The emotional new drama comes from writer Jack Thorne and stars Sharon Horgan and Michael Sheen.
Sharon Horgan stars opposite Michael Sheen in Best Interests, a drama from Jack Thorne (the writer behind Help and His Dark Materials) about married couple Nicci and Andrew, whose daughter Marnie has a life-threatening condition.
The doctors believe it is in her best interests to be allowed to die, but Nicci and Andrew disagree, leading to a fight through the legal process as they struggle to contemplate the decision.
Responding to a question about why she wanted to take the part of Nicci at a recent screening and Q&A, Horgan said: “Well, I didn’t want to take part! I was mid-filming Bad Sisters and my agent said, ‘This script has come in from Jack Thorne,’ and I’d wanted to work with Jack for so long.
“I was aware that I was mid doing something and it would be filming very soon after it ended, but I had a meeting with Jack and I read it and it just destroyed me.”
She continued: “I felt really nervous, to tell you the truth. But then we had a Zoom and I felt a bit less nervous. And I guess I had that feeling, I felt really connected to Nicci, I felt really connected to her point of view. I really felt it deeply and I guess the thought of someone else paying her, I didn’t love.”
Horgan continued: “I think the thing that I was most scared about — actually, my daughter’s in the audience, she’s 19, and since she came along I’ve been an emotional wreck. And I was just worried about getting through it, really, and not just going to pieces. And we talked a lot about how you manage that and how you do it.
“I know a lot of it is hard going and it kind of has to be, but the way Jack and Michael talked about it was how important it was to show them being a family, and the beautiful moments, the light moments and the moments of love, and the joy of that, and it felt like a really great way to approach it.”
So, who else is in the cast alongside Horgan and Sheen? Read on for everything you need to know about Best Interests.
When will Best Interests air on BBC One?
The four-part series is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
Best Interests began airing on BBC One on Monday 12th June at 9pm, with the second episode airing the following day on Tuesday 13th June.
Episodes 3 and 4 then aired the following week, on Monday 19th June and Tuesday 20th June, both at 9pm.
What is Best Interests about?
The official synopsis for Best Interests says: “This a story of a family driven apart by having to make choices no parent would ever want to make. Sharon Horgan and Michael Sheen play married couple Nicci and Andrew, they have two daughters: Katie played by Alison Oliver and Marnie played by Niamh Moriarty.
“Marnie has a life-threatening condition. The doctors believe it is in her best interests to be allowed to die, but her loving family disagree. And so begins a fight that will take them through every stage of a legal process, as they struggle to contemplate this huge decision. Who decides? And in whose best interests will it be?”
Who stars in Best Interests alongside Sharon Horgan and Michael Sheen?
!["Sharon]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/03/wqewqweqw-18e6830.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"sharon-horgan-michael-sheen-bbc\"")
The hard-hitting series stars Sharon Horgan (Bad Sisters) and Michael Sheen (Good Omens) as married couple Nicci and Andrew, while Alison Oliver (Conversations With Friends) and Nimah Moriarty (Jack Thorne’s A Christmas Carol) play their daughters Katie and Marnie.
Other major roles are played by Noma Demzweni (The Watcher), Chizzy Akudolu (Holby City) and Des McAleer (Hope Street) among others.
The cast which has currently been announced for Best Interests is as follows:
- Sharon Horgan as Nicci
- Michael Sheen as Andrew
- Alison Oliver as Katie
- Niamh Moriarty as Marnie
- Noma Dumezweni as Samantha
- Chizzy Akudolu as Mercy
- Des McAleer as Eddie
- Mat Fraser as Greg
- Gary Beadle as Frank
- Jack Morris as Tom
- Pippa Haywood as Judge Spottiswood
- Shane Zaza as Fred
- Lucian Msamati as Derek
- Lisa McGrillis as Brenda
Best Interests trailer
You can watch the trailer for Best Interests right here now.
Read our interview with Sharon Horgan on Best Interests, Bad Sisters and putting women centre stage in the latest Radio Times magazine – out now.
!["Sharon]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2023/06/1-SE-24-1-Cover-a5447af.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C830" "\"Sharon")
Best Interests premieres on BBC One on Monday 12th June at 9pm. For more, check out our dedicated Drama page or our full TV Guide and Streaming Guide.
Take part in the Screen Test, a project from Radio Times and the Universities of Sussex and Brighton, to explore the role of television and audio in our lives.
Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.