
"I said, 'Mom, that could've gone so wrong!' It sparked a story idea, but I didn't want to set it in the '60s, so I made it contemporary and flipped the concept – what if the women were the ones behaving badly?"
Katie Lowes as Jill, Jaime Ray Newman as Callie and Malin Akerman as Margo Banks
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.
The Hunting Wives is available to watch on ITVX in the UK and on Netflix in the US.
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