BBC Scotland & Sky New Zealand Originals announce premiere date for new psychological thriller The Ridge

The trailer for new six-part psychological thriller The Ridge has been launched with the premiere date confirmed on BBC Scotland and Sky Open on Tuesday 21 October with all episodes available to stream on Neon and BBC iPlayer from this date. BBC Two will also show the drama from Thursday 23 October. 

Shot on location between New Zealand and Scotland, The Ridge stars BAFTA Scotland award-winning Scots actress Lauren Lyle (Karen Pirie, Outlander) in the lead role of Mia, who is fleeing addiction and leaving behind a professional life in tatters in Scotland. She accepts a wedding invitation from her estranged sister in New Zealand – only to find the would-be-bride dead upon arrival.

A serene, mountainous landscape with misty skies forms the backdrop for a pensive woman with wavy blonde hair, wearing a black top. Above her, bold white text reads "The Ridge." Overlaying her image is a silhouette of a person standing on a rocky ridge, facing the distant mountains.

Caught up in grief and pulled by a dark attraction to her late-sister’s fiancé Ewan played by New Zealand star Jay Ryan (Territory, Top of the Lake, It Chapter 2), Mia soon finds that familiarity among a small community breeds secrets and tensions, endangering the brittle fabric of the town itself.  

Additional cast include Dulcie Smart (Rematch, Concordia), Florence Hartigan (Madam, Kid Sister), Chloe Parker (Grafted, Earthlings), David Van Horn (Heart Eyes, Sweet Tooth), Taqi Nazeer (The Control Room, Shetland), Claire Dargo (River City, Doctors) and Cora Bissett (The Bombing of Pan Am 103, Annika). 

Created by acclaimed novelist Nora Chassler and BAFTA Scotland-winning producer David Murdoch and co-written with Alan Campbell and award-winning New Zealand writers Kate McDermott and Jess Sayer, The Ridge is directed by BAFTA-winning Scottish director Douglas Mackinnon (Good Omens, Line of Duty, Doctor Who) and Emmy-nominated New Zealand director Robyn Grace (Sweet Tooth, Power Rangers, Spartacus).   

The series is produced by New Zealand’s leading drama makers Great Southern Studios and Glasgow-based Sinner Films for BBC Scotland and Sky New Zealand Originals. The Ridge was made with the support of New Zealand On Air, the NZ Screen Production Rebate and Screen Scotland, while Boat Rocker manage the global sales. 

The Ridge debuts on Tuesday 21 October in the UK on BBC iPlayer and BBC Scotland and in New Zealand on Sky Open, Neon, and Sky Go. BBC Two will air the series in the UK from Thursday 23 October. 


More information

Image credits: Image courtesy of Great Southern Studios / Sinner Films / BBC Scotland / Sky New Zealand Originals