in The Miniature Wife

Elizabeth Banks and Matthew Macfadyen star in The Miniature Wife as a married couple whose life takes a turn when the wife is unexpectedly shrunk

iewers are binge-watching the new ten-part dramedy, The Miniature Wife, which arrived on Sky in the UK and on Peacock in the US last week.

Starring Emmy-nominated actress Elizabeth Banks (Pitch Perfect, The Hunger Games) and BAFTA-winning Matthew Macfadyen (Succession), the series explores the power (im)balances between a married couple after the wife is unexpectedly shrunk in a technological accident, inducing the ultimate relationship crisis.

Elizabeth Banks as Lindy, Matthew Macfadyen as Les in The Miniature Wife© Peacock
Elizabeth Banks as Lindy and Matthew Macfadyen as Les in The Miniature Wife

Not only is the show led by award-winning actors Elizabeth and Matthew, but it’s created by Jennifer Ames and Steve Turner, whose credits include the Emmy winning crime drama Boardwalk Empire and the acclaimed legal drama, Goliath. Plus, Media Res Studio, which is behind TV hits such as The Morning Show and Pachinko, produces the series.

Keep reading to find out more…

What is The Miniature Wife about?

Based on author Manuel Gonzales’ short story, the series follows genius scientist Les Littlejohn and his wife, bestselling author Lindy, who face the ultimate marriage crisis when Les accidentally shrinks Lindy down to 6in tall.

Matthew Macfadyen as Les, Elizabeth Banks as Lindy in The Miniature Wife© Peacock
Viewers are binge-watching the new ten-part dramedy

The synopsis reads: “Marriage gets hilariously complicated in The Miniature Wife, when Elizabeth Banks is unexpectedly shrunk in a technological mishap, much to the surprise of her husband, played by Matthew Macfadyen. Domestic life takes a turn for the perfectly mismatched pair, as their day-to-day turns into a razor-sharp battle for power.”

Elizabeth and Matthew are joined by Zoe Lister-Jones (Slip, Beau is Afraid), O-T Fagbenle (The Handmaid’s Tale, Presumed Innocent), Sian Clifford (Fleabag, The Ballad of Wallis Island) and Sofia Rosinsky (Paper Girls, Death and Other Details) in the cast.

Sian Clifford in The Miniature Wife© Peacock
Sian Clifford also stars in the series

What are viewers saying about The Miniature Wife?

Viewers have hailed the series as “brilliant” and “fantastic” on social media.

Taking to X, one viewer penned: “This series had me laughing out loud and crying my eyes out. Fantastic weekend watch,” while another added: “#TheMiniatureWife. What a funny, brilliant drama. I absolutely loved it!”

Matthew Macfadyen as Les in in The Miniature Wife© Rafy/PEACOCK
The series follows a married couple whose life takes a turn when the wife is unexpectedly shrunk in a technological accident

A third viewer binge-watched all ten episodes in one sitting, writing: “Highly recommend The Miniature Wife! Such a fun, cute series. I watched it in a whole day!” while another hailed the drama as “brilliant”.

What have critics said about the show?

The series has been met with mixed reviews from TV critics, with The Guardian describing the series as a “screwball sitcom that should have been so much better” in its three-star review, while Time hailed the show as “silly” but “surprisingly wonderful”.

The Miniature Wife is available to stream on Sky and NOW in the UK, and on Peacock in the US.