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It is no secret that the housing market can be overwhelming for young adults, especially in a busy city like London. In The Flatshare, the rom-com adaptation of Beth O'Leary's novel, a content provider and a palliative care nurse decide to share the same bed at different times of the day. While one is at work during the day, the other uses that time to sleep and stay at home for a few hours before they swap places. As these two individuals, who have never met in person, communicate with each other via post-it notes, they start to notice that there is an undeniable spark. If a slow-burn romance is up your alley, you might be interested in giving this gem a watch. Here are all the details you need to know about the limited series, including the release date, cast, and more.
Watch the Trailer for The Flatshare
"You are sharing a bed with a guy that you've never met?" That is a crazy concept to consider from the outside, but according to this sneak peek, Tiffany and Leon make this deal work just fine. The two share a flat without any crossovers, meaning that Leon has access to their apartment from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm and Tiffany gets to stay there from 8:00 pm to 8:00 am. Given that they don't see each other, the only way that they get to communicate with one another is through post-it notes. As you probably might've guessed, this lack of verbal communication or text messaging contributes to them having a few challenges along the way. Having to figure out their flat ground rules or even understand what is happening in each other's lives without further context isn't easy, but these two make it work. More than that, their note-taking dynamic even leads Tiffany to start "fancying" her flatmate. Will this attraction pose a threat to their "no crossover" policy?
When and Where Is The Flatshare Releasing?
Paramount+ is firing up on its releases and The Flatshare is another one of its promising originals. The series will only be available to stream through Paramount+, at a subscription cost of about $4.99 to $9.99 dollars per month. The six-part series arrived on the streaming platform on December 1 in the UK, Australia, and Canada. Although a release date for the US and international markets hasn't been announced yet, it is probable that it will drop in mid-2023. And when it does, you'll be able to use the following link to stream it.
What Is the Plot of The Flatshare?
As previously mentioned, this adaptation is focused on Tiffany and Leon, two mid-20s Londoners who decide to timeshare a flat. Tiffany works for a magazine during the day, the time Leon normally rests at the apartment after his daily night shifts as a nurse. When Leon is set to leave for his job, Tiffany takes over the flat. Despite never having met face-to-face, the two learn to live in the same place through active post-it interactions. This unconventional form of communication leads them to get to know one another better and eventually start thinking more about the possibility of meeting in person. And maybe even fall in love.
Who's In the Cast of The Flatshare?
The two leads in this Paramount+ original are Jessica Brown Findlay and Anthony Welsh, playing Tiffany and Leon respectively. Both are well known for their TV performances, given their involvement in other popular shows. Findlay is primarily known for her role in Downton Abbey as Sybil Crawley, one of the period drama's fan-favorite characters. Here is what the actress had to say about her experience being part of this production: “Working on The Flatshare, bringing Tiff and Leon to Rom-com life alongside the BRILLIANT Anthony Welsh was a dream come true. We can’t wait for you all to get a set of keys cut and come join us!”
Welsh is known for participating in two other comedic onscreen projects, The Great and Fleabag. In an interview with the Associated Press, the actor said that he and his costar wrote the post-it notes that appear in the show. This task even became a competitive element of their day on set. “Jessie knows this now, but I was in like secret competition with her because every day the props department would be like, ‘You’ve got like a batch to do today.’ And I’m like, ‘How many we got?’ ‘We got 40.’ ‘OK, 40 — damn. How many has Jessie done?’ ‘She’s done all of them.’”
Joining these two are Bart Edwards (The Witcher) as Tiffany's problematic ex-boyfriend Justin and Shaq B. Grant (Gangs of London) as Leon's incarcerated brother Richie. Also starring in the rom-com adaptation are Shaniqua Okwok (It's A Sin) and Jonah Hauer-King (The Little Mermaid live action) playing Tiffany's best friends Maia and Mo.
Who Is Making The Flatshare?
The Flatshare was primarily written by screenplay writer Rose Lewenstein. Beth O'Leary, the author of the novel that the series is based on, wasn’t actively involved in writing the scripts for the series. However, she has been nothing but supportive of the production. O'Leary shared a post back in October with a few first-look images of the series on her Instagram, expressing her enthusiasm for readers to see the actors bringing her characters to life.
The Flatshare is directed by Peter Cattaneo (The Full Monty) and Chloe Wicks (On the Edge). The duo led the cast and crew during the shooting process that took place in Brighton, London, and Bristol. The executive producers behind the adaptation to the screen are Miriam Brent, Rory Aitken, and Eleanor Moran. Here is what the trio had to say about the series to Stylist: "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to bring Beth O’Leary’s captivating bestseller to television. Bursting with wit and heart, Flatshare is the perfect love story for a global millennial audience. With Jessica Brown Findlay and Anthony Welsh as our leads, we can’t wait for audiences to fall in love with Tiffany and Leon all over again."