Anna Friel and the cast of new ITV drama series Deep Water have denied that it has an "anti-men" theme.
The latest show from Mrs. Wilson writer Anna Symon, premiering Wednesday (August 14), follows friends Lisa (Marcella star Friel), Roz (Being Human's Sinead Keenan) and Kate (Howards End's Rosalind Eleazar) – three busy mums whose desperate attempts to keep up the facade of perfect families takes a sinister turn.
Digital Spy and other media spoke with the leading actresses prior to the series launch, with Rosalind Eleazar explaining why the feminist themes of the "emotional thriller" were so intriguing.
"They're flawed human beings, which is a joy to watch and to be a part of... to act in," Eleazar said. "Because that's human life, people are full of contradictions and all sorts of things.
"It's nice to see three women that are incredibly complex and find themselves in completely different circumstances and situations and it's how they deal with the problems that arise, that makes it really fascinating."
While Deep Water does initially show the husbands as less than sympathetic, Anna Friel encouraged viewers to keep an open mind as it progresses.
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"This is really important, it's not a man-bashing piece," she stressed. "If you actually, by the end of it, I think [you] might end up having more sympathy for them. [But] not for Scott [Elias]."
Eleazar also teased that "the men have a lot to deal with" when the central mysteries of Deep Water begin to unfold.
"It's pro-women, but it isn't anti-men," Friel added. "And I think you'll start to have empathy from both aspects of it... you'll have understanding from both sides of the argument.
"Is it empathetic to women's struggles and hardships and juggling career and life? Yes. But can sometimes women make selfish decisions as far as the struggle goes? Yes."
Deep Water will continue next Wednesday (August 21) at 9pm on ITV.
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Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.
