Truelove cast, filming locations and plot explained – all about the C4 show
TRUELOVE is a bitter sweet drama that follows a group of friends in their later years who all make a pact.
This Channel 4 series brings with it an incredible all-star cast, and also a gripping plot.
When is Truelove on TV?
Truelove kicked off on Channel 4 on January 3, 2023, and is six episodes long.
The show will continue to air every Wednesday and Thursday night at 9pm.
The series will conclude on January 18, 2023.
Each episode will also be available to watch on the Channel 4 website shortly after they have aired.
Who is in the cast of Truelove?
Lindsay Duncan as Phil
Lindsay Duncan leads the cast as as Phil, who is a retired police detective.
The actress replaced Harry Potter star Julie Walters who pulled out of Truelove due to her ongoing health problems.
Speaking about the role of Phil, Lindsay told Channel 4: “Phil was Deputy Chief Constable and has been retired for years.
“She’s highly regarded in the police force but frustrated by the fact that she didn’t make it to the top rank because of the sexism at the time.
“Although she’s retired, mentally she hasn’t.
“She loved her job and was really, really good at it. Retirement doesn’t sit easily with her sense of self.”
Meanwhile, actress Lindsay is best known for her roles in A Discovery of Witches and The Wheel of Time.
Clarke Peters as Ken
Clarke Peters takes on the role of Ken who is a former SAS soldier.
Ken fell madly in love with Phil when they were teenagers, which neither of them really ever got over.
Speaking to Channel 4 about working with the rest of the star cast, Clarke joked: “It’s been terrible! These guys are no fun. We don’t laugh, we don’t giggle, we don’t support each other [laughs].
” No, I’m joking, it has been a real gas, and as I said before, it has something to do with our ages and understanding where we are on this journey of life.
“It’s a good cast, a good group of people to play with. You can just sit back and let someone follow their intuition and be supportive of that because you know that however they couched the language of what they’re trying to achieve, it’s going to be brilliant.”
Away from Truelove, the actor is best known for playing Detective Lester Freamon in the HBO series The Wire.
Sue Johnston as Marion
Legendary actress Sue Johnston plays Marion, David’s sister.
Speaking about her character, and also the show as a whole, Sue told Channel 4: “There’s not many laughs for Marion! But having said that, we do find a lot of laughs amongst ourselves.
“I think it’s the only way you can deal with stuff if you’re constantly doing death scenes or funerals, is to find the dark side and find it very funny.
“As a cast, we have a lot of laughs which can sometimes deteriorate quite badly! It doesn’t mean you don’t take this stuff seriously.
“But you know, you can’t just be dark.
“There is humour in the script, there is a lot of fun in it.
“What’s clever about it all is that it swings between dark and light, fun and thriller.”
Actress Sue has enjoyed an incredible career which includes shows like The Royle Family, Downton Abbey, and Time.
Peter Egan as David
Much-loved actor Peter Egan plays ex-GP David.
Speaking about what fans can expect from the show, the star told Channel 4: “First of all, you can expect a fantastically written narrative.
“The scripts are absolutely fantastic. They’re very exciting.
“All of the characters are very interesting, and the story is fascinating to follow.
“It’s a dark thriller with comedy elements and it’s also a love story.
“The arc of Phil and Ken in this series is so beautifully addressed, I think.
“There are so many elements in this series that will be fascinating on many levels.”
Fans may also recognise Peter from ITV‘s Unforgotten, Netflix‘s After Life, and the movie Death at a Funeral.
The rest of the cast includes:
- Phil Davis as Nigel
- Karl Johnson as Tom
- Fiona Button as Kate
- Kiran Sonia as Sawar
What is Truelove about?
Truelove follows a group of friends who are all in their later years.
The group, which includes teenage sweethearts Phil and Ken, reunite in their seventies at a funeral, where they reminisce about old times and form a drunken pact.
They all agree to help each other avoid an undignified slow death like that suffered by their late friend.
So they put together a pact, which will avoid any unnecessary suffering, should one of them become seriously ill.
Where was Truelove filmed?
Filming began in summer 2022 but had to be halted when Julie Walters dropped out due to illness.
Crews then resumed shooting in May 2023.
Cast were spotted filming scenes in the seaside town of Clevedon, Burma-on-sea.
Scenes were also shot in Portishead, on the bank of the Severn Estuary in Somerset.