Everything You Need To Know About BBC’s Paula

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It’s the new BBC drama that everyone is talking about. Featuring Denise Gough, of Apple Tree Yard fame, Paula is a dark and tense revenge thriller, and it will definitely leave you on the edge of your seat.

The show aired its first episode last night, and charts the story of one woman, Paula, and her chaotic life, which decends into chaos after she becomes involved with a fellow married school teacher.

The tense programme continues for a further two episodes. If you didn’t manage to see it last night, you’ve now got a chance to catch up ahead of the final episodes in the upcoming weeks. But before you do, here’s everything you need to know about the BBC’s brand new thriller…

It’s slightly supernatural and spooky

The first episode certainly wasn’t without a few scares, and it might be worth bearing in mind that this programme probably isn’t for the faint-hearted. There’s a serial killer, in the form of the cocky handyman James, who comes to fix a rodent problem in Paula’s house. Pair that with a haunting soundtrack, the appearance of some spooky faces in the shadows, and a darkly lit setting, and this one might definitely make you hide behind your pillow!

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It stars one of our favourites from ITV’s Victoria

The handyman James is actually played by Tom Hughes, who you may know better as Prince Albert in Jenna Coleman’s hit show Victoria. And it seems he couldn’t be playing a more different character. In the programme, Paula gets involved with James on a reckless night – but little does she know that he hides a very dark secret…

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James’ story will leave you intrigued

As the show continues, you find that James lives with two women, and has fathered children with them both. So what’s going on there? Well, in the first episode, it’s revealed that James is in debt, and goes to some pretty drastic measures to get some money.

It also become apparent that the show’s male lead could well be slightly unhinged, as he appears to stalk Paula after spending the night at her house…

What is he up to? We suppose we’ll have to keep watching to find out…

The protagonist isn’t completely likeable

Denise Gough has been praised as Paula’s lead, but that doesn’t mean she’s playing into the stereotype of the loveable female protagonist.

During the first episode, Paula is portrayed as messy, chaotic, harsh, and somewhat unlikeable – and she’s also depicted as an alcoholic. But viewers have praised her acting, believing that it’s given the character a level of depth and intrigue, which is surely only set to continue in the following two episodes.

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It’s been likened to The Fall and The Replacement

So far, the thriller has been most obviously compared to Gillian Anderson’s The Fall – with its dark undertones, serial killer character, and threatening air. So if you’re a fan of the show, you may want to tune in…

Some viewers have also suggested the new BBC drama reminds them of another popular three-parter, The Replacement. The psychological element of the two shows has been suggested to be pretty similar, so if you loved the dark, compelling aspect of The Replacement that left you desparate to find out what was actually going on in the characters’ minds, this new drama could be the one for you…

Paula continues on BBC Two on Thursday nights at 9pm.