If you’re in the market for a darkly funny romantic drama about a couple who, on paper, couldn’t be less suited, then put Sky’s The Lovers at the top of your to-watch list.

Starring Johnny Flynn (Lovesick) and Róisín Gallagher (The Dry), Sky’s upcoming original drama is set between Belfast and London, and it’s all about finding your soulmate in the least likely places.

Here’s everything we know about the show so far.

What is The Lovers about?

Janet (Gallagher) is a sweary supermarket worker who’s constantly being told off by her boss for using her foul mouth on her colleagues, and according to the show’s synopsis, “she couldn’t give a s**t about anything much at all, including her life”. 

Flynn’s character, Seamus, meanwhile, is a famous political broadcaster with a glamorous life in London and an equally famous girlfriend. This unlikely pair’s worlds collide when Seamus drops “over the wall and into [Janet’s] backyard”.

Instantly, they clash, but it’s very much the ‘sparks flying’ kind of clashing, and they find themselves drawn to each other. Although they appear to be utterly wrong for each other, Róisín suggests that they embark on an affair, albeit with certain ground rules.

“Rule one: the affair can only take place in Belfast,” she says in the trailer. “Rule two: we can’t fall in love. That way I don’t get hurt and she doesn’t get hurt.” We’ll have to wait and see whether they stick to those guidelines (although let’s face it, they probably don’t). 

The series was written by playwright David Ireland, and is directed by Bafta winner Justin Martin, who directed Jodie Comer in her electrifying West End debut, Prima Facie, last year.

Who stars in The Lovers?

Appearing alongside Flynn and Gallagher over the course of the six-part series will be Game of Thrones’s Conleth Hill, who plays Róisín’s boss at the supermarket, and Alice Eve, who takes on the role of Seamus’s famous partner.

What are people saying about The Lovers?

Liz Lewin and Manpreet Dosanjh, the show’s executive producers for Sky Studios, promise that Ireland has “written the most unique, funny and heart-warming scripts”, while Roanna Benn and Rebecca de Souza, exec producing the series for Drama Republic, have described it as “beautifully crafted, romantic and subversive”. We’re certainly intrigued.

When can I watch The Lovers?

An exact release date for the series is yet to be confirmed by Sky, but we do know that The Lovers will be making its way onto our screens at some point this year. In the meantime, though, you can get acquainted with Janet and Seamus in the first teaser clip, and we’ll keep you updated when we know more. 

Images: Sky; Getty; Britbox