The old adage that “it’s not the destination—it’s the journey” has never been more true than in Us, the hilarious and heartbreaking new miniseries starring Tom Hollander (Baptiste, The Night Manager) and Saskia Reeves (Roadkill, Luther); a whirlwind tour of Europe’s most iconic cities; and a last-ditch attempt to save a marriage. Here’s everything you need to know about the two-part adaptation of David Nicholls’ bittersweet, bestselling novel. Stream Part 1 online for a limited time right now, and watch Part 2 on Sunday, June 27 at 9/8c on MASTERPIECE on PBS.
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What Is Us & What to Expect
In what star Tom Hollander has described as “a rom-com in reverse,” Us is ultimately a story of hope—and the trains and destinations it takes to get there. It all begins when, after 20 years of marriage, Connie blindsides husband Douglas one morning by announcing that their marriage is over. Rather than cancel their upcoming grand tour across Europe—a last hurrah before son Albie heads off to university—Douglas decides to go ahead with the trip, change himself…and change Connie’s mind. What could possibly go wrong?
As Us whisks you among the cafes, canals, and narrow cobblestoned streets of Amsterdam, Venice, Paris, and Barcelona, it also transports you via flashbacks to the mid ’90s as rational, rigid scientist Douglas and free-spirited artist Connie meet, fall in love, and begin their life together. It’s a life to which Douglas desperately clings as he tries to preserve his idea of “us”—a concept under assault by the tourist’s paradox of spontaneity vs. planning, the clashing of father and son, and a couple of wildcard women who enter the fray. You can expect to laugh, to cry, and as an added bonus, to satisfy some long pent-up wanderlust!
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Who’s in the cast of Us?
At the helm of this comically endearing cast is Tom Hollander as husband and dad Douglas Peterson and Saskia Reeves as wife and mom Connie. Hollander, whose vast list of credits includes Birdbox, The Night Manager, the 2005 Pride and Prejudice, and The Pirates of the Caribbean films, appeared on MASTERPIECE in the gritty 2020 mystery series, Baptiste…also set in Amsterdam! Reeves has a long and rich history with MASTERPIECE, most recently in Roadkill, with turns in The Child in Time, Wolf Hall, the Worriker trilogy, and Wallander. Douglas and Connie’s guitar-toting teenage son Albie is played by Tom Taylor (Doctor Foster).
Rounding out the contemporary cast is Thaddea Graham (The Irregulars) as Albie’s brash and quirky new friend (and Douglas’ foil), and Sofie Gråbøl (Fortitude, The Killing) as divorced Danish dentist Freya.
Young Douglas and Connie are portrayed by Iain De Caestecker (Roadkill, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D) and Gina Bramhill (Endeavour: Sway, Mr. Selfridge, Sherlock: The Lying Detective) respectively.
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How to watch Us
Buckle up to tune in to this two-part series! You can stream Part 1 online for a limited time right now, and watch Part 2 on Sunday, June 27 at 9/8c on MASTERPIECE on PBS. Or watch the entire series any time with PBS Passport, an added member benefit! Episodes run a special time: from 9-11pm ET.
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Watch a Preview of Us
