Creepy new thriller The Sister premiered tonight and it left viewers watching from behind their cushions.
Based on the book by Neil Cross, creator of Luther, the series follows a man called Nathan, who is haunted by the sinister events of a night that happened 10 years ago.
And episode one of the eerie four-part series left a deep impression on viewers.
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The official synopsis says: "One rainy evening, Nathan (Russell Tovey) is surprised by an unwelcome face from the past.
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"Nathan has never been able to forget the worst night of his life: a party that led to the sudden, shocking death of a young woman.
"Only he and Bob (Bertie Carvel), an eccentric old acquaintance, know what really happened... and they've resolved to keep it that way. But years later, Bob appears at Nathan's door with terrifying news that threatens to tear Nathan's world apart. Because Nathan has his own secrets now.
"Secrets that could destroy everything he has desperately fought to build for himself and his family."
Speaking ahead of its release, Tovey said it was a physically and emotionally difficult role to approach, and one that left him on edge.
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The 38-year-old said: "It's about the unravelling of a good person who made a mistake, or got involved in a situation he shouldn't have been involved in.
"And to commit to that as an actor, when every single scene is a panic attack or anxiety or screaming or crying, and you're in every single scene, it's really tough.
"I feel like, as actors, instinctively you trick your body into feeling these emotions. You're tricking your body into fight or flight and you're doing it over and over and over again."
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The dark story is based on Cross' novel Burial, which was inspired by a nightmare he had in 1985 about murdering a homeless person.
Discussing the main character, Nathan, Cross told The Radio Times: "I wanna say even now I hope I dreamt it. I'm pretty sure [it was a dream] - I was very young, 16 or 17, and I was out of my head on rough cider in Bristol - we used to drink rough cider in gallon containers, because it was 32 pence per pint.
"And I was making my way back to my sister's house, and there was a short cut... through the woods, through these concrete steps through the woods.
"I just woke up the next morning not with any sense that I'd had a dream, of any description, I woke up with a very, very clear memory of coming across a homeless man asleep on the steps who I randomly stabbed to death."
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Cross added: "There was no blood on me I have to say. I did carry a knife in those days, but there was no blood on the knife, there was no blood on my clothes, there was no blood anywhere.
"But I still was looking out for the police, I was scanning the news, I was absolutely certain that I remembered randomly killing this man, and in fact for years and years and years I genuinely found it difficult to talk about."
The Sister continues tomorrow night (27 October) on ITV at 9pm.
Topics: Entertainment, Thriller, ITV
