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. The show involves a woman who hires a private investigator after an explosion occurs and a girl goes missing on the same night in a quiet suburb of Oxford.
Contents
Cast and characters
Main
Emma Thompson as Zoë Boehm, a misanthropic private investigator
Ruth Wilson as Sarah Trafford (née Tucker), an art conservationist caught up in a criminal conspiracy in the aftermath of an explosion in her neighbourhood
Adeel Akhtar as Hamza Malik, an officious military intelligence operator working under C on a black operation
Darren Boyd as C, a senior official in the intelligence services overseeing a black operation
Nathan Stewart-Jarrett as Michael Downey, a former soldier also investigating the events in Oxford
Adam Godley as Joe Silvermann, an idealistic private investigator, husband of Zoë Boehm
Tom Goodman-Hill as Gerard Inchon, an abrasive loud-mouth banker
Fehinti Balogun as Amos Crane, a robotic and resourceful assassin
Lydia Leonard as Talia Ross, a new government minister about to take office in the Ministry of Defence
Featured
Sinead Matthews as Denise/"Wigwam", Sarah's naive new-age friend and neighbour
Ken Nwosu as Rufus, Denise's boyfriend
Aaron Neil as Detective Investigator Ash Varma, a police detective trusted by Zoë Boehm
Pip Torrens as Dr Isaac Wright, a doctor working with C on a black operation
Tom Riley as Mark, Sarah's husband, a banker
Aiysha Hart as Paula, Gerard Inchon's wife
Sara Kestelman as Janice Silverman, Joe Silverman's mother
Steven Cree as Bob Poland, Zoë Boehm's younger lover
Ella Bruccoleri as Steph Ricci, a nurse who is part of Malik's black operation
Joshua James as Wayne, a morgue worker and hacker who assists Zoë Boehm
Sophia Brown as Ella Downey, Michael Downey's sister
Gary Lewis as Captain Donny, a Scottish fisherman
Supporting
Ivy Quoi as Dinah Singleton, a young girl whose apparent disappearance is investigated by Sarah
Mark Benton as Tony McGrath, a university professor and friend of Joe
Ioanna Kimbook as Cheski Galanis, Talia Ross's political aid
Jonny Lavelle as Ty, a member of Malik's team
Hugo Chegwin as Nev, a member of Malik's team
David Moorst as Sam, a hotel receptionist
Harry Anton as Eli, C's chauffeur
Aisha Toussaint as DCI Shona, a Scottish detective
Production
The project, from the London-based 60Forty Films, was announced in April 2024 with Natalie Bailey as lead director and Morwenna Banks adapting the Mick Herron novel, and executive producer. Other executive producers include Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta and Tom Nash of 60Forty Films, as well as Herron, and Emma Thompson. On 12 December 2025, Apple TV renewed the series for a second season.
Emma Thompson stars as investigator Zoë Boehm alongside Ruth Wilson as Sarah Trafford (née Tucker). In August 2024, Adeel Akhtar, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Tom Goodman-Hill, Darren Boyd, Tom Riley, Adam Godley, Sinead Matthews, Ken Nwosu, Fehinti Balogun, and Aiysha Hart joined the cast. The cast also includes Ella Bruccoleri.
Although the series is primarily set in and around Oxford, and many of the outside scenes were filmed in that city, principal photography began in Bristol in June 2024 with locations including the University of Bristol campus. Filming also took place in Bishops Lydeard railway station and Street, Somerset.
Release
The series debuted on Apple TV on 29 October 2025, with the first two episodes and the rest debuting on a weekly basis until the finale on 10 December.
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 81% based on 58 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "A twisty mystery that grows more addictive as it unfolds, Down Cemetery Road is tonally imbalanced but has a steadfast center of gravity in Emma Thompson's flinty star turn." Metacritic gave the series a weighted average score of 71 out of 100 based on 23 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
