SERIES OVERVIEW

Set against a sweeping Cornish landscape, two couples discover that their toddlers were switched at birth in a hospital mix-up, and face a horrifying dilemma: do they keep the sons they have raised and loved, or reclaim their biological child? Living a waking nightmare, Pete (James Norton) and Maddie (Niamh Algar) are jettisoned into the world of the other couple; Miles (James McArdle) and Lucy (Jessica Brown Findlay). At first it seems all four are agreed on a solution, but it soon becomes clear that hidden motives are at play. How far can each couple trust the real parents of their child – or even each other? As Pete and Maddie are stretched to breaking point, they realise they will stop at nothing to keep their family together.

EPISODE SYNOPSES

EPISODE ONE

Pete and Maddie find out that their son, Theo, was swapped at birth with another boy. Will Theo’s real parents want him back? Or will the couples be able to ‘play nice’?

EPISODE TWO

Pete and Maddie begin the fight to keep Theo. It’s expensive and painful. The constant dredging up of their past starts to damage their relationship. Can they survive?

EPISODE THREE

Pete is questioned by police, Miles leaks Pete’s private email to the press, and Pete is subsequently fired. Pete realises to save his family, he has to dig into Miles’ murky past.

EPISODE FOUR

Now separated from Theo and only allowed to see him for painful supervised visits, Pete and Maddie must attend the final hearing to decide their family’s fate.

CHARACTER BIOGRAPHIES

PETE

Pete is an ex-journalist turned full-time devoted father. He is an optimistic, (yet avoidant) people-pleaser, always wanting the best for his family. Upon discovering Theo is not his and his partner Maddie’s biological child, Pete is determined to keep the boy they have raised and not to have their family torn apart.

MADDIE

Maddie is a passionate and loving mother who runs a successful restaurant in Cornwall. She experienced serious postnatal depression, from which she has only just recovered, and now with news of the baby swap is forced to relive and confront her worst traumas. Maddie is fiercely protective of Theo, but unlike her partner Pete, she can’t help but long for the son that she gave birth to…

MILES

Miles is a charming, competitive and extremely successful architect who presents as everybody’s best friend. But preoccupied beyond all else with bloodline, legacy, and the notion of ‘the perfect family’, Miles becomes fixated with Theo… the son he feels he’s always been missing. He will let nothing get in the way of what he wants.

LUCY

Once a celebrated artist, Lucy is now a full-time mother to David, and a supportive wife to Miles. She is a gentle soul and peacekeeper, and upon discovering the news of the swap, Lucy’s desperation to protect David becomes even stronger. Keeping her son safe must come above all els

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Produced by STUDIOCANAL and RABBIT TRACK PICTURES

Executive Produced by Kitty Kaletsky and James Norton for RABBIT TRACK PICTURES, Joe Naftalin for STUDIOCANAL, and Kate Crowe. Grace Ofori-Attah and author JP Delaney also executive produce.

Produced by Nick Pitt; Directed by Kate Hewitt. Adapted for screen by Grace Ofori-Attah. Based on the best-selling novel by JP Delaney (https://amzn.to/4j0uq1I).

The first episode of the four-part series will air on ITV1 at 9pm on Sunday 5 January, with subsequent episodes landing at the same time on both Mondays and Sundays.

You can also watch the entire series in one day on streaming service ITVX.