The UK's Channel 5 is upping the stakes in the summer TV wars with a new psychological thriller starring Paul Mescal of Normal People fame. The Deceived is a four-part drama set in Northern Ireland and directed by Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee, showcasing a completely different side to her work. Follow our guide as we explain how to watch The Deceived online - best of all, as it's on Channel 5 in the UK, it's completely free.
The Deceived airs Monday nights in the UK on free-to-watch Channel 5 at 9pm BST, starting August 3. Thereafter, it drops on the network's equally free My5 streaming service. Outside of the country at the moment? Then you can always use a VPN to stream just you were back in Blighty.
The drama is rooted in the mysterious love triangle between Cambridge University lecturer Dr Michael Callaghan (Emmett J Scanlan); his student Ophelia, who he begins an affair with (Emily Reid); and Callaghan's wife Roisin (Catherine Walker), who dies in mysterious circumstances at their secluded home in deepest, darkest Donegal. No, that's not a spoiler - it's in the press release, if you must know.
But for many viewers, the show's main attraction is Mescal, the 24-year-old Irish actor who shot to fame earlier this year when he appeared in the BBC adaptation of Normal People. In The Deceived, he plays local builder Sean McKeough, who Ophelia confides in after Roisin's death, with the two subsequently investigating the possibility of foul play.
Is the charismatic Dr Callaghan really what he seems? And does Mescal's new character also wear a chain? These questions and more are set to be answered this summer, so read on as tell you how to watch The Deceived online and stream every new episode from anywhere in the world, including for free.
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How to watch The Deceived on Channel 5 in the UK
How to watch The Deceived on Channel 5 from abroad
If you're currently living in the UK, then watching The Deceived is simple, as it's airing on Channel 5 each week. If you're abroad, however, things get a bit more complicated. Trying to tune in to My5 will hit you with a geo-block telling you that you're in the wrong country.
Luckily, this is easy to resolve, as you can simply download and use a VPN to watch it. A VPN is a smart piece of tech that allows you to alter your IP address to appear elsewhere in the world, in this case - the UK.
Then, you can easily, sit back and indulge in Paul Mescal's new TV show wherever you are.
- Related: how to watch Normal People
