The Channel 5 drama sees Watkins as a man on the brink after making a split-second decision.

By Morgan Cormack

Published: Wednesday, 06 March 2024 at 22:01 PM


Jason Watkins returns in suitably dramatic form to the Channel 5 series roster, this time with new four-parter Coma – and RadioTimes.com has an exclusive trailer.

The new series is set to air this month, with Watkins leading the cast as Simon, a mild-mannered family man who is pushed to breaking point when everything in his life seems to take a turn for the worse.

As if things couldn’t get more awful for him, he makes a split-second decision when he’s confronted by local teenager Jordan (Joe Barber) outside his own home.

In the trailer, we get a sense of the tense drama to come as the walls seem to come caving in for Simon, who appears to be trying his best for his family.

The start of the video sees Simon given the bad news about being made redundant, followed closely by wife Beth (Claire Skinner) handing over a letter from the mortgage company.

Joe Barber leaning into Jason Watkin's face, standing outside in the middle of a road and arguing.
Jason Watkins as Simon and Joe Barber as Jordan in Coma.
Channel 5

Simon then comes across a group of teenagers assaulting an elderly man, trying to interfere to get them to stop.

But it’s that interaction that seems to rile up Jordan, who tracks Simon down to his home where the pair get into a scuffle, which leads to Simon punching Jordan – with fatal consequences.

The next we see is that Jordan has been rushed to hospital, with his parents left to watch on in horror as doctors attempt to save him.

But with the community labelling Simon as a ‘local hero’, it’s not long before the truth comes creeping up on him, and grumpy neighbour Harry (David Bradley) tells Simon that he saw him and what happened on that fateful night.

Will Simon be able to keep the truth from coming out, or will he be found out sooner than he’d like? Watch the trailer above.

And if you can’t wait to dig into the new series, then don’t worry – as Coma will be premiering on Channel 5 sooner rather than later, airing on Monday 18th March at 9pm, with episodes airing consecutively across four nights.

Watkins, of course, has more recently starred in Channel 5’s The Catch, and is joined in this cast by Harry Potter and Doctor Who legend David Bradley, as well as McDonald & Dodds co-star Claire Skinner.

Newcomer Joe Barber stars as Jordan, while Jonas Armstrong (Robin Hood) stars as his father, Paul.

Additional cast includes Kayla Meikle (Time) as determined DS Kelly Evans and David Mumeni (Stath Lets Flats) as Simons untrustworthy boss Jimmy.

The series is produced by Roughcut Television and CBS Studios, with Paramount Global Content Distribution handling distribution, and it seems like the kind of drama that will keep you hooked, waiting to see what becomes of Simon.

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As per the show’s synopsis: “In Coma, Simon, a devoted family man, finds himself at a breaking point as his neighbourhood falls victim to the terrorising antics of a group of teenagers, led by the menacing 17-year-old Jordan, played by rising star Joe Barber, and his questionable companions.

“Simon and his wife, Beth, played by Claire Skinner, are desperate to move their young daughter to a safer area, away from the threatening atmosphere.

“When Simon’s frustration reaches its peak and he confronts Jordan outside his own home, a split-second decision changes everything.”

Coma comes to Channel 5 and My5 on Monday 18th March at 9pm. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on.

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