Apples Never Fall: BBC One airs Peacock drama based on Liane Moriarty's bestselling novel

By Helen Fear | Mon Sep 16 2024

Apples Never Fall is the latest bestselling Liane Moriarty novel to be adapted for TV, and it lands on BBC One this September.

If you liked Big Little Lies, and Nine Perfect Strangers - both based on the author's bestsellers - then you'll love Apples Never Fall.

It's a glossy thriller, with an A-list cast, and a plot that will keep you guessing until the end.

Here's everything you need to know about Apples Never Fall, including cast, plot, number of episodes, and start date.

The cast of Apples Never Fall, led by Annette Bening and Sam Neill (Credit: Peacock TV)

What is the plot of Apples Never Fall?

Apples Never Fall has been described as a "deliciously dark" thriller focused on the seemingly-perfect Delaney family...

They are described as "a prominent, well-respected family on Florida's sun-drenched West Palm Beach social scene".

Mum and dad Joy and Stan Delaney run a famed local tennis academy, have four grown-up children, and their golden years ahead of them. Then Joy vanishes.

When the Delaney matriarch suddenly goes missing, her four children are left to piece together everything they thought they knew about their parents...

The mystery opens a floodgate of revelations as this perfect family is unveiled as being anything but...

Is Apples Never Fall based on a book?

The limited drama series Apples Never Fall is based on Liane Moriarty's New York Times bestselling novel of the same name. The book was first published in 2022.

Fans of glossy TV thrillers will know that Liane penned Big Little Lies, and Nine Perfect Strangers - TV adaptations of which became global hits.

Liane has also written Truly Madly Guilty, The Husband's Secret, Here One Moment, and What Alice Forgot.

Apples Never Fall, based on the Liane Moriaty novel, previously aired on Peacock (Credit: Peacock TV)

Who's in the cast of Apples Never Fall?

The star cast of Apples Never Fall is led by Annette Bening. The American Beauty star portrays Joy Delaney, whose disappearance is at the centre of the show's mystery.

Sam Neill, he of Jurassic Park and The Piano fame, portrays Delaney dad Stan.

Actor Jake Lacy, star of The White Lotus series one, plays son Troy, while Mad Men's Alison Brie portrays Amy.

Shattered actor Conor Merrigan-Turner plays Logan, while Essie Randles completes the family as fourth child Brooke.

How many parts is Apples Never Fall on BBC One and Peacock?

The limited drama series Apples Never Fall is seven episodes. Each instalment is around 45 minutes each.

The series previously aired on Peacock, but is now airing on BBC One on primetime Saturday night evenings (straight after Strictly).

Sue Deeks, Head of Programme Acquisition at the BBC says: "Suspenseful and sinister, Apples Never Fall is a compelling mystery drama that will keep BBC viewers intrigued until its riveting final episode."

Joy's disappearance is the central mystery in Apples Never Fall (Credit: Peacock TV)

How can I watch Apples Never Fall? When does it start?

Apples Never Fall previously aired on Peacock (a streaming service from NBCUniversal), but comes to BBC One in September.

The first episode follows Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday, September 21, 2024 at 9.25pm on BBC One.

Subsequent episodes follow on Saturday nights after that.

What other Liane Moriarty TV adaptations are there? How can I watch?

Author Liane Moriarty wrote the novel Big Little Lies in 2015. The 2017 TV adaptation became a huge hit, starring Reece Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, and Laura Dern. In fact, it spawned a second series, which aired in 2019. A third series is rumoured to be in development.

Big Little Lies is currently available to watch on Now, Netflix, Apple TV, and Amazon.

Nine Perfect Strangers, Liane's 2018 novel, was adapted into a Hulu TV series of the same name in 2021. It starred Nicole Kidman, Melissa McCarthy, and Luke Evans. It's currently available to watch on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, and Sky.

Apples Never Fall first aired on Peacock in March 2024.

Jake Lacy and Alison Brie as siblings Troy and Amy (Credit: Peacock TV)

Apples Never Fall reviews

Cosmopolitan called the novel Apples Never Fall "deliciously dark", while author Marian Keyes said the book was: "Utterly and completely wonderful. A hugely engaging, sometimes very funny, page-turner."

The Sunday Telegraph called it "a corker of a mystery".

Meanwhile, Variety says the TV adaptation "captures the potential of a beach read you can binge".

They continue: "The scenic setting and propulsive pace are effective cues to turn off one's brain, but the emotional foundation is solid enough for its central family to resonate as real people, however soapy their struggles may seem."

Apples Never Fall starts on BBC One on Saturday, September 21, 2024 at 9.25pm.

More streaming guides