If, like the rest of us, you were watching Harry Redknapp be crowned the King Of The Jungle during the ‘I’m A Celebrity’ final on Sunday night, chances are you will have missed the BBC’s ‘Care’.
In what was a move of scheduling idiocy, BBC bosses decided to pit their new Sheridan Smith drama against one of the biggest TV events of the year.
But while ‘Care’ may have come and gone with little fanfare, it is 100% worth making time to catch up on.
The one-off drama saw Sheridan team up with former ‘Gavin And Stacey’ co-star Alison Steadman in a story of heartbreak and resilience.
Penned by prolific writer Jimmy McGovern, it tells the story of single mum-of-two Jenny (Sheridan), whose mum Mary (Alison) is her one lifeline after the departure of her husband.
A widow herself, Mary helps Jenny with the care of her two girls, while her daughter holds down a job at a local supermarket to make ends meet.
However, their worlds are turned upside-down when Mary suffers a devastating stroke, and subsequently develops dementia.
Jenny then finds herself torn between her new-found responsibility dealing with her mother’s care and the struggles of her own daily life.
It was a tough, beautifully-written and wonderfully-performed watch, that had us in tears throughout, and a piece of drama that doesn’t deserve to be overshadowed by (the admittedly brilliant) conclusion of ‘I’m A Celebrity’.
Don’t just take our word for it, though. Here’s some of what the people who did tune in thought about it…
‘Care’ is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.
