The Curfew lands on Channel 5 as the broadcaster’s latest crime thriller, following its original release on Paramount+ in October 2024. Adapted from a bestselling novel, the series tackles big themes around gender, safety and surveillance, and it wastes no time pulling viewers into its unsettling premise.
The drama brings together a strong cast including Sarah Parish, Anita Dobson, and Lucy Benjamin and sets its story in a near-future society where men live under strict movement controls. The system appears to work – until a shocking crime threatens to tear that carefully constructed order apart.
When the impossible happens, one question drives the story forward: could a man really have committed murder in a world where every movement is tracked?
Here’s everything you need to know about the Channel 5 crime drama The Curfew.
What’s The Curfew on Channel 5 about?
The Curfew takes place in an alternate universe where the Women’s Safety Act governs the lives of all men and boys over the age of 10. The law enforces a strict curfew from 7pm to 7am, while ankle tags monitor their movements 24 hours a day.
Men cannot live with partners unless the government grants them a vetted “cohabitation certificate”. As a result, women walk the streets at night without fear and head home alone feeling safe. Violent attacks and sexual assaults appear to have vanished. That sense of security collapses, however, when a murder occurs in what should be a near crime-free society.
The synopsis states: “Maverick Detective Pamela Green suspects a man is responsible when a dead body is found on the steps of the Women’s Safety Centre during curfew hours. This threatens to unravel the revered Women’s Safety Act and those determined to protect it at all costs.”
In a world where ankle tags track every man and curfew confines them indoors, can one of them really commit a crime?
Pamela reluctantly teams up with enthusiastic rookie DC Eddie Wilson, and together they begin piecing together what happened to the victim, risking the stability of the entire system.
The Curfew on Channel 5 filming locations
The production team filmed The Curfew in and around London in early 2024, with additional scenes shot in Berkshire.
The crew also used locations such as the Manygate Lane Estate in Shepperton, Surrey, a modernist residential development built in 1964 that helps create the show’s stark, near-future atmosphere.
Who is in the cast of The Curfew on Channel 5?
Sarah Parish leads the cast as Detective Pamela Green. TV viewers know her from roles in Peak Practice, Cutting It, Mistresses, Monroe and Bancroft.
Mandip Gill plays Sarah, who works at a tagging centre. Audiences recognise Mandip from Doctor Who and her recent role in Channel 5 detective drama Cooper & Fry.
Alexandra Burke stars as Helen in her first television acting role. She rose to fame after winning The X Factor in 2008 and later built a successful career in music and West End theatre.
Larry Lamb appears as Rhys. He remains best known for playing Mick Shipman in Gavin & Stacey and Archie Mitchell in EastEnders.
Lucy Benjamin takes on the role of DCI Sue Ferguson. Soap fans will recognise her as Lisa Fowler from EastEnders, a part she played on and off between 1998 and 2023.
Anita Dobson also joins the cast as Janet. She famously played Angie Watts in EastEnders and remains one of the show’s most iconic stars.
Bobby Brazier stars as James. The son of Jeff Brazier, Bobby previously appeared in EastEnders as Freddie Slater from 2022 to 2025. The Curfew marks his second television role, following his appearance on Strictly Come Dancing in 2023.
Mayflies actor Mitchell Robertson rounds out the ensemble cast as Eddie.
Is it based on a novel?
Channel 5 adapted The Curfew from Jayne Cowie’s 2022 book After Dark. The book imagines a society where women control workplaces, public spaces and government.
The book’s synopsis reads: “Women are no longer afraid to cross a dark car park, catch the last train, or walk home alone. With the Curfew law in place, all men are electronically tagged and must stay at home after 7pm. It changed things for the better. Until now.
“A woman is murdered late at night and evidence suggests she knew her attacker. It couldn’t have been a man because a Curfew tag is a solid alibi… Isn’t it?”
The Sun described the novel as “unsettling”, while author John Marrs said: “So timely, so relevant and so remarkably written.”
Was The Curfew on Paramount+?
The UK original drama The Curfew premiered on Paramount+ in the UK and Ireland on Thursday, October 10, 2024.
Viewers should not confuse this series with the 2019 Sky One drama of the same name, which starred Sean Bean and followed a group of amateur drivers competing in illegal street races.
How many episodes is it?
The Curfew runs for six episodes, with each instalment lasting around 45 minutes.
When’s the start date? How can I watch it?
The Curfew arrives on Channel 5 in February 2026.
Although Channel 5 has yet to confirm an exact start date, the broadcaster will release the full series as a boxset on the first day.
Subscribers can also continue to stream the drama on Paramount+ via Prime Video.
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