# Fatal Attraction (2023 TV series)
**Fatal Attraction** is an American psychological thriller television series that premiered on [Paramount+](https://www.edgepedia.org/paramount) on April 30, 2023, a reimagining of the 1987 film of the same name about a married lawyer whose brief affair with a colleague turns deadly. Developed by Alexandra Cunningham and Kevin J. Hynes for Paramount Television Studios and Amblin Television, the eight-episode series stars [Joshua Jackson](https://www.edgepedia.org/joshua-jackson) as Dan Gallagher, Lizzy Caplan as Alex Forrest, and [Amanda Peet](https://www.edgepedia.org/amanda-peet) as Beth Gallagher, and ran for a single season before its cancellation in October 2023.[1](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=58634%2F) • [2](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=101896-teaser-trailer-for-paramount-original-series-fatal-attraction-now-available) • [3](https://paramountglobalcontent.com/title/fatal-attraction)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Network and run | Paramount+; premiered April 30, 2023 with three episodes; eight episodes in one season, final two released May 28, 2023[2](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=101896-teaser-trailer-for-paramount-original-series-fatal-attraction-now-available) |
| Creators | Developed by Alexandra Cunningham (writer, showrunner, executive producer) and Kevin J. Hynes; produced by Paramount Television Studios and Amblin Television[1](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=58634%2F) |
| Lead cast | Joshua Jackson (Dan Gallagher), Lizzy Caplan (Alex Forrest), Amanda Peet (Beth Gallagher), Alyssa Jirrels (Ellen Gallagher), Toby Huss (Mike Gerard), Reno Wilson (Detective Earl Brooker), Brian Goodman (Arthur Tomlinson)[3](https://paramountglobalcontent.com/title/fatal-attraction) |
| Premise | Dan, a Los Angeles prosecutor, serves 15 years in prison for Alex's murder, though no body was found; the story moves between his parole in the present and the affair in the past[4](https://jaapl.org/content/52/2/273) |
| Reception | 38% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer from 50 critics and 69% from audiences; 6.4/10 on IMDb[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/fatal_attraction_2023) • [6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14351748/) |
| Cancellation | Canceled after one season on October 26, 2023, alongside the Paramount+ series Rabbit Hole[7](https://www.tvline.com/news/paramount-plus-cancels-fatal-attraction-rabbit-hole-list-1235066027/) |
| Format | TV-MA drama[8](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/fatal-attraction-0) |
## Spoilers
### Premise and structure
The series departs from the 1987 film by adding a second timeline and a murder mystery. It opens with Dan Gallagher speaking at his own parole board hearing after being convicted of Alex Forrest's murder 15 years earlier, although no body was ever found; his remorseful speech is a strategy, and once paroled he works to prove his innocence.[4](https://jaapl.org/content/52/2/273) • [15](https://time.com/6274698/fatal-attraction-review-paramount/) In the past timeline, set around 2008, Dan is a rising star in the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office expecting a judgeship, and Alex is a newly hired caseworker in the DA's victim services office; after a career setback he begins an affair with her that turns obsessive and destructive.[15](https://time.com/6274698/fatal-attraction-review-paramount/) • [16](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/may/01/fatal-attraction-review-this-reboot-thinks-its-being-serious-but-is-just-a-deep-dive-into-a-can-of-worms)
**Multiple perspectives.** Episodes retell the affair from different points of view: episode 3 retells it from Alex's perspective, and episode 4 retells the impact of Dan's betrayal from Beth's perspective, a female viewpoint the original film did not highlight.[11](https://amblin.com/tv/fatal-attraction/) • [4](https://jaapl.org/content/52/2/273) The season finale, "Caregiving," aired May 28, 2023 together with the penultimate episode.[11](https://amblin.com/tv/fatal-attraction/) • [2](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=101896-teaser-trailer-for-paramount-original-series-fatal-attraction-now-available)
## Development and production
Paramount+ ordered the series in November 2021, announcing [Lizzy Caplan](https://www.edgepedia.org/lizzy-caplan) as the first cast member in the role of Alex, with Alexandra Cunningham of *Dirty John* and *Chance* attached as writer, showrunner, and executive producer alongside executive producer Kevin J. Hynes.[1](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=58634%2F) Amanda Peet joined in June 2022 as Beth Gallagher, described as a loyal wife, loving mother, and successful small business owner whose world unravels when her husband's indiscretion threatens their life together.[9](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=59816) [Alyssa Jirrels](https://www.edgepedia.org/alyssa-jirrels), Toby Huss, Reno Wilson, and Brian Goodman completed the main cast in a June 23, 2022 announcement.[10](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=100455-alyssa-jirrels-toby-huss-reno-wilson-and-brian-goodman-join-paramount-original-series-fatal-attraction)
**Directing and producing.** Silver Tree and Pete Chatmon directed, with Silver Tree also serving as an executive producer alongside Cunningham, Hynes, Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey, Sherry Lansing, and Stanley R. Jaffe; Lansing and Jaffe had produced the original 1987 film.[11](https://amblin.com/tv/fatal-attraction/) • [12](https://www.thewrap.com/italian-job-love-story-fatal-attraction-among-films-getting-series-adaptations-at-paramount/) Paramount+ released a teaser trailer on March 1, 2023 and the official trailer on April 3, 2023.[2](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=101896-teaser-trailer-for-paramount-original-series-fatal-attraction-now-available) • [13](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=102068-paramount-reveals-official-trailer-for-original-series-fatal-attraction) The series had its international premiere out of competition at the sixth CANNESERIES festival, presented as eight episodes of about 52 minutes each.[14](https://canneseries.com/en/series/fatal-attraction)
## Intent and critical reception
Showrunner Alexandra Cunningham said she was inspired by [Glenn Close](https://www.edgepedia.org/glenn-close)'s regret over the 1987 film's treatment of Alex, quoting Close's suggestion that it would be interesting to tell the same story from Alex's point of view.[17](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/apr/16/lock-up-your-bunnies-fatal-attraction-tv-reboot-lizzie-caplan-joshua-jackson) Paramount+ framed the series as a deep-dive reimagining exploring marriage and infidelity through modern attitudes toward strong women, personality disorders, and coercive control.[1](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=58634%2F)
**Reviews were largely negative.** On Rotten Tomatoes the season holds a 38% Tomatometer from 50 critics against a 69% Popcornmeter score from more than 100 audience ratings; the site's critics consensus said that while the series avoids being a mere copy by transposing the story into a modern era of sexual politics, clumsy execution dulls its edge.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/fatal_attraction_2023) Reviewers criticized the dual-timeline structure as confusing and moralizing, and argued the series ultimately remained centered on Dan rather than delivering the feminist retelling it promised.[18](https://www.tvline.com/reviews/fatal-attraction-review-tv-series-joshua-jackson-lizzy-caplan-paramount-plus-1234978353/) • [16](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/may/01/fatal-attraction-review-this-reboot-thinks-its-being-serious-but-is-just-a-deep-dive-into-a-can-of-worms) A review in the *Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law* noted the series' themes of severe personality disorder being confused with severe mental illness, female stalkers, and Rashomon-style storytelling as points of professional interest.[4](https://jaapl.org/content/52/2/273) Audience measures were mixed: IMDb users rated the series 6.4 out of 10 from about 6,100 votes, and TVLine readers gave the finale a grade of B and the season a B-.[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14351748/) • [7](https://www.tvline.com/news/paramount-plus-cancels-fatal-attraction-rabbit-hole-list-1235066027/)
The series received a 2023 ReFrame Stamp, and Lizzy Caplan was nominated for a 2024 Astra TV Award for Best Actress in a Streaming Drama Series.[19](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14351748/awards/)
## Cancellation
On October 26, 2023, Paramount+ canceled [Fatal Attraction](https://www.edgepedia.org/fatal-attraction) after one season, along with the [Kiefer Sutherland](https://www.edgepedia.org/kiefer-sutherland) espionage thriller [Rabbit Hole](https://www.edgepedia.org/rabbit-hole-tv-series); a streamer representative confirmed neither would return for a second season, while both first seasons remained available on the service.[7](https://www.tvline.com/news/paramount-plus-cancels-fatal-attraction-rabbit-hole-list-1235066027/) The cancellation came amid a broader round of Paramount+ cost-cutting that year, in which the streamer also removed several other original series from the platform.[20](https://c21media.net/news/paramount-cancels-rabbit-hole-fatal-attraction-after-one-season-each) As of later catalog listings, the series can be purchased digitally but is not carried on subscription streaming services in the United States.[8](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/fatal-attraction-0)
## References
1. [Paramount Press Express: Paramount+ Announces "Fatal Attraction" Ordered to Series (November 11, 2021)](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=58634%2F)
2. [Paramount Press Express: Teaser Trailer for Paramount+ Original Series "Fatal Attraction" Now Available (March 1, 2023)](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=101896-teaser-trailer-for-paramount-original-series-fatal-attraction-now-available)
3. [Paramount Global Content: Fatal Attraction](https://paramountglobalcontent.com/title/fatal-attraction)
4. [Hatters Friedman, S. and Rosenbaum, K.B. (2024). Rashomon, Personality Disorder, and Stalking in a New Fatal Attraction. Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law 52(2): 273-274](https://jaapl.org/content/52/2/273)
5. [Fatal Attraction (2023), Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/fatal_attraction_2023)
6. [Fatal Attraction (TV Mini Series 2023), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14351748/)
7. [Paramount Plus Cancels 'Fatal Attraction' And 1 More Show, TVLine (October 26, 2023)](https://www.tvline.com/news/paramount-plus-cancels-fatal-attraction-rabbit-hole-list-1235066027/)
8. [Fatal Attraction (2023), JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/fatal-attraction-0)
9. [Paramount Press Express: Amanda Peet Joins Paramount+ Original Series "Fatal Attraction" (June 1, 2022)](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=59816)
10. [Paramount Press Express: Alyssa Jirrels, Toby Huss, Reno Wilson and Brian Goodman Join Paramount+ Original Series "Fatal Attraction" (June 23, 2022)](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=100455-alyssa-jirrels-toby-huss-reno-wilson-and-brian-goodman-join-paramount-original-series-fatal-attraction)
11. [Fatal Attraction, About the Show, Amblin](https://amblin.com/tv/fatal-attraction/)
12. ['Italian Job,' 'Love Story,' 'Fatal Attraction' Among Films Getting Series Adaptations at Paramount+, TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/italian-job-love-story-fatal-attraction-among-films-getting-series-adaptations-at-paramount/)
13. [Paramount Press Express: Paramount+ Reveals Official Trailer for Original Series "Fatal Attraction" (April 3, 2023)](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=102068-paramount-reveals-official-trailer-for-original-series-fatal-attraction)
14. [Fatal Attraction, CANNESERIES](https://canneseries.com/en/series/fatal-attraction)
15. [Paramount+'s Fatal Attraction Reboot Is Fatally Atrocious, Time (April 28, 2023)](https://time.com/6274698/fatal-attraction-review-paramount/)
16. [Fatal Attraction review, The Guardian (April 16, 2023 and May 1, 2023)](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/may/01/fatal-attraction-review-this-reboot-thinks-its-being-serious-but-is-just-a-deep-dive-into-a-can-of-worms)
17. [Lock up your bunnies: Fatal Attraction is back, and still stuck in the 80s | Television | The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/apr/16/lock-up-your-bunnies-fatal-attraction-tv-reboot-lizzie-caplan-joshua-jackson)
18. [Fatal Attraction TV Review, TVLine (April 25, 2023)](https://www.tvline.com/reviews/fatal-attraction-review-tv-series-joshua-jackson-lizzy-caplan-paramount-plus-1234978353/)
19. [Fatal Attraction (TV Mini Series 2023), Awards, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14351748/awards/)
20. [Paramount+ cancels Rabbit Hole, Fatal Attraction after one season each, C21Media](https://c21media.net/news/paramount-cancels-rabbit-hole-fatal-attraction-after-one-season-each)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Scripted television and comedy series › Adapted and franchise screen series › Television series based on films › Live-action series based on films*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license