The Couple Next Door is set to premiere on Starz this Friday, January 17th. There’s a reason for that, a rather obvious one. Starz is hoping fans of Sam Heughan will stick around after Outlander and give this new show starring their very own Jamie Fraser a chance. But Danny Whitwell, Heughan’s character in the show, is nothing like Jamie Fraser. In fact, he might be as different as it’s possible to be—probably what made him such an interesting challenge for Heughan. So, what is The Couple Next Door about? What is it based on?
Is The Couple Next Door Based on the Book?
The answer is yes, though perhaps not directly. The show, whose logline reads: “A young couple moves to an upscale suburbia and become entangled in a complex web of desire and betrayal with their new neighbors,” is a psychological thriller that is loosely based on a Dutch TV series called New Neighbors. That series, was, in turn, based on the book of the same name by author Saskia Noort.
So, if we follow the thread, we will indeed get to a book. But it is not the book you think it is! Because there is, indeed, a mystery thriller called The Couple Next Door, by Shari Lapena. And that book tells a very different story—about a couple who goes to a dinner party at their neighbor’s house after leaving their sixth-month-old daughter alone, only for her to be abducted.
Confusing, I know. But in the end, the answer is: yes, it is based on a book, just not a book by the same name as the series. If you see that book on the shelves, know it’s not the story you think it is. And, if you’re thinking of checking out the original book this is based on, it’s important to remember this is a loose adaptation, not a super faithful one.
Indeed, writer David Allison said that his intention with the show was to “explore the ideas of what suburbia is because I think a lot of us grew up in suburbia,” adding that, “mine was a bit more downmarket than this one, but there are interesting unwritten boundaries and rules that everyone understands. So, it’s about a couple moving into this world, who think they understand each other having been in this long-term relationship. For Becka and Danny, it’s about trying to live as you really are in this world that doesn’t want you to be like that. It becomes quite Gothic towards the end.”
Sound interesting? Well, the six-episode first season of The Couple Next Door premieres January 17, with new episodes released weekly.
