Vardy v Rooney: Channel 4 unveils Wagatha Christie drama cast - including Game of Thrones and Sherwood stars The first episode saw Claudia, a lonely single mum who is recovering from breast cancer, become involved in the hunt for missing schoolgirl Emily Winter. But soon strange things start happening when overly friendly neighbor Joanne shows Claudia a collection of weird-looking dolls in her shed, Emily's dad gets drunk alone in the woods and even Claudia's own son seems to be spooked by some images he has been shown by his new tutor, George. At this point, it seems everyone and anyone could be guilty of Emily's disappearance... but when the case turns into a murder inquiry, just what happened to Emily and who took her from the local park in broad daylight? And why is Claudia so invested in the case? Is she just trying to fill her lonely life, or is there more to her involvment than meets the eye? What happens in episode two of The House Across The Street? Craig says: "As a parent, I find it very difficult to hear about reports of real-life cases, I always turn the television or radio off. But this isn’t just a series about a missing child, it’s also a thriller about unhealthy obsession!" Who's Who — a brief guide to the main characters in The House Across The Street READ MORE: ITV The Larkins season 2 start date and cast as Bradley Walsh leads The Darling Buds of May remake

There are just four episodes in The House Across the Street, mirroring the amount seen in recent BBC hits Inside Man and The Capture season 2. Whilst this might not sound like a lot, there’s plenty of time to build up suspicion as Claudia’s investigation journeys towards what looks set to be an emotional conclusion. Vikings star Ian Lloyd Anderson stars alongside Shirley and Craig as Emily Winter’s dad Owen, with The Fall’s Lisa Dwyer Hogg as her mum Sabine. Unforgotten actor Sara Powell plays their neighbor Joanne, Out of Innocence’s Ronan Leahy plays Joanne’s husband Dave and Luke Griffin from The Frankenstein Chronicles plays Leon - Shirley’s ex-husband. How many episodes in The House Across the Street? In the process her neighbors become prime suspects, including Emily’s mother Sabine whose coldness in the face of their family tragedy means Claudia sets her sights on her as a possible villain too. Shirley says: "Claudia’s a quiet woman, who’s on her own a lot and in her own thoughts. She has been lonely for a while, she’s had a lot of medical things going on and I think she’s having a breakdown. Then one day everything changes when she walks up her path towards her house and sees that there’s something going on in her street. Maybe the case of missing Emily is what she needs to feel worthy and alive again." When she hears about a local girl, Emily Winter, who has gone missing she seizes her opportunity to become a hero and make some friends. Soon Claudia becomes embroiled in the case and grows fixated on uncovering the truth. But not only is she determined to find out what happened to Emily, she's also becoming obsessed with the Winter family at the center of the case — Emily’s devastated father Owen, her cold mother Sabine, and her 12-year-old brother, Dean.Shirley says: "Claudia initially recognises the sadness in these parents who have lost their daughter. I don’t think she really knows she’s becoming obsessively involved, though. Maybe if she just sat down properly and thought, what on earth am I doing, she’d see it. But there’s something pulling her in. She also hasn’t got anybody to talk to about it, so it begins to emotionally affect her."

Fragile, softly spoken and hauntedly distracted, Henderson’s portrayal of Claudia was masterful. Glints of something harder – desperation? Madness? – were revealed beneath her brittle façade. Claudia was close enough to breaking point that her fixation on Emily’s disappearance made sense. As a proactive neighbour, she suddenly had a new sense of purpose and a role to play. Likeable teacher George is new to the area, but becomes friends with Claudia when he starts tutoring her troubled son, Rhys. But he soon becomes concerned about Claudia’s odd obsession with the Emily Winter case, especially when she begins to question his innocence.Emily’s dad is distraught when his youngest child goes missing and he soon finds himself opening up to Claudia after she finds him drunk and distressed in the local woods. Although he seems an ordinary family guy, is there more to him than meets the eye?

Irish actor Ian-Lloyd Anderson, who plays Owen, said: “This job was lovely because we filmed near Dublin, which meant I could go home every night. Claudia (Shirley Henderson) is the school nurse and neighbour of the missing child. She has just recovered from breast cancer, her ex-husband has a new partner and a baby on the way, and she is losing connection with her teenage son. Claudia becomes creepily over-involved in the case, and we’re left to work out if that’s because she has something to do with it, or whether she’s just lonely and desperate to feel needed. The other suspects include George (Line of Duty’s Craig Parkinson, an actor with the charisma to lift every show he’s in), who arrives at the school to teach adult literacy; Joanne (Sara Powell), a nosy neighbour who appears to relish the drama; and the mother and father of the missing girl, because aren’t we conditioned not to trust the parents in these cases?The final episodes will air next week on Monday, October 24 and Tuesday, October 25 at the same time. Here is everything you need to know about The House Across the Street. You can get more TV news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.