Gritty Channel 4 thriller branded 'darkest drama yet' skyrockets up Netflix chart

A Channel 4 drama described by audiences as "harrowing" and "vile" has found a new life on Netflix, shooting into the UK top five most-watched shows just days after being added to the platform.

The Gathering, a six-part thriller set in Merseyside, begins with the shocking assault of a teenage girl at an illegal beach rave. What follows is a tense unravelling of secrets in a tight-knit community where young people and their parents are pulled into a web of suspicion.

The series originally aired in 2023 and attracted loyal fans, but its move to Netflix has sparked a fresh wave of attention - and divided opinions about just how tough it is to watch.

Much of the unease centres on the character of Natalie, played by Sherlock star Vinette Robinson. As the pushy mother of teenage gymnast Jessica (Sadie Soverall), Natalie is portrayed as obsessive, controlling and emotionally toxic.

Jessica, already under pressure to perform, is desperate to measure up to her mother's punishing standards - a dynamic many viewers said was more unsettling than the central crime storyline.

On Rotten Tomatoes, one reviewer summed it up: "As confused and troubled as some of the kids are, the parents are the ones really messed up."

Despite (or perhaps because of) its intensity, many viewers said they couldn't stop watching. One fan wrote: "This show was gripping and the young actors were fantastic. The story was very interesting and I was kept glued to it. Had to binge watch it."

Several singled out the younger cast, especially Eva Morgan as Kelly and Sonny Walker as Adam, praising their performances and hinting at bright futures. Others found themselves hooked on the mystery element, with one calling it a "classic whodunit but with a twist" that carried "the same energy as cult teen dramas like Skins".

Still, not everyone was satisfied. The final episode proved divisive, with some viewers complaining that the show left "lots of loose ends" unresolved. That hasn't stopped fans from demanding more: "I loved this series. Please, please can we have a season 2? I promise to be a good girl and eat all my greens!" wrote one on X.

Those pleas are unlikely to be answered. Although The Gathering was praised as "quietly a massive hit" by Channel 4's content boss Ian Katz - especially on streaming - the broadcaster confirmed last October that the show would not return.

Executive producer Simon Heath explained: "The series performed very well for Channel 4 but there are new people in charge and new priorities, meaning The Gathering won't be coming back."

The decision frustrated loyal viewers, especially as the show was created by the same award-winning team behind Line of Duty, Save Me and Vigil. Writer Helen Walsh, a novelist from Liverpool, described the series as a "dark morality tale" about the relationships between parents and children.

"I wanted to write a twisty, state-of-the-nation take on Philip Larkin's notorious 'they f*** you up' observation about parents and kids," she explained. "In an era where the micro-managing of children's lives has become the new normal, The Gathering throws today's surveillance parenting into sharp focus and asks who is really to blame when our kids mess up."

The Gathering is now available to stream on Channel 4 and Netflix.