A newly single mom is grieving her husband when, just two weeks after his funeral, she sees him appearing alive and well — on her nanny cam. Was he actually murdered? Or are there darker powers at play? Fool Me Once, created by bestselling author Harlan Coben, was directed by BAFTA Award winner David Moore (Outlander, The Last Kingdom) and adapted to series by writer Danny Brocklehurst (Brassic, Come Home). Brocklehurst also worked with Coben on the series Safe, The Stranger, and Stay Close, which were also based on Coben’s novels. Fool Me Once stars Michelle Keegan, Richard Armitage, and BAFTA winners Adeel Akhtar and Joanna Lumley.

“Fool Me Once is a pulse pounder — a shocking story of how secrets and deceit have the power to bring people together while simultaneously tearing them apart,” Coben told Netflix.

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When will Fool Me Once be released?

Stream it now. 

How many episodes of Fool Me Once are there? 

The series has eight episodes. 

Joanna Lumley as Judith Burkett and Michelle Keegan as Maya Stern in Fool Me Once

Vishal Sharma/Netflix

Where can I find the trailer for Fool Me Once?

Check it out at the top of this article.

Who’s in the cast of Fool Me Once?

• Michelle Keegan (Brassic, Our Girl) as Maya Stern, an ex-army captain
• Richard Armitage (Stay Close, The Stranger) as Joe Burkett, Maya’s late husband
• Adeel Akhtar (Sweet Tooth, Ali & Ava) as Detective Sergeant Sami Kierce, who’s investigating Joe’s death
• Joanna Lumley (Finding Alice, Absolutely Fabulous) as Judith Burkett, Joe’s protective mother
• Marcus Garvey (Hijack, The Gold) as Eddie Walker, Maya’s brother-in-law
• Emmett J. Scanlan (Kin, Peaky Blinders) as Shane Tessier, Maya’s former platoon mate who serves in the military police
• Dino Fetscher (Years and Years, Foundation) as Marty McGreggor, Sami’s co-worker
• Hattie Morahan (Hijack, The Undeclared War) as Caroline Burkett, Joe’s sister
• James Northcote (The Imitation Game, The Last Kingdom) as Neil Burkett, Joe’s younger brother
• Natalie Anderson (Happy Valley) as Claire Walker, Maya’s late sister
• Daniel Burt (The Crown) as Daniel Walker, Eddie and Claire’s son
• Danya Griver (Malory Towers) as Abby Walker, Eddie and Claire’s daughter
• Laurie Kynaston (The Feed) as Corey Rudzinski, who runs a whistleblowing organization
• Joe Armstrong (Robin Hood) as Alexander Dosman, a tech company CEO
• Clara Indrani (EastEnders) as Molly Sardana, Sami’s fiancée
• Natalia Kostrzewa (Life and Death in the Warehouse) as Izabella Godek, the nanny for Maya’s daughter, Lily

What happens in Fool Me Once?

The series follows Maya Stern (Keegan) as she tries to come to terms with the murder of her husband, Joe (Armitage). He was mugged and shot to death by two masked men. After the funeral, Maya installs a nanny cam to keep an eye on Lily (Thea Taylor-Morgan), her 2-year-old daughter, she’s shocked to see her husband in her house, playing with Lily. 

As Detective Sergeant Sami Kierce (Akhtar) leads the investigation into Joe’s death, he grapples with secrets of his own. While Maya’s search for answers causes her to clash with her all-powerful mother-in-law, Judith (Lumley), Maya’s niece Abby (Griver) and nephew Daniel (Burt) try to find the truth about what happened to their mother and Maya’s sister, Claire. Are Claire’s and Joe’s deaths connected? And whose secrets will reveal the truth? 

“There are so many jinks and kinks and turns, it makes the Formula One circuit look like a straight road,” Lumley, who plays family matriarch Judith Burkett, told Netflix. 

Can I see some behind-the-scenes photos from Fool Me Once?

Thanks to star James Northcote (Neil Burkett), you absolutely can. The actor-slash-photographer’s hobby began when he started snapping shots on the set of his Netflix hit The Last Kingdom. “I began taking more portraits on set because I love how they feel like a tiny collaboration between you and the person in front of the camera,” he tells Tudum. “Whenever I’m working I always feel this burning need to capture the process and the people, even if I’m only there for a short time. A set is such a magic place to photograph because it’s beautiful, surreal, and weirdly normal all at the same time.”

For Fool Me Once, Northcote’s photography veers gothic and moody, much like the family at the heart of the show’s conspiracy: mega-rich pharmaceutical heirs the Burketts. “Whatever character I’m playing definitely influences the style of the photographs I take,” he says. “It’s almost part of the character process for me now! I wanted to capture the vibe of the Burkett family and they are pretty gothic. So shooting on high-speed, black-and-white film worked well. We joked on set that maybe the Burketts were vampires — and they are, in a way. There is something really ghoulish about them with all the death in the family and all the deaths their business has caused. Wherever Judith, Caroline, and Neil are feels a bit cursed. I’m glad the photos ended up matching that mood!”

Is Fool Me Once based on a book?

Yes. It’s based on Coben’s bestselling novel of the same name. The author also created and executive produced the series. 

“Harlan’s books are storytelling genius, and it’s great to be entrusted once more in bringing his gripping stories to life,” Brocklehurst told Netflix. Coben was also at the helm of the Netflix series The Stranger, Stay Close, Safe, The Woods, The Innocent, Hold Tight, and Gone for Good.

“[Coben’s] not afraid to write something which one would perceive as being an almost fantastical plot point,” Armitage, who plays Joe Burkett, told Netflix. “You think, ‘No one’s going to believe that’ — but he just makes it work. And when that translates into a screenplay, it becomes one of those thrilling moments… where the carpet is pulled out from underneath you.”

Is Fool Me Once based on a true story? 

No, the series is entirely fictional.

Michelle Keegan as Maya Stern and Adeel Akhtar as Sami Kierce in Fool Me Once

Where was Fool Me Once filmed?

The series was filmed primarily in Manchester, England. The sprawling Burkett family estate, where Judith lives, was filmed at Arley Hall & Gardens in Cheshire, England. 

“Calling [Arley] a stately home is an understatement,” Armitage told Netflix. “I thought, ‘Oh, they are going to live in quite a nice house,’ but this felt like, [the Burketts] are royalty. They really are extremely wealthy.”

What’s the theme song from Fool Me Once? 

The song in the opening credits of the series is “Inside” by Chris Avantgarde and Red Rosamond. 

Where does Fool Me Once take place?

Fool Me Once is set in the fictional town of Winherst, England. 

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