Insomnia, the "superb" and "creepy" thriller starring Vicky McClure, is on television tonight.
The series, based on Sarah Pinborough's 2022 novel of the same name, sees the Line of Duty star portray Emma Averill, a highly-determined family lawyer who is soon approaching her 40th birthday.
Just as her life seems to be heading in the right direction, Emma's world spirals out of control as she is beset by bouts of sleeplessness. As she struggles with insomnia and her mental wellbeing, Emma begins to wonder if she's suffering the same fate as her mother.
Originally released on Paramount+ in 2024, the six-part drama will premiere on television tonight, with the first episode airing at 9pm on Channel 5. The second and third instalments will follow on Monday and Tuesday respectively, with the final three parts airing the following week.
Co-starring Tom Cullen and Leanne Best in supporting roles, we at Digital Spy praised Insomnia at the time of its original release, dubbing it "superb" and "creepy" as we lauded McClure's "fantastic" performance.
Related: One to watch! Vicky McClure's record-breaking crime show from Line of Duty boss is 'the best yet'
What to Read Next
"As a middle-of-the-road thriller, Insomnia is a great watch with a predictably bonkers late-season twist and a spooky enough cliffhanger ending that leaves open the possibility for more," we added, though we did note that the series took itself slightly too "seriously".
McClure, who also served as a producer on the series, shared exclusively with Digital Spy what drew her to the project, saying: "I think Sarah's writing was just extremely readable… This is something that is very well developed.
Related: Best streaming services UK 2025 — including Disney Plus, Netflix, iPlayer and Apple TV+
"I turned 40 last year, she [Emma] was turning 40 in the show. I was like, 'this is a sign'. And [also] just the general difference in terms of the tone of the show and a character that I haven't really played before or for a very long time."
"It took me a bit of time to get my head around it all. Especially when we get to the end... You're buying into an imagination [and] the world that she's creating and where she's pulling that from... So I just immersed myself into it."
Insomnia airs on Channel 5 at 9pm tonight.
Digital Spy's new print issue is here! Buy Oasis - Live in '25 in newsagents or online, now priced at just £8.99.
Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.
