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Sweetpea (TV series)

Sweetpea is a British dark comedy drama television series created by Kirstie Swain, based on the 2017 novel by CJ Skuse. It stars Ella Purnell in the lead role and premiered on 10 October 2024 on Sky Atlantic. In December 2024, it was renewed for a second series.

Premise
Having endured bullying during her school years, Rhiannon Lewis is an unassuming young woman who lives with her father and dog in the fictional English town of Carnsham, where she works a mundane job as an administrative assistant at a local newspaper. However, following her father's death, her life is upended by a series of unfortunate events, including the return of her former bully, leading Rhiannon to develop a penchant for murder. In the second series, alongside a promotion, an irresistible rebound, and a killer intent on unmasking her, Rhiannon wonders if her ex, AJ Pierce, was right about her being a monster. ==Cast and characters==
Cast and characters
MainElla Purnell as Rhiannon Lewis, an administrative assistant working at the Carnsham Gazette, often called "Sweetpea" by her boss • Nicôle Lecky as Julia Blenkingsopp (series 1), a classmate from Rhiannon's school years, who is now a local estate agent • Jon Pointing as Craig, an employee at Rhiannon's father's construction company who ghosted her after their one-night stand • Calam Lynch as AJ Pierce (series 1), the new junior reporter at the Carnsham GazetteJeremy Swift as Norman, the editor of the Carnsham Gazette and Rhiannon's boss • Dustin Demri-Burns as Jeff Barker (series 1), a senior reporter at the Carnsham GazetteLeah Harvey as Marina Farrar, a junior detective working for the local police force • Camille Coduri as Carol on Tuesdays (series 1), the hostess at the local pub • Tamsin Greig as Liv (series 2), AJ's mother • Rish Shah as Gabriel (series 2) • Taj Atwal as Freya (series 2), Rhiannon's new boss at the Carnsham GazetteJenny Walser as Daisy (series 2) Recurring • Dino Kelly as Marcus Rebac (series 1), Julia's fiancé • Nitin Ganatra as Rory, a detective working with Marina • Ingrid Oliver as Diana St John, a Detective Inspector at the local police force GuestDavid Bark-Jones as Tommy Lewis (series 1), Rhiannon and Seren's father, and owner of the construction firm Tommy's Transformations • Luke McGibney as Mike Roberts (series 1), an obnoxious man who crosses paths with Rhiannon • Alexandra Dowling as Seren, Rhiannon's older sister who lives in France • James Craze as Ryan Lloyd (series 1) a man who disrespects Rhiannon ==Episodes==
Production
Skuse's 2017 novel was optioned in 2017 by See-Saw Films. In 2019, Sky Atlantic came onboard the project and Patrick Walters, Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta, Iain Canning and Emile Sherman were set as executive producer for See-Saw Films, with Liz Lewin as an executive producer for Sky Studios. Kirstie Swain has adapted the book. In 2020, it was revealed to be a six-part series. On 3 December 2024, Sweetpea was renewed for a second series. Casting In November 2023, Ella Purnell was cast in the lead role and serves as an executive producer. Also cast were Nicôle Lecky, Jon Pointing, Calam Lynch, Leah Harvey, Jeremy Swift, Dustin Demri-Burns, Luke McGibney and Ingrid Oliver. In August 2025, Tamsin Greig, Rish Shah, Taj Atwal, and Jenny Walser were announced to have joined the cast for the second series. Filming Filming took place in Southend-on-Sea in November and December 2023, with filming locations including Southend Observation Tower on Pier Hill, Western Esplanade's Cliff Lift and theme park Adventure Island. Filming also took place near the River Colne in Oxhey Park, Watford. Filming for the second season began in August 2025. The title sequence won a Bafta in the category 'TV Craft / Titles & Graphic Identity' in 2025. ==Broadcast==
Broadcast
Ahead of the series premiere, a full trailer was released in September 2024. The series premiered on 10 October 2024 on Sky Atlantic and Now in the United Kingdom. On the same day in the United States, the series premiered on Starz. The second series is due to premiere in 2026. == Reception ==
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Sweetpea holds an approval rating of 88% based on 25 reviews, with an average rating of 7/10. The website's consensus reads: "Ella Purnell is a diabolical delight in Sweetpea, a revenge fantasy that holds a lot of darkness beneath its playful exterior." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 69 out of 100 based on 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Lucy Mangan, writing in The Guardian, was less impressed, comparing the series unfavourably to the original book. == Soundtrack ==
Soundtrack
The series score was written by Isobel Waller-Bridge, and the theme song ("Do You See Me Now") by Isobel and Chinchilla, who also provided the vocals. In addition, the series features a diverse soundtrack of popular music, including tracks from Billie Eilish, Icona Pop (ft. Charli XCX), Labi Siffre, and the Spice Girls. ==References==
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