If you’ve lost count of the number of hours you’ve wasted searching for TV drama that’s actually worth your time, we hear you – and we’ve got something we think you’re going to like up our sleeve. Enter The Shadow, the must-binge crime drama coming soon to Channel 4 that’s as irresistibly creepy as it is deliciously addictive.

The series, which originally aired in Germany in 2023, has been snapped up by Channel 4’s Walter Presents, and tells the story of a young journalist haunted by the words of a beggar she meets on the street. The beggar's words? "You’re going to kill a man" – we did tell you it was creepy!

Ahead of The Shadow's imminent arrival on our screens, here's everything you need to know about the upcoming drama, including the cast, plot and release date.

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What is The Shadow about?

The series follows Norah (played by Deleila Piasko), a journalist who embarks on a new life in Vienna. When she gets there, however, things take a dark turn when she meets a beggar who tells her that, in six weeks, she’s going to a kill a man named Arthur Grimm.

norah richters (deleila piasko, r.) kollege emil fermus (aaron friesz, l.) ist fan des k¸nstlers wolfgang balder (andreas pietschmann) und wollte das portr‰t ¸ber ihn schreiben. dass nun norah den k¸nstler portr‰tiert, sorgt f¸r angespannte stimmung zwischen den beiden doch nicht nur das.
Tomas Mikule

Naturally, Norah refuses to believe the woman’s premonition and decides to move on – but then strange things start to happen. She begins receiving anonymous messages warning her about Arthur Grimm and she begins experiencing strange memory lapses that she can't explain.

As Norah's life quickly begins to spiral and the beggar’s dark prophecy is seemingly set in motion, the question is: is it possible for Norah to stop the wheels before it’s too late? You'll have to tune in to find out.

als norah richter (deleila piasko, l.) auf die ex freundin emma mertens (roxane duran, r.) des unbekannten trifft, weifl sie, sie muss etwas unternehmen...
Tomas Mikule

The series is an adaptation of the internationally bestselling 2020 novel by Melanie Raabe. Critics have called it "a page-turning thriller", "brilliantly chilling" and "irresistibly creepy" - and judging by response to the TV series when it was released in Germany, the small screen version is every bit as good.

Is The Shadow any good?

in norahs (deleila piasko) wohnung passieren seltsame sachen. an ihrer wand steht immer wieder das datum des 13. augusts. doch sie kann sich nicht erinnern, es selbst an die wand geschrieben zu haben.
Tomas Mikule

Yes - as we mentioned, the six-part series was originally released on German streamer ZDFneo and it won the Audience Choice Award at the German Seriencamp Festival in 2023. It was described by Germany’s top film journalist as “captivating” and “award-worthy” and has been called "a must-binge series". Unsurprisingly, Channel 4’s Walter Presents was quick to snap up the rights.

Who's in the cast of The Shadow?

norah (deleila piasko, r.) steht unter druck, endlich ergebnisse f¸r das portr‰t von balder (andreas pietschmann, l.) abzuliefern. doch die zusammenarbeit mit ihm gestaltet sich schwierig.
Pascal_Schmit

The cast of The Shadow includes:

  • Deleila Piasko as Norah Richter
  • Andreas Pietschmann as Wolfgang Balder
  • Luisa-Céline Gaffron as Theresa
  • Christoph Luser as Arthur Grimm
  • Vietha Luong as Paul
  • Anneke Schwabe as Isabelle Richter
  • Roxane Duran as Emma Mertens
  • Max Brestchneider as Jan

How can I watch The Shadow?

Good news, Channel 4 has shared a release date for The Shadow! The series will be released on C4 Streaming as a full boxset on Friday 27th June. Happy binge-watching!