Down Cemetery Road
Updated: 5/20/2026, 7:16:16 PM Wikipedia source
Down Cemetery Road is a British television series based on the 2003 novel by Mick Herron, adapted by Morwenna Banks. The series premiered on 29 October 2025 on Apple TV. The second season was announced by Apple TV on 12 December 2025.
Infobox
Genre
Thriller
Based on
Down Cemetery Road by Mick Herron
Developed by
Morwenna Banks
Starring
Emma Thompson Ruth Wilson Adeel Akhtar Darren Boyd Nathan Stewart-Jarrett Fehinti Balogun
Country of origin
United Kingdom
Original language
English
No. of series
1
No. of episodes
8
Executive producers
Mick Herron Morwenna Banks Emma Thompson Jamie Laurenson Hakan Kousetta Tom Nash
Producer
Emma Burge
Running time
48–54 minutes
Production company
60Forty Films
Network
Apple TV
Release
29 October 2025 (2025-10-29) – present
Tables
· Episodes
1
1
No.
1
Title
"Almost True"
Directed by
Natalie Bailey
Written by
Morwenna Banks
Original release date
29 October 2025 (2025-10-29)
In Oxford, Ashmolean Museum conservator Sarah Trafford and her banker husband Mark invite his obnoxious client Gerard Inchon, his wife Paula, and Sarah's bohemian friend Wigwam and her partner Rufus to dinner. The neighbourhood is rocked by an explosion, killing Wigwam's friend Maddie Singleton; Sarah notices a mysterious man watching as Maddie's f
In Oxford, Ashmolean Museum conservator Sarah Trafford and her banker husband Mark invite his obnoxious client Gerard Inchon, his wife Paula, and Sarah's bohemian friend Wigwam and her partner Rufus to dinner. The neighbourhood is rocked by an explosion, killing Wigwam's friend Maddie Singleton; Sarah notices a mysterious man watching as Maddie's f
No.
In Oxford, Ashmolean Museum conservator Sarah Trafford and her banker husband Mark invite his obnoxious client Gerard Inchon, his wife Paula, and Sarah's bohemian friend Wigwam and her partner Rufus to dinner. The neighbourhood is rocked by an explosion, killing Wigwam's friend Maddie Singleton; Sarah notices a mysterious man watching as Maddie's f
2
2
No.
2
Title
"A Kind of Grief"
Directed by
Natalie Bailey
Written by
Rose Heiney & Morwenna Banks
Original release date
29 October 2025 (2025-10-29)
Though she and her husband had grown apart, Zoë refuses to believe Joe killed himself. At Joe's office Sarah is confronted by Amos Crane, another of Hamza's operatives, who warns her to abandon her search for Dinah. Conducting her own investigation, Zoë meets with Sarah's former professor, Tony, who remembers her surviving a hallucinogenic-induced
Though she and her husband had grown apart, Zoë refuses to believe Joe killed himself. At Joe's office Sarah is confronted by Amos Crane, another of Hamza's operatives, who warns her to abandon her search for Dinah. Conducting her own investigation, Zoë meets with Sarah's former professor, Tony, who remembers her surviving a hallucinogenic-induced
No.
Though she and her husband had grown apart, Zoë refuses to believe Joe killed himself. At Joe's office Sarah is confronted by Amos Crane, another of Hamza's operatives, who warns her to abandon her search for Dinah. Conducting her own investigation, Zoë meets with Sarah's former professor, Tony, who remembers her surviving a hallucinogenic-induced
3
3
No.
3
Title
"Filthy Work"
Directed by
Sam Donovan
Written by
Emily Marcuson
Original release date
5 November 2025 (2025-11-05)
4
4
No.
4
Title
"My Friends Don't Like Me"
Directed by
Sam Donovan
Written by
Kevin Cecil & Andy Riley
Original release date
12 November 2025 (2025-11-12)
Sarah identifies Downey in a photo of Tommy's regiment sent by Zoë, but a paranoid Downey smashes her phone. He collapses, and Sarah forces him to explain that his pills are an experimental treatment for a neurological condition. Researching the medication online, Sarah unwittingly alerts Amos to her location. He arrives in the guise of a delivery
Sarah identifies Downey in a photo of Tommy's regiment sent by Zoë, but a paranoid Downey smashes her phone. He collapses, and Sarah forces him to explain that his pills are an experimental treatment for a neurological condition. Researching the medication online, Sarah unwittingly alerts Amos to her location. He arrives in the guise of a delivery
No.
Sarah identifies Downey in a photo of Tommy's regiment sent by Zoë, but a paranoid Downey smashes her phone. He collapses, and Sarah forces him to explain that his pills are an experimental treatment for a neurological condition. Researching the medication online, Sarah unwittingly alerts Amos to her location. He arrives in the guise of a delivery
5
5
No.
5
Title
"Slow Dying"
Directed by
Sam Donovan
Written by
Emily Marcuson
Original release date
19 November 2025 (2025-11-19)
Determined to find Dinah, Sarah and Downey use Axel's phone to call Amos. While new Defence Secretary Talia Ross demands transparency from the intelligence services, C is ambushed by Amos, who offers to lure Downey to Scotland, where Dinah is being kept at the abandoned facility that housed Downey, Tommy, and their fellow soldiers. Zoë enlists Wayn
Determined to find Dinah, Sarah and Downey use Axel's phone to call Amos. While new Defence Secretary Talia Ross demands transparency from the intelligence services, C is ambushed by Amos, who offers to lure Downey to Scotland, where Dinah is being kept at the abandoned facility that housed Downey, Tommy, and their fellow soldiers. Zoë enlists Wayn
No.
Determined to find Dinah, Sarah and Downey use Axel's phone to call Amos. While new Defence Secretary Talia Ross demands transparency from the intelligence services, C is ambushed by Amos, who offers to lure Downey to Scotland, where Dinah is being kept at the abandoned facility that housed Downey, Tommy, and their fellow soldiers. Zoë enlists Wayn
6
6
No.
6
Title
"Neglected Waters"
Directed by
Börkur Sigþórsson
Written by
Rose Heiney
Original release date
26 November 2025 (2025-11-26)
On the train, Amos recognises Zoë from Axel's notes and prepares to kill her. She befriends American tourists Bob and Shelley to keep Amos at bay, evading him throughout the compartments, but he sets a fire and the train is evacuated. Commandeering Bob and Shelley's taxi, Amos shoots them and calls the police, framing Zoë as their killer. He contin
On the train, Amos recognises Zoë from Axel's notes and prepares to kill her. She befriends American tourists Bob and Shelley to keep Amos at bay, evading him throughout the compartments, but he sets a fire and the train is evacuated. Commandeering Bob and Shelley's taxi, Amos shoots them and calls the police, framing Zoë as their killer. He contin
No.
On the train, Amos recognises Zoë from Axel's notes and prepares to kill her. She befriends American tourists Bob and Shelley to keep Amos at bay, evading him throughout the compartments, but he sets a fire and the train is evacuated. Commandeering Bob and Shelley's taxi, Amos shoots them and calls the police, framing Zoë as their killer. He contin
7
7
No.
7
Title
"Lights Go Out"
Directed by
Börkur Sigþórsson
Written by
Morwenna Banks
Original release date
3 December 2025 (2025-12-03)
Storming the MoD facility, Downey shoots Hamza's men and rescues Dinah. They flee from Amos with Dinah's nurse Steph, leaving the tracker behind. Janice informs DI Varma that Zoë is missing, and his inquiries into Wright's MoD ties and suspicious death reach Ross, who warns C not to abuse her trust. Sarah and Zoë enlist the Scottish captain's help
Storming the MoD facility, Downey shoots Hamza's men and rescues Dinah. They flee from Amos with Dinah's nurse Steph, leaving the tracker behind. Janice informs DI Varma that Zoë is missing, and his inquiries into Wright's MoD ties and suspicious death reach Ross, who warns C not to abuse her trust. Sarah and Zoë enlist the Scottish captain's help
No.
Storming the MoD facility, Downey shoots Hamza's men and rescues Dinah. They flee from Amos with Dinah's nurse Steph, leaving the tracker behind. Janice informs DI Varma that Zoë is missing, and his inquiries into Wright's MoD ties and suspicious death reach Ross, who warns C not to abuse her trust. Sarah and Zoë enlist the Scottish captain's help
8
8
No.
8
Title
"What Will Survive"
Directed by
Börkur Sigþórsson
Written by
Morwenna Banks
Original release date
10 December 2025 (2025-12-10)
Sarah and Dinah leave the island using Amos's boat, Amos finds Downey's boat and leaves and Zoe travels back to harbour on the Scottish captain's boat. Zoe, Sarah and Dinah leave the village on a bus to avoid the police hunt for Zoe but realise that Hamza has hijacked the bus. He crashes it into a church and takes Zoe, Dinah and Sarah hostages whil
Sarah and Dinah leave the island using Amos's boat, Amos finds Downey's boat and leaves and Zoe travels back to harbour on the Scottish captain's boat. Zoe, Sarah and Dinah leave the village on a bus to avoid the police hunt for Zoe but realise that Hamza has hijacked the bus. He crashes it into a church and takes Zoe, Dinah and Sarah hostages whil
No.
Sarah and Dinah leave the island using Amos's boat, Amos finds Downey's boat and leaves and Zoe travels back to harbour on the Scottish captain's boat. Zoe, Sarah and Dinah leave the village on a bus to avoid the police hunt for Zoe but realise that Hamza has hijacked the bus. He crashes it into a church and takes Zoe, Dinah and Sarah hostages whil
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
| 1 | "Almost True" | Natalie Bailey | Morwenna Banks | 29 October 2025 (2025-10-29) | |
| In Oxford, Ashmolean Museum conservator Sarah Trafford and her banker husband Mark invite his obnoxious client Gerard Inchon, his wife Paula, and Sarah's bohemian friend Wigwam and her partner Rufus to dinner. The neighbourhood is rocked by an explosion, killing Wigwam's friend Maddie Singleton; Sarah notices a mysterious man watching as Maddie's f | |||||
| 2 | "A Kind of Grief" | Natalie Bailey | Rose Heiney & Morwenna Banks | 29 October 2025 (2025-10-29) | |
| Though she and her husband had grown apart, Zoë refuses to believe Joe killed himself. At Joe's office Sarah is confronted by Amos Crane, another of Hamza's operatives, who warns her to abandon her search for Dinah. Conducting her own investigation, Zoë meets with Sarah's former professor, Tony, who remembers her surviving a hallucinogenic-induced | |||||
| 3 | "Filthy Work" | Sam Donovan | Emily Marcuson | 5 November 2025 (2025-11-05) | |
| Downey, the watcher, kills Axel and drives away with Sarah at gunpoint, revealing he is trying to protect Dinah. Amos scrubs Sarah's house of evidence and disposes of his brother's body, before Hamza attempts to dismiss him on C's orders, but Amos is determined to hunt Downey down. Zoë meets Wigwam and realises Sarah is in danger from "Rufus", iden | |||||
| 4 | "My Friends Don't Like Me" | Sam Donovan | Kevin Cecil & Andy Riley | 12 November 2025 (2025-11-12) | |
| Sarah identifies Downey in a photo of Tommy's regiment sent by Zoë, but a paranoid Downey smashes her phone. He collapses, and Sarah forces him to explain that his pills are an experimental treatment for a neurological condition. Researching the medication online, Sarah unwittingly alerts Amos to her location. He arrives in the guise of a delivery | |||||
| 5 | "Slow Dying" | Sam Donovan | Emily Marcuson | 19 November 2025 (2025-11-19) | |
| Determined to find Dinah, Sarah and Downey use Axel's phone to call Amos. While new Defence Secretary Talia Ross demands transparency from the intelligence services, C is ambushed by Amos, who offers to lure Downey to Scotland, where Dinah is being kept at the abandoned facility that housed Downey, Tommy, and their fellow soldiers. Zoë enlists Wayn | |||||
| 6 | "Neglected Waters" | Börkur Sigþórsson | Rose Heiney | 26 November 2025 (2025-11-26) | |
| On the train, Amos recognises Zoë from Axel's notes and prepares to kill her. She befriends American tourists Bob and Shelley to keep Amos at bay, evading him throughout the compartments, but he sets a fire and the train is evacuated. Commandeering Bob and Shelley's taxi, Amos shoots them and calls the police, framing Zoë as their killer. He contin | |||||
| 7 | "Lights Go Out" | Börkur Sigþórsson | Morwenna Banks | 3 December 2025 (2025-12-03) | |
| Storming the MoD facility, Downey shoots Hamza's men and rescues Dinah. They flee from Amos with Dinah's nurse Steph, leaving the tracker behind. Janice informs DI Varma that Zoë is missing, and his inquiries into Wright's MoD ties and suspicious death reach Ross, who warns C not to abuse her trust. Sarah and Zoë enlist the Scottish captain's help | |||||
| 8 | "What Will Survive" | Börkur Sigþórsson | Morwenna Banks | 10 December 2025 (2025-12-10) | |
| Sarah and Dinah leave the island using Amos's boat, Amos finds Downey's boat and leaves and Zoe travels back to harbour on the Scottish captain's boat. Zoe, Sarah and Dinah leave the village on a bus to avoid the police hunt for Zoe but realise that Hamza has hijacked the bus. He crashes it into a church and takes Zoe, Dinah and Sarah hostages whil | |||||
References
- "Apple TV announces season two for acclaimed thriller "Down Cemetery Road," starring Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson"https://www.apple.com/tv-pr/news/2025/12/apple-tv-announces-season-two-for-acclaimed-thriller-down-cemetery-road-starring-emma-thompson-and-ruth-wilson
- Oxford Mailhttps://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/24259228.emma-thompson-star-apple-tv-show-set-oxford-suburb/
- The Futon Critichttp://www.thefutoncritic.com/showatch/down-cemetery-road/listings/
- Country and Town Househttps://www.countryandtownhouse.com/culture/down-cemetery-road-apple-tv/
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2024/tv/news/emma-thompson-ruth-wilson-cemetery-road-series-apple-mick-herron-1235972068/
- Deadline Hollywoodhttps://deadline.com/2024/04/down-cemetery-road-emma-thompson-ruth-wilson-to-star-apple-series-1235886108/
- The Hollywood Reporterhttps://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/emma-thompson-ruth-wilson-down-cemetery-road-season-2-apple-1236448859/
- Digital Spyhttps://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a60512278/ruth-wilson-down-cemetery-road-apple-tv/
- Desdline Hollywoodhttps://deadline.com/2024/08/down-cemetery-road-adds-nathan-stewart-jarrett-tom-goodman-hill-more-to-cast-1236051877/
- Independenthttps://m.independent.ie/entertainment/television/tv-reviews/is-emma-thompson-playing-a-sort-of-nanny-mcphee-in-doc-martens-that-would-be-interesting-but-down-cemetery-road-is-not/a1206305700.html#
- The Tabhttps://thetab.com/uk/bristol/2024/06/11/filming-crew-on-bristol-uni-campus-to-shoot-new-thriller-series-61077?callback=in&code=NJEZZWIWMWETNGZMZC0ZMMQXLTK2NDITNTU3YMJHMTKWZWNL&state=3ef61e5424ac4f74aa0932082dba4f6d
- Glastonburyhttps://glastonbury.nub.news/news/local-news/filming-wraps-up-at-streets-wessex-hotel-for-new-apple-tv-thriller-starring-emma-thompson-and-ruth-wilson-240463
- BBC Newshttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c75zw35pwdlo.amp
- TVLinehttps://tvline.com/news/down-cemetery-road-trailer-release-date-apple-emma-thompson-1235479312/
- Down Cemetery Roadhttps://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/down_cemetery_road/s01
- Down Cemetery Roadhttps://www.metacritic.com/tv/down-cemetery-road/season-1