The Walking Dead Star’s 6-Part Thriller Series, Coldwater, Is Already Dominating the Streaming Charts

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It’s surprisingly hard for a show to stay successful after becoming a huge hit. Often, that initial success creates new challenges. While some actors from the show have gone on to major roles – like Danai Gurira in Black Panther – Andrew Lincoln is taking a different, more low-key approach to his career after the show ended.

Andrew Lincoln, best known for playing Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead and its spin-off The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live (2024), is starring in and executive producing a new six-part series called Coldwater. The show launched in September 2025 and quickly became popular, entering the top 10 most-streamed shows on Paramount+ in the U.S. this week.

The show recently jumped to the eighth spot on the list, gaining popularity as more people find it enjoyable. With a strong 73% rating on Rotten Tomatoes – and that number increasing by three percent in just the last few days – creator David Ireland and the cast, including Lincoln, are likely very happy with how well the show is doing.

I recently heard the director talking to BAFTA, and it sounds like this film is really something different. He said it’s tough to pin down to just one genre, which I love! He described it as a mix – a bit of a thriller, surprisingly funny moments, a strong relationship story at its core, and even some horror elements thrown in. Honestly, that sounds amazing – a film that doesn’t neatly fit into a box is always exciting to me.

Coldwater Won Andrew Lincoln Over After The Walking Dead

Lee Haven Jones directs this show, which features Indira Varma (known from Game of Thrones), Eve Myles (You, Me and Them), and Ewen Bremner (Snowpiercer) alongside a talented cast. The story centers on Lincoln, a man experiencing a mid-life crisis who moves to the fictional Scottish village of Coldwater – created by David Ireland – hoping to find himself. Instead, he becomes entangled with a mysterious and dangerous neighbor, and quickly realizes that Coldwater, despite its small size, is full of secrets.

Surprisingly, Ireland doubted Lincoln would agree to participate after the popularity of The Walking Dead, and they were almost right.

To be honest, I initially turned down the role because I was pretty nervous about it. But I kept rereading the scripts, and I realized there was really nothing else like it. The writing was fantastic – David Ireland is an actor himself, so he has a natural feel for how dialogue should flow, and he’s also really funny and unpredictable. The story and characters were so surprising, and ultimately, that made me realize I had to be a part of it.

Coldwater is quickly becoming a hit on Paramount+. If someone like Abraham Lincoln could be captivated by its unique appeal, you probably will be too, which explains why it’s competing for the number one streaming spot just four months after its September release.

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2026-01-19 21:09