DON’T cross the blue line” is set to become a pop-culture catchphrase with the arrival of horror-thriller Teacup, now on M-Net Tuesdays at 10pm. Based on the novel Stinger by Robert R McCammon, adapted for television by Yellowstone’s Ian McCulloch, executive produced by Saw mastermind James Wan and from the makers of The Handmaid’s Tale, Teacup is a horror in the vein of Lost and The Walking Dead, where the “monsters” are “second-scary” to the psychological horrors they inspire in the people forced to face them.
Veterinarian Maggie Chenoweth (Yvonne Strahovski, The Handmaid’s Tale), her husband, James (Scott Speedman, Animal Underworld) and their two children, Arlo (Caleb Dolden, The Requiem Boogie) and Meryl (Emilie Bierre, The Guide to the Perfect Family) live on an isolated farm in rural Georgia. When their neighbours arrive with a horse in distress, things start to take a weird turn…
The electricity cuts out, cars won’t start, cell phone connectivity disappears and radio stations blast out static. A sinister masked figure appears, warning everyone never to cross a blue line he has spray-painted on the ground.
The cast includes BAFTA nominee Chaske Spencer (The English) and Emmy winner Kathy Baker (Picket Fences). Teacup was named the fourth best horror series of 2024 by Rotten Tomatoes, and it was nominated for Best Horror Series at this year’s Saturn Awards, as voted by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films.
Variety’s Aramide Tinubu writes, “A family in disarray is forced to push their feelings aside and work with people they don’t entirely trust. As night falls, a chilling tone cloaks the series. Maggie, known for her calm and fearlessness, begins to unravel, and when one person finds themselves beyond the blue line, the grisly gore revealed is one of the most sickening things shown on television recently.
“Teacup has many captivating themes. Family, sacrifice, trust and reliability are paramount here. The show initially does a fantastic job of cultivating the stress and anxiety that permeates horror thrillers.”
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