“Doesn’t take long for Passive Aggression to become Out and Out Aggression!”: Everything we know About The Feud

The Feud, Channel 5’s latest psychological thriller, is set to grip viewers with its dark and twisted take on neighbourly relations. Recently, the show unveiled a chilling new trailer that teases an escalating battle between seemingly friendly suburban neighbors. 

With its themes of paranoia, obsession, and fear, The Feud promises to push the boundaries of what we expect from a domestic drama, leaving us questioning just how far a simple dispute can spiral. With a star-studded cast including EastEnders' Jill Halfpenny and Gavin & Stacey’s Larry Lamb, The Feud brings a new level of intensity to the screen.

What else makes The Feud so enticing? Get ready for a deep dive into the plot, the cast, and everything else you need to know about this thrilling series. As we follow the dramatic unraveling of friendships, it will be impossible to look away. And the best part? This article will be updated as more details emerge- so stay tuned for surprises that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

Release date & Where to Watch

The Feud will premiere on Channel 5 on Monday, April 14, 2025, at 9 pm. The six-part series will air daily from Monday to Wednesday, with episodes four to six streaming the following week from Monday to Wednesday again. All episodes will also be available to stream on My5.

What is the plot of The Feud?

The Feud follows Emma and John Barnett, who live with their teenage daughter in Shelbury Drive. They are close friends with their neighbours Sonia and Alan and are also fond of older couple Derek and Barbara. 

However, when the Barnetts decide to add a kitchen extension to their house, relations between the neighbours quickly sour. Objections are lodged, and dangerous secrets begin to emerge, leading to life-threatening consequences for everyone involved.

The six-part domestic thriller laces tension and suspense as Emma’s dream of a renovation turns into an obsession, spiraling into paranoia and fear. One decision sets off a chain of events with unforeseeable consequences for both Emma and the people living on her street. 

According to Channel 5’s Paul Testar, "Neighbourly disputes happen every day. The Feud takes that premise and runs with it to its extreme limit. What starts as an innocuous renovation triggers an extraordinary sequence of events." (via Televisual)

The Feud delves into how Emma’s seemingly harmless plans lead to chaos, uncovering deep-seated resentments and buried secrets in the process. The logline says- "As objections to the plans are raised, unexpected skeletons and life-threatening secrets begin to rise to the surface. Laced with menace, The Feud reveals how Emma’s aspirational dream turns sharply into obsession, paranoia, and fear. One decision sets in motion events that have unforeseeable consequences for both her and the people living on her street."

Who’s Starring in The Feud?

• Jill Halfpenny (The Cuckoo, Everything I Know About Love) as Emma Bartlett

Jill Halfpenny, who leads The Feud as the determined Emma Barnett, has opened up about her character’s intense journey. Speaking about the role, Jill said: "The spiral that we see Emma’s world take in The Feud, from one seemingly innocent situation to life altering revelations, is something I can’t wait to dive into! Getting to work in the Northeast with the teams at Channel 5 and Lonesome Pine, along with the rest of this brilliant cast, is a joy.” (via whattowatch)

She describes Emma as relentless, adding: "Emma’s like a steamroller. From the outset many of their neighbours are unhappy with the renovation idea, but Emma has a vision that she wants to see through. She ignores all the red flags that pop up, and when her neighbours become aggressive, the gloves are off!"

Reflecting on the show’s central conflict, she notes: "Most people have experienced neighbours having work done, but The Feud is the stuff of nightmares! I love playing people who invite chaos into their lives, it's great TV." 

On working with co-stars Tessa Peake-Jones and James Fleet, she shared with The Weekly Times (TWT): "One of the best bits of the job for me was seeing what Tessa Peake-Jones and James Fleet were up to as Barbara and Derek. It doesn’t take long for passive aggression to become out and out aggression!"

• Rupert Penry-Jones (Spooks, The Drowning) as John Bartlett

"Rupert and I enjoy playing characters under tension," says Jill when WTW joins the actors to talk about their latest collaboration. "Yes, we’re good at portraying people who don’t like each other, which was great for this piece," agrees Rupert with a grin. "From the very beginning you know that everything is going to go horribly wrong!" In The Feud, it's clear from the opening episode that things have gone very wrong for the couple…”

"It opens with Emma at a house that’s covered in blood and looks like a disaster area," reveals Rupert. "Then events flash back a month to a street party where you learn how the Barnett’s kitchen conversion plans have unravelled the facade of a group of people whose lives are imploding." As the series progresses, it becomes obvious that Emma’s unemployed husband is not only unhappy in his marriage, he's also hiding things from his wife! "John has too much time on his hands and is not as honest as he pretends," says Rupert. "He bottles everything up until he explodes."

"There’s a lot of fake camaraderie between Emma and John and next-door couple Sonia and Alan," explains Rupert. "They're all supposedly best friends, but tensions are bubbling underneath." 

Alex Macqueen plays nosy neighbour Nick, who is obsessed with monitoring his neighbours via security cameras. "There’s an added pressure on them all because they’re being watched by Nick, who lives across the street and has a CCTV camera pointed at their houses!" says Rupert.

• Amy Nuttall (Downton Abbey, Mr Bates vs The Post Office) as Sonia
• Ray Fearon (Fleabag, Barbie) as Alan
• Larry Lamb (The Inheritance, Gavin and Stacey) as Terry Dobson
• Chris Gascoyne (Coronation Street) as Lee Hatby
• Jamie-Lee O'Donnell (Derry Girls, Screw) as PC Gallagher
• James Fleet (Unforgotten, Bridgerton) as Derek
• Tessa Peake-Jones (Grantchester, Unforgotten) as Barbara

"Barbara has a public and a private face," says Tessa, who plays Derek's downtrodden wife, who desperately misses Marcus and mysteriously sobs over a tree by her kitchen window. "She’s dealing with something extreme behind closed doors."

• Megan Trower as Beth Barnett
• Alex Macqueen (The Inbetweeners, The Thick of It) as Nick Hewitt
• Joel Beckett (The Office, EastEnders) as Ian Casey
• Luke Hammond
• Judith Alexander (The Crown, Coronation Street)
• Joel Kai Ali as Abul

Is There a Trailer for The Feud?

The trailer sets a suspenseful tone, highlighting the transformation of Emma's aspirations into a descent marked by obsession and fear. As neighbors voice their objections, the once-friendly community reveals its fractured relationships and hidden animosities. 

The narrative intensifies with the mysterious disappearance of a character named Marcus, prompting unsettling questions about the true nature of the neighborhood.

Check out the previously released teaser below.

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Filming Details

The Feud took place in May 2024, with production taking place in Newcastle and Jarrow, UK. Three houses on the same street in Benton, Tyne and Wear, were used as primary locations.

Speaking about filming on a real residential road, Rupert said: "If there’s one person I know who loves filming in Newcastle, it’s Jill! I think it helped the show that we shot there, and some of the residents are even in the fête scenes. They're a great bunch of people." (via whattowatch)

"Everyone was lovely," adds Jill. "And yes it really is an extra draw for me because I got to go home every night!"

Behind the Scenes

The six-part drama The Feud was written and created by Aschlin Ditta and directed by Andy de Emmony. It is produced by Lesley Douglas for Lonesome Pine Productions, with executive production from Ditta and de Emmony.

The series is commissioned by Paul Testar, Commissioning Editor for Drama at Channel 5, and produced in association with Banijay Rights and North East Screen, with additional funding from the North East Screen Industries Partnership. Banijay Rights is also handling international distribution.