How to watch Summerwater on Channel 4 — it's *FREE*
Scottish psychological thriller starring Dougray Scott
- Premieres Nov 16 (6 x 1 hour episodes)
- Watch Summerwater for free on Channel 4 (UK restricted)
- Abroad? Watch Channel 4 outside UK with this VPN
Summerwater is a six-part psychological drama set in a remote, loch-side Scottish holiday cabin park, adapted from Sarah Moss’s critically-acclaimed 2020 novel. Praised by critics as 'bleak, intense, and claustrophobic', you can watch and stream Summerwater now in the UK.
Abroad? How to watch Summerwater online – from anywhere with a VPN.
Over a single, rain-drenched summer’s day, the show weaves together the lives of several families holidaying in disparate cabins, each hiding simmering tensions, past regrets, and unspoken conflicts.
As the day unfolds, each episode focuses on different characters — from young couples to older pensioners — resurrecting flashbacks to their earlier lives which may explain or complicate their present. Among the many storylines, there’s a sense of existential unease: the idea that this holiday, meant to be a respite, might instead bring everything to a head. The mounting drama leads to a “devastating climax,” suggesting that not all secrets will remain hidden.
Ready to see the Tindalls arrive at their remote Scottish cabin? Here's where to watch Summerwater online and for free.
Can I watch Summerwater for FREE?
Yes! You can watch Summerwater online live or on-demand via the 100% free Channel 4 streaming service in the UK, beginning Sunday, Nov 16. However, you'll need a TV license to watch the platform’s content live as it airs.
Not in the UK right now? Use a VPN to watch Summerwater on Channel 4 from abroad.
Watch your stream from anywhere with a VPN
If you're keen to watch Summerwater but you're away from home and access to the show is geo-blocked, then you could always use a VPN to access it (assuming you're not breaching any broadcaster T&Cs, of course). You may be surprised by how simple it is to do.
Use a VPN to watch Summerwater from anywhere:
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Can I watch Summerwater online in the US?
As far as we know, Summerwater hasn’t been given permission for take off by any US streaming services. Should it get the green light, though, we’ll be sure to update the latest information here.
A UK fan abroad? You’ll need a VPN to connect to Channel 4, which will allow you to stream the show just like you would back home.
How to watch Summerwater for FREE in the UK
The Dougray Scott-led thriller Summerwater touches down on Channel 4 from Sunday, Nov 16. There are six, one-hour episodes in total.
If you don’t have cable or satellite, you can stream each episode live as it airs on the FREE Channel 4 service, or on-demand soon after episodes have been broadcast.
Outside the UK? To access Channel 4 from abroad, you'll need to download a good VPN, as detailed below.
Where can I watch Summerwater in Canada?
Summerwater hasn’t been acquired for broadcast in Canada yet.
However, British citizens in Canada could simply purchase a VPN and enjoy every episode via Channel 4 just like you would back home.
Can I watch Summerwater online in Australia?
The Sarah Moss thriller Summerwater has not broken cover in Australia yet.
NB: If you’re out of the country – say, a British citizen abroad trying to connect to Channel 4, sign up to a VPN to use the same services you have access to back home.
Can I watch Summerwater online free in New Zealand?
Although Kiwis can’t watch Summerwater online just yet, the six-part drama will likely arrive on TVNZ and TVNZ Plus in the future.
Traveling away from home? Don’t forget that if you’re a Brit in New Zealand, you can use a VPN to tune into Channel 4 while on the move.
Summerwater official trailer
Summerwater (2025) cast
- Dougray Scott
- Shirley Henderson
- Valene Kane
- Arnas Fedaravičius
- Anna Próchniak
- Daniel Rigby
- Gabriel Scott
- Shereen Cutkelvin
- Jamie Sives
Summerwater episode guide and schedule
All six episodes of Summerwater are streaming now for free in the UK., but they will also air on Channel 4's linear TV channel:
- Episode 1 – “The Tindalls” (16 Nov 2025) The Tindall family arrive at the remote Scottish cabin park for a much-needed break. As relentless rain traps everyone indoors, long-buried tension rises and a painful past event begins to reveal itself.
- Episode 2 – “The Lovers” (17 Nov 2025) A younger couple and an older couple each confront very different hopes, regrets, and disappointments. Their private struggles heighten the uneasy atmosphere spreading across the holiday park.
- Episode 3 – “The Zaliskevicius-Piotrowskas” (18 Nov 2025) The Zaliskevicius-Piotrowskas family navigate cultural differences, strained relationships, and the pressures of life in an unfamiliar community. Their story adds new tension to the already fragile environment.
- Episode 4 – “The Hendersons” (23 Nov 2025) The outwardly composed Henderson family begins to unravel. Siblings Becky and Alex venture into risky territory, forcing their parents to confront the truth about what their family has become.
- Episode 5 – “Annie” (24 Nov 2025) Annie’s perspective takes focus as she faces difficult questions about her past and her future. Emotional fractures across the cabins widen, setting the stage for the final confrontation.
- Episode 6 – “The Fire” (25 Nov 2025) A devastating event changes everything. As panic spreads through the cabin park, hidden alliances, resentments, and truths are exposed in a dramatic, haunting climax.
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Bill Borrows is an award-winning journalist, feature writer and columnist (Times Magazine/ Guardian/ Telegraph/ Daily Mirror/ Mail On Sunday/ Radio Times), author (The Hurricane: The Turbulent Life and Times of Alex Higgins) and book editor. A frequent contributor on talkSPORT and talkRADIO, his areas of specialisation include sport, history, politics, TV and film. He doesn’t get much free time but does admit to an addiction to true crime podcasts, following Man City home and away, and a weakness for milk chocolate hobnobs.
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