Suranne Jones: Investigating Witch Trials sees the BAFTA-winning actor on a mission to find out more about the most notorious witch trials in history and learning about their legacy in the modern world.

Suranne has been fascinated by the idea of witches for as long as she can remember, and she's curious about the impact that accusations of witchcraft have had on women throughout history. Her journey begins in Pendle, Lancashire, but ends up taking her beyond the UK to Germany and the United States.

My co-writer Kerry has actually written a book about witches and she's written a great article about the key thing Suranne gets right in the series. The opening episode drew in nearly a million viewers.

Here's everything we know...

Suranne Jones: Investigating Witch Trials release date

Suranne Jones: Investigating Witch Trials launched on Sunday, June 23 on Channel 4 at 9pm, with the second episode airing the following Sunday, June 30, at 9 pm.

Suranne Jones: Investigating Witch Trials locations

Suranne Jones: Investigating Witch Trials begins in Pendle, Lancashire, but also sees Suranne heading to other locations in the UK including London, as well as Bamberg in Germany and Salem, Massachusetts in the US.

Suranne Jones: Investigating Witch Trials episode guide

Episode 1: BAFTA-winning actor Suranne Jones goes on an epic journey to investigate the most infamous witch trials in history and discovers why so many women were accused of witchcraft, and what their story means today.

In Pendle, Lancashire near where Suranne grew up, she uncovers the real story behind one of the most notorious mass executions for witchcraft in English history.

Suranne travels to Germany, the epicentre of the brutal witch trials that swept through Europe 400 years ago. She discovers the shadow this historical horror story has cast over women's lives for hundreds of years, and how some women are now reclaiming the title "witch".

Episode 2: Suranne's investigation takes her to the site of the most infamous witch trials of all — the American town of Salem. She explores why accusations of witchcraft spread here with such devastating consequences 300 years ago, and how the same mass hysteria overtook US society during Senator McCarthy's communist witch hunts in the 1950s.

Suranne discovers how the phrase "witch hunt" is being used today by powerful men like Donald Trump to paint themselves as victims, and how the Salem legacy continues to impact the rights of women today. And as the conditions that led to the witch trials in Europe and the US centuries ago are part of our lives today, Suranne asks whether history could repeat itself.

Suranne Jones interview

Is there a trailer for Suranne Jones: Investigating Witch Trials?

No, sadly not, but if one is released we will add it to this guide. 

* This post contains spoilers for Vigil season 2 episode 6 *

The drone attack at Dundair that kicked everything off seems like a while ago now, but DCI Silva and DI Longacre are finally getting somewhere in their bid to discover who was behind it. It's a trip that's taken DCI Silva to Wudyan and back again, while her partner has faced plenty of peril back home in Scotland — but now it's time for some answers...

We pick up moments after gunshots are heard on the military plane taking DCI Silva back to Scotland from Wudyan, as she finds Wes Harper lying dead and Eliza Russell seriously injured. Russell says she killed Harper after he tried to snatch her gun, but it’s clear DCI Silva has her reservations about that story.

Back in Scotland, DI Longacre meets with Ross Sutherland hoping he’ll finally tell her who sent him to kill Chapman. Whoever did tell him he was fighting terrorism, but it was actually part of a plan to send more British troops into Wudyan and sell more weapons. However, he still won’t reveal who’s been giving him orders. 

By following him, she learns the man who set it all up was Alban-X boss, Derek McCabe, who she films executing Sutherland. She flees when he spots her (leaving her phone behind in the process) and miraculously only sustains a single bullet wound as she completes a three-point turn in the road. Luckily for her he's a terrible shot! 

Meanwhile, DCI Silva is slowly putting the pieces together after landing back in Scotland and realizes that Russell's story doesn't add up and she murdered Harper on the plane. However, before the police can arrest her she’s intercepted by the intelligence forces. To make matters worse, McCabe has also managed to get out of the country. 

In parliament, the situation is escalating quickly and politicians are set to vote on sending troops into Wudyan in response to the attack on Dundair. Dark forces are blaming on Jabat Al-Huria and while it's pretty clear they weren't behind it, proving that will be very tricky indeed. 

Did Eliza Russell act alone? 

Yet DCI Silva doesn’t give up easily and tracks Daniel Ramsay to a secret location, where she finds him questioning Russell. To Silva’s surprise, Air Marshall Grainger allows her to interrogate Russell herself and after learning of a secret iPad Anthony Chapman had from his daughter Sabiha, she starts uncovering the truth.

It was Russell who piloted the RPAS that murdered the seven soldiers on that fateful day at Dundair and she was paid to do it by McCabe. But why did she have to kill so many people? “It had to look real and be something they couldn’t ignore!” she shouts, before confessing to everything — from hiring Ross Sutherland, to sending those messages to Sabiha and killing Wes Harper.

She says she did it all for the money, before hinting the intelligence service had a big part to play in it all once the interview is over. It doesn’t take a genius to work out she’s still covering for someone and with Ramsay’s help DCI Silva works out it must be Grainger. Not such a surprise as he's been giving us bad vibes since we first met him!

Why did Air Marshall Grainger stage the attack at Dundair? 

Grainger made the weapons test look like a terrorist attack in a bid to push Britain into a conflict, but DCI Silva will need Ramsay’s help to prove it and must do it “off the books” to ensure those files aren't disappeared. We weren’t sure about Ramsay, but he’s certainly proving his worth as this tale reaches a climax.

Ramsey discovers a smoking gun that shows Grainger was behind the whole plot when he proves the he manipulated Sabiha to steal the RPAS console. The Air Marshall to give a disingenuous speech about the nature of defence, telling DCI Silva and Ramsay "the bigger picture is hundreds of thousands of lives." He did it all so we could put petrol in our cars and heat our homes apparently. Alright mate.

Grainger and Russell go to trial in closed court and receive life sentences for treason. “The truth will come out eventually, just not when we’re alive,” says Silva, anticlimactically — but realistically. Later on she urges intelligence bosses to do what they can to get Sam Kader’s 30-year sentence commuted. Fingers crossed on that front.

Yet the most stirring moment of this finale comes when Firas Zaman — the journalist caught spying on the weapons test in the first episode — arrives to deliver a victim impact statement. He lays out how the arms sales will continue to profit those in the UK while those in the Middle East suffer, in a comment that feels more prescient than ever.

This Vigil season 2 episode 4 recap contains spoilers

After being taken hostage by Jabat Al-Huria, DCI Silva and Eliza Russell come to understand a little more about the dissident group and are pressured to help Captain Kader break into Al-Shawka air base. Yet they eventually escape, triggering a nail-biting chase that is one of the stand-out moments of the series so far. 

After following Captain Kader to Jabat Al-Huria HQ, DCI Silva and Squadron Leader Eliza Russell have been taken hostage, and there’s not much chance of anyone tracing Kader’s car after he burns it out. This makes us feel quite sceptical of his relationship with Barker — or is he a double-agent? Time will tell. 

The hostages are soon brought before Abdullah Ghazali and DCI Silva mentions her meeting with his son, before suggesting it was Kader who tipped him off about the previous day’s operation. 

Yet while Kader is on his way back to Al-Shawka air base, Ghazali reveals how he wants Russell to help Jabat Al-Huria infiltrate the most secure areas of the base. Using her pass, Kader tries to access the key store in her office but still needs Russell to provide the code. When she refuses, Ghazali has DCI Silva beaten until she finally provides it. 

Yet Ghazali says Jabat Al-Huria had nothing to do with the attack at Dundair. Russell believes him, but if the Wudyani dissidents didn't launch the attack then who did? 

Is Captain Kader telling the truth? 

Kader takes the key to the armoury, but when Air Marshall Grainger and Colonel Bilali enter Russell’s office discussing her disappearance, he finds himself trapped in the key store. 

They’re discussing how to rescue DCI Silva and Eliza Russell and when Bilali says they can’t afford another failed mission, Grainger says he wants British Special Forces to lead the ground mission this time. He hopes to get the two hostages back and also strike a crucial blow against Jabat Al-Huria. “After Dundair, this is tantamount to an act of war” says Grainger of the kidnapping. 

Meanwhile Captain Kader slips out of Russell’s office and feigns surprise when Barker tells him about her abduction, but it seems Barker has noticed something not right. His fears are confirmed when Lawson arrives and explains that Russell’s pass was used in the base just 15 minutes ago. 

At the armoury, Kader finds that Russell’s pass no longer works, but manages to overpower the soldier on duty, before gaining access to the armaments mainframe. Russell gives him the password, but it takes two attempts and the failed try alerts Harper to what’s going on. 

Yet while Kader starts to upload the data he needs, Barker walks in and pulls a gun on his old boyfriend. He asks him if he was responsible for Dundair. “You have to believe that none of this was us,” he replies. “They’re trying to make it look like my friends are killers, they’re lying to everyone.” When the soldiers arrive, Kader begs Barker to take the data stick from his pocket and he does so. 

If Jabat Al-Huria weren't behind the attack then could it have been part of a plot between the UK and Wudyani governments? 

Has DI Longacre gone too far? 

Back in Scotland, DSU Robertson and Daniel Ramsay break the news to DI Longacre about DCI Silva’s kidnapping. She’s quite frantic, but Robertson puts her on desk duty until her maternity leave kicks in — good luck with that! 

At the Jabat Al-Huria HQ, Ghazali is furious to hear that Kader has been captured and knows it was the wrong password attempt that tipped off the air force. Yet just when it seems he’s going to kill DCI Silva, Russell springs them both free and they flee the compound, before disguising themselves as Wudyani women. It's a nail-biting chase and one of several tense moments in very good episode. 

Meanwhile, back in Scotland, DI Longacre and Daniel Ramsay are speaking to Firas Zaman, in the hope that he might know where the hostages are being held. Yet while interviewing Zaman, DI Longacre gets a call from DCI Silva, who’s managed to borrow someone’s phone and passes on a few details of where they are, before Jabat Al-Huria arrives to recapture them.

Ramsay passes the details on to Al-Shawka, who uses the details to narrow the search for Russell and DCI Silva down to three towns… 

Yet DI Longacre isn’t finished with Zaman and she believes he will be able to point them in the right direction. He refuses, but she uses the information Ramsay has on Zaman’s family as leverage against him. It seems his brother has been assisting him with proxy servers for Jabat Al-Huria and Longacre says if he doesn’t help them, then she’ll share that information with the Wudyani Security Services. 

Ramsay seems surprised his partner has used the information he gave her (despite it not being pertinent to the case). Has she gone too far in her threats against Zaman's family and will it come back to haunt her?  

Will DCI Silva and Eliza Russell survive? 

Back at the Jabat Al-Huria HQ, as the debate rages about what’s to be done with the recaptured hostages, DCI Silva takes Faisal’s gun and turns it on him. She fires a gunshot that alerts Grainger to where they are, yet in reality it was the intel that DI Longacre got from Zaman that led the Special Forces to them. 

Yet Ghazali continues to claim his organisation wasn’t behind the attack at Dundair or the death of Chapman, while the truck and crates stolen from Al-Shawka simply contain evidence that the British government has been complicit in the air strikes that killed innocent Wudyanis. 

It’s clear DCI Silva is conflicted about what’s to be done, yet Grainger is about to launch his operation and when the troops come in they take no prisoners. Ghazali’s son and many other Wudyanis are killed immediately, while DI Longacre is forced to watch on DCI Silva disappears into a cloud of bullets and smoke — but will she survive? And if they do, will they help Jabat Al-Huria uncover the truth?

This Vigil season 2 episode 2 recap contains spoilers

After the death of Wing Commander Anthony Chapman at the end of the first episode, DCI Amy Silva heads to Wudyan to continue her investigation. 

Meanwhile, back in Scotland, her partner DI Kirsten Longacre joins forces with MI5 agent Daniel Ramsay in a bid to discover the identity of the gunman in the woods... 

We pick the story up just where we left it, with DCI Silva, DI Longacre and Sabiha fleeing through the woods from a mysterious gunman. He wants to know where "she" is, but before he gets an answer, an armed police officer comes to the rescue. Yet the gunman manages to flee by jumping from a cliff into a nearby lake. 

Thanks to DCI Silva’s nifty work with a rock they do have a sample of his blood though and the police also recover a phone from the house, which they believe could be Chapman’s. But we’re now wondering if Chapman wasn’t the only target and his daughter Sabiha was also on the hitman’s list? 

What does Sabiha know? 

At the hospital, DCI Silva begins questioning Sabiha in a bid to find the man who killed her father. Unfortunately she didn’t see him and in her terror, ran off to hide after her father was killed. 

Sabiha says she has no idea why she and her father came home in such a rush or anything at all about what he’s been up to. DCI Silva seems to believe she’s not telling her the whole story, but either way she’s certainly keen to protect her father’s reputation. 

When she’s shown console the authorities suspect Chapman used to take control of Alpha RPAS during the disastrous demonstration, she becomes irritated, demanding to return to Wudyan to be with her mum’s family. Amy doesn’t want her to go, yet doesn’t think she can stop her. But what does she know and what is she hiding? 

Who really carried out the Dundair attack? 

However there’s another bombshell on the horizon, because it seems new data indicates that while Chapman seemed to have taken control of Alpha RPAS during the attack at Dundair, it was actually being controlled from Wudyan. The GPS data was changed, but by who and why? And if Chapman is innocent, what was he doing in the Trossachs? And why did he lie about having cancer? So many questions, but they’re probably all connected. 

DCI Silva wants to head out to the air base in Wudyan to continue her investigation, but Air Marshall Marcus Grainger is being very obstructive and explains that it could sour the UK’s relations with the Middle Eastern country. When DCI Silva threatens to arrest the whole squadron things get heated, but it’s clear Grainger isn’t a big fan of DCI Silva snooping around in his affairs. 

But there’s more, because the MI5 operative in the meeting then reveals that Dr Rajab — who’s in prison in Wudyan on terrorism charges — has disclosed the existence of a plot to disrupt UK/Wudyani relations, which involves our old friend Firas Zaman. 

The net result is that DCI Silva is off to Wudyan. It’s distressing news for her daughter Poppy, who knows that gay people are often thrown in prison in the Middle Eastern country. We think that might be the least of her problems tbqh. 

What does Russell know about Sabiha?

On the flight to Wudyan, DCI Silva tries to get more information out of Sabir. She’s once again rebuffed. They’re quizzed by security at the airport, but Acting Squadron Leader Eliza Russell soon turns up to take them to the base, saving them an uncomfortable delay. “The regime loves to remind us who’s in charge,” says Sabiha. We’re starting to think the young woman is more into Wudyani politics than she’s letting on. 

When they arrive at the air base, they are greeted by Colonel Bilali who witnessed the carnage at Dundair first-hand. He’s keen to discuss the situation with DCI Silva as soon as possible. 

Meanwhile Russell takes her to one side to suggest that Sabiha should probably be sent back to the UK, for her own good. But does Russell have her own motives for wanting her out of Wudyan? What does she know about Chapman’s daughter? 

Either way, Russell is shocked to find that Silva wants to speak to the RPAS pilots, Barker and Kade, and that Chapman wasn’t the man behind the attack at Dundair. She’s then told the rogue drone was controlled from the very air base they’re sat in. If she did know that already then she hid it well. 

Russell is happy to let Silva talk to Barker, but things could be more complicated with Kade, as he’s a Wudyani national, yet Silva is in no mood to wait around and heads off to doorstep him. 

Furthermore, it seems Russell isn’t being entirely honest with DCI Silva and there’s actually an operation going on against the Wudyani dissidents that Russell neglected to mention. She graciously allows Silva to stay and observe. 

What’s going on between Barker and Sabiha?

Two targets escape the compound Russell’s team had been ordered to secure and Colonel Bilali tells her to rectify her error by taking them out immediately. However she refuses and the combatants escape, with Russell clearly laying the blame at Barker's door. 

Sensing he might be in the mood to talk, Silva follows him to find out what he knows. He’s a bit more open than the other people she’s met and suggests the rogue RPAS was being operated by someone who hadn’t had much training with the weapons. 

After leaving he bumps into Sabir - or ‘Sabs’ - and they seem relatively familiar with each other. She’s desperate for answers about her father and she seems to think Barker can help her, asking “Was any of what you told me true?” She doesn’t get an answer, but we’re very keen to know what he told her. 

Who stole the RPAS console?

Later on, the RPAS programme’s technical lead, Wes Harper, takes her around the Alban X armoury, where she asks to see the spare RPAS console, which she suspects was used in the attack at Dundair. But it’s not there and Harper hasn’t seen it for a week at least. So where is it and who took it? 

A quick look at the CCTV shows that Chapman erased 13 minutes of footage when the console went missing - but crucially it couldn’t have been him that stole the kit. So who did? The news that someone on the base is working with the dissident group comes as a shock to Russell. If it’s not Sabiha, then we think she knows who it is. 

What was Dr Rajab trying to tell DCI Silva? 

When Silva meets Colonel Bilali, he seems convinced the dissident group is behind the attack in Dundair, but she’s more interested in the information that led to the raid of Dr Rajab’s address earlier that day. 

He’s in a bad way when DCI Silva finally meets him and it’s clear he’s been tortured, despite Colonel Bilali’s denials. However when he leaves the room, Rajab asks for a pen and writes a note that Silva quickly stashes, it looks very much like he’s trying tell her something about Bilali, but what? 

Why did Sabiha stab Barker? 

Back at Police Scotland, MI5 bod Daniel Ramsay arrives to be DI Longacre’s new partner and he’s already proving useful, after decoding Firas Zaman’s prescriptions (he’s the ‘bird-watcher’ from episode one). It seems someone on the Wudyani air base has been secretly providing a terrorist group with the dates of weapons tests. 

Meanwhile the police have found the stolen van used by the shooter, which belongs to cleaner Arlene Royce. The rifle was taken from the Lochdoon Estate, which funnily enough is where Arlene works, and seems to have been nicked by her old flame, Ross Sutherland, who’s ex-military and left Lochdoon after having a row with someone. 

When they get to his old flat, they find he’s got a stash of information and photos of Chapman and his daughter, which makes DI Longacre think that she was also a target of the shooter. Or maybe the only target? Longacre also realises it was her phone the police found at the cottage. 

When DI Longacre tells DCI Silva what she’s discovered, they wonder if Sabir took the console using her father’s military pass and Chapman deleted the footage? Yet when she puts the phone down it’s clear the flat’s not deserted and with Ramsay gone, she’s alone with Sutherland. 

He leaves her unharmed, but not before she tells him that whoever hired him to kill Chapman was using him. “It’s not my job to kill you,” he says, but who was he supposed to kill? Sabir? Back at the air base, as Barker plays basketball, Sabiha attacks him with a knife. But why? 

This Vigil season 2 episode 1 recap contains spoilers

The first season of Vigil was one of the biggest shows of 2021, with more than 12 million viewers tuning in to BBC One to watch DCI Amy Silva unmask a dark conspiracy on a nuclear submarine.

But now Amy and her partner DI Kirsten Longacre will be swapping the sea for the skies, as they find themselves at the centre of another military mystery in this much-anticipated second series...

Who was Wing Commander Chapman arguing with? 

The action begins in the fictional Middle Eastern country of Wudyan, as RAF Wing Commander Anthony Chapman has a heated exchange with a fellow officer, before fleeing the country with his daughter Sabi. On his way he tells Squadron Leader Eliza Russell wants to return to Britain as he’s just got back from Dubai, where he learned he has terminal liver cancer, and wants Russell to take command of the squadron. But who was Chapman arguing with before he departed and what were they arguing about?

One of Russell’s first tasks will be to oversee a weapon drone exercise at the Scottish military base of Dundair, which is under the supervision of Air Vice Marshall Marcus Grainger on the ground in Scotland. However, it’s clear the weapons drones — or RPAS (Remotely Piloted Air Systems) — are being operated by personnel in Scotland and Wudyan. 

The attack begins on the dummy targets, yet radar soon picks up a civilian by the perimeter fence operating a drone of his own. Grainger sends a team to investigate and the mystery man scarpers. 

When the weapons test is complete, Grainger’s Wudyani guests seem very impressed and it’s clear they have ordered a large number of these drones for their country’s military. Yet Grainger wants to show them another of the drones’ capabilities and tells the pilots to place them on autopilot for the trip back to base. 

Yet rather than returning to base, Colin Dixon’s Alpha RPAS turns and opens fire on the soldiers on the ground. Dixon tries to take back control of the drone from autopilot, but he’s unable to disable its weapons and is locked inside his vehicle. Finally, his comrade, Lawson, is able to use Bravo RPAS to destroy Alpha RPAS and the wave of destruction is over. Seven people lie dead and Colin Dixon is brutally detained, but did he pull the trigger? We think probably not. 

Why did Lawson move positions? 

DCI Amy Silva is dropping her daughter Poppy off at school, when she learns of the terrible events at Dundair. She and her girlfriend DI Kirsten Longacre — who’s totally pregnant btw — are soon called in to look into it, after the Ministry of Defence ask for Amy personally. She did a good job with that nuclear submarine we suppose…

At Dundair, DCI Silva goes to speak to Colin Dixon — or "the suspect" — while DI Longacre interviews the other pilots. One of whom is Lawson, who tells them most of the soldiers in the unit knew each other from their time in Afghanistan. Longacre also asks why Lawson moved away from her comrades to get a better sightline, meaning she wasn’t in the line of fire when the RPAS started shooting. But DI Longacre is clearly a bit suspicious. 

Inside the base, Dixon tells DCI Silva that he wasn’t in control of the RPAS when it started firing on his friends and the communications were cut when the drone went into autopilot. He explains that he should have been able to take back control of the drone at any time, but that anyone logged into the system could have done the same - apart from Lawson, who was operating the drone that finally shot Bravo down. This leaves two others who could have taken control of it and both of them are based in Wudyan. 

Did Grainger want the RPAS destroyed? 

In Wudyan, Russell holds a debrief into the incident when Barker, one of the RPAS pilots, takes exception to the news that Dixon was beaten up and is furious that all the pilots from that day are now suspects. 

Russell says he and Captain Sattam Abdul Kade will need to write statements in separate rooms, so they can’t be accused of collusion. Kade asks for the names of the Wudyanis who were killed in Scotland, it seems some of them may have been his friends. 

Meanwhile at Dundair we hear the Wudyani ruler is furious to hear of the incident and has a mind to cut their funding to the RPAS programme. It seems Wudyan is furious about the hypocrisy of British politicians who criticise the Arab country and brand its leader a war criminal, yet gladly accept its money. 

Elsewhere, DCI Silva is interested to hear why the demonstration ended early and questions why no one told her about the civilian who was seen flying a drone near Dundair just before the incident. It’s a question she’s keen to ask Grainger, but he’s busy dealing with the wreckage of the RPAS, although he doesn’t seem as keen to retrieve the data as his colleague, Derek McCabe.

McCabe is currently analysing data from the control unit just outside Glasgow and DCI Silva is keen to see it, however soon after the down RPAS explodes, which means all the data on board is lost.  Could Grainger have been trying to cover something up by allowing this to happen? 

Either way, he’s very keen to pin the blame on Dixon, says he doesn’t believe the pilots in Wudyan are responsible and that the system must have been hacked. McCabe says that’s impossible, which would mean it’s one of the four pilots, right? 

Why was there a fifth controller? 

DCI Silva joins Grainger as he speaks to his team in Wudyan, but before the call starts he has time to fill her in on the details of the conflict in the country, where the state is supporting a neighbouring government against insurgents. The UK military is providing non-combat support, something the British media have been highly critical of. Nevertheless, he says Wudyan is one of the UK military’s most important partnerships and two of their nationals died at Dundair. 

During the call, Wes Harper, who’s technical lead on the RPAS programme, comes in with important news. He tells DCI Silva all the controllers have been accounted for “two in Scotland and three here,” he says. But hang on a minute, we thought there were only four controllers?

Never mind, because Harper says Wing Commander Antony Chapman was the next person to take control of Alpha RPAS after Dixon and flew it until it was shot down by Lawson, who got back on the system 30 seconds after him. How did he do that? Did he smuggle one out of Wudyan and if so how did he manage it? 

“Where’s Anthony Chapman now?” asks DCI Silva and while Grainger confirms he’s in the UK, he says he’s very ill and probably not in any condition to fly a drone. We shall see. After the call Russell says Harper was unwise to share that information so brazenly and asks for his statement on the incident. He tells her to shove her statement. Nice.

Which past operations does Barker mean? 

Later on Russell tells Barker to resubmit his report of the incident, saying his opinion on past operations is not relevant. She also asks about a “heated exchange” Chapman had with someone before he left Wudyan, but Barker says he knows nothing about it. 

Yet what are these past operations Barker is referring to? Grainger and McCabe have been presenting the RPAS as wonderful new weapons, but maybe their journey to the battlefield hasn’t been as smooth as they claim!  

How did Chapman’s wife die? 

Meanwhile, DCI Silva confirms that while Chapman had an operation booked for that afternoon, he didn’t turn up for it. She goes to his hotel, but finds his room empty, before questioning Grainger about Chapman and saying it looks like his cancer story was a ruse. It’s clear Grainger has known Chapman for many years and reveals that Chapman’s wife was Wudyani and died when his daughter Sabi was young. 

But how did she die? Could Chapman be trying to settle an old score against a regime that had his wife killed? 

Grainger also gives a brief rundown of the Wudyani-funded RPAS programme, which it seems is a key priority for the British government, before explaining that there have been questions over Chapman’s loyalty in the past. Grainger also says information has been passed to a UK journalist named Firas Zaman. But if Chapman was suspected of being leaky, why did Grainger trust him so implicitly? 

Did Firas Zaman know Chapman? 

At the perimeter fence, DI Longacre goes hunting for the trespasser and soon finds him climbing a tree. He does get the chance to reset his phone before coming down, but what information is he trying to hide? 

His name is Firas Zaman and when DI Longacre begins questioning him about why he was filming a weapons test, it’s clear he’s a British resident who’s from Wudyan. Meanwhile officers who raided his house find a load of prescriptions, authorised by Dr Mohammed Rajab, in a town not far from the Wudyani air base. 

One of them is for IVF, which is odd to say the least and DI Longacre believes they’re some sort of code. She tells him she suspects he is involved in an act of terrorism and will be detained, but he claims he’s “on the side of the angels”. 

But the pair are soon joined by MI5 agent Daniel Ramsay who says Dr Rajab is in prison on terrorism charges. Ramsay also explains that after looking at the report, it seems the plan of whoever took control of the rogue RPAS would need someone on the ground to tell them when the autopilot was engaged, which we’re guessing is Zaman. That’s probably why Zaman wiped his phone.

When Ramsay leaves, Zaman says the drones being developed will one day be used by the Wudyani authorities on its citizens. He warms that big oil is coming and these RPAS are how the regime will cling to power “those drones are tools for oppression” he says, before revealing someone who he won’t name told him about the test. We’re guessing that’s Chapman.  

Why was Lawson allowed to leave the UK? 

DCI Silva wants to interview Lawson, but is told by Grainger that she’s been flown back to Wudyan. When we combine this information with DI Longacre’s suspicions over Lawson moving away from her comrades just before they were killed, she starts to look pretty dodgy. 

Who killed Anthony Chapman? 

Meanwhile her colleague at the operation centre retrieves the data, which shows where the RPAS were operated from. There were two in Wudyan, two in Dundair, and one in a little village an hour from Glasgow. There’s that fifth controller - and we bet we know who was operating it! 

DCI Silva heads out to the Trossachs to see what’s going on and she takes DI Longacre with her. When they get there the SWAT team finds Chapman dead in the woods near the house, but his daughter is nowhere to be seen. As they return to the Jeep, DI Longacre hears and sound and walks off into the woods, where they find Sabi - only for a mysterious assailant to open fire on them as they flee into the forest! 

We presume this is the man who killed Anthony Chapman, but why did he do it and who is he? 

This Vigil season 2 episode 3 recap contains spoilers

After keeping very quiet for two episodes Sabiha Chapman finally reveals her part in the missing RPAS, although it looks like she's been used by a mysterious figure. She's not the only one, because back in Scotland it looks like someone coerced Ross Sutherland into killing her father under false pretenses... 

DCI Silva dashes over to Sabiha following her attack on Barker and begs her to put down the knife, before soldiers arrive to restrain her. “He did this. He made me do it!” she says. Sabiha clearly blames Barker for her father’s death, but why? And what did Barker make her do?

Russell tells DCI Silva that Barker could be seriously injured and may never pilot again, before urging her to get control of her investigation and speak to Sabiha. DCI Silva seems to think it was Sabiha that stole the RPAS console and asks if Barker made her do it. 

Soon after, DI Longacre calls her with news that Sabiha has been messaging someone who’s not in her contacts. The timings seem to line up with the period the console went missing, but was Callum Barker pressuring Sabiha to steal the console? DI Longacre asks Ramsay to do some digging on the flight lieutenant. 

Was the UK air force behind the strike on Al Bidbiyat?

Meanwhile, DCI Silva confronts Sabiha with footage of her leaving the air base with a bag, which looks increasingly like it contained the console. Sabiha says she doesn’t know who picked the bag up after she left, but DCI Silva is getting increasingly frustrated by her intransigence. 

Sabiha claims Barker wanted to help the people of Wudyan and needed her to get the console because he didn’t have the clearance, while her father did. It seems that when Chapman fled the country with his daughter after finding out what happened and how his daughter had been used, but not before he had a blazing row with Barker. Did he know the flight lieutenant had been coercing Sabiha? 

It seems Chapman was killed by the dissident group after he found out about the plan and we believe Sabiha when she says she had no idea her actions would lead to her father’s death. She came back to Wudyan to confront Barker, who claims to know nothing about the whole thing. 

Later on DCI Silva searches Barker’s room and finds a very well-hidden phone, before running a web search on the message Dr Rajab managed to scrawl for her. It turns out he wrote ‘Al Bidbiyat’, which refers to an air strike on the Wudyani border that killed several children, thanks to an “intelligence error”. Was the UK air force involved in this tragedy? And was it really an error? 

Who’s using Ross Sutherland? 

When DCI Silva confronts Barker, it’s clear he’s disturbed by how much she knows and that she’s found his secret mobile phone. She then asks if his squadron were involved in the airstrike on the children’s football team. Was that atrocity what made Barker betray the air force to the dissident group? 

DCI Silva then calls DI Longacre to share the update and finds her having a scan in hospital, which is a lovely little moment in the middle of all the conspiracy. However she’s furious to hear about her pregnant partner’s run-in with Sutherland. 

When she gets back to work, DI Longacre discovers Sutherland left the army in disgrace after shooting a friend rather than let him be tortured by the enemy. Later on he ambushes her and is furious to learn that Chapman was framed and he was being used. But he won’t tell her who gave him the orders to kill Chapman. Was it someone in Wudyan or the British government? Sutherland says he hoped killing Chapman would “make things better”, but is he referring to his discharge from the services? Or are there other secrets in his past? 

Was the console being operated from Bahratwud?

Back at the Al-Shawka, DCI Silva visits RPAS technical lead Wes Harper, who tells him the console could have been operated anywhere within 20 miles of the air base. Could they have been Bahratwud, where the air force completed their recent operation? 

Colonel Al-Bilali says they searched the area and found nothing, but DCI Silva fancies a gander herself. He also advises that Sabiha is going to be handed over to the Wudyani police for what she did to Barker, which is bad news for Silva — and probably Sabiha herself. The look Russell gives DCI Silva says this could have been avoided if Sabiha had been sent back to the UK, as she suggested. 

The next thing on DCI Silva’s to-do-list is a trip to Bahratwud with Lawson to search for that console, yet a quick scroll through the car’s GPS system reveals a mysterious address that Barker might have traveled to. One for later! 

Is Captain Kade using Callum Barker? 

Meanwhile, DCI Silva goes snooping round before receiving clearance from the Wudyanis — such a maverick! — and finds a young man, who tries to escape, but not before she gets hold of his bag. She then discovers a map hidden in the back of the TV, before persuading Lawson to take her to that address in the GPS. 

When she gets there it’s clear that Captain Kade has been visiting, although when she mentions Barker’s name he tells her to leave. 

Later on, DCI Silva finally gets some answers when she learns that Kade and Barker are in a relationship, which they’ve been covering up due to Wudyan’s laws on homosexuality. Barker denies he had anything to do with the missing console and explains that he argued with Chapman because he’d found out about their relationship and was urging them to end it. 

Later DCI Silva talks to Sabiha and reveals that it wasn’t Barker who’d been messaging her. But who else on the could have known enough to impersonate him? We wondering if Captain Kade could be behind this - has he been leading Barker down the garden path in a bid to get his help with Sabiha? 

Is Captain Kade the traitor at Al-Shawka air base? 

When Grainger arrives in Wudyan, DCI Silva explains how Sabiha has been groomed by a mysterious figure and urges him to pull some strings to get her out of the country, saying she’s the best lead they have on the attack at Dundair. 

Yet there’s a new operation underway and it seems Abdul Ghazali, father of Faisal Ghazali, the young who DCI Silva bumped into at Bahratwud, is a target. It seems the files she recovered have been key to identifying him as a member of the dissident group. DCI Silva isn’t sure how she feels about this, especially when she learns that because this operation is outside the borders of Wudyan ,the RPAS programme is free to be used in the strike 😬 which makes DCI Silva very suspicious that British drones were involved in the strike at Al Bidbiyat.

However just as the strike seems imminent it seems someone warns the target what’s going on and they flee. But who is passing this information from within the mission control centre to the dissident group? 

It seems Grainger has been successful in getting Sabiha out of the country, but after chatting to Russell, DCI Silva works out that Captain Kade told Sabiha to steal the console, on the orders of Abdul Ghazali, whom he knows from his studies at the University. 

After leaving the base, Kade leads them to the dissident base — but it’s not long before they’re spotted and apprehended — leading us to suspect that Kade could well be the man who’s been passing them info from inside Al-Shawka.

Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie lead the Vigil season 2 cast, but which other stars of the screen will be appearing in the much-anticipated conspiracy thriller? 

We take a closer look at all the characters in this show about two detectives who must get to the truth when a drone weapons test goes mysteriously wrong... 

Who's who in the Vigil season 2 cast 

Suranne Jones as DCI Amy Silva

After being called in to examine a suspicious death on a nuclear submarine in the first series, this time DCI Silva is asked to investigate when a drone weapons test goes wrong at Scottish air base, Dundair, killing seven people. 

The case soon leads her to the fictional Middle-Eastern country of Wudyan, which has close ties the UK, taking her away from her pregnant partner DI Longacre and teenage daughter Poppy. 

Where have I see Suranne Jones before? Jones made her name in Coronation Street, before becoming one of Britain's most prominent TV stars, with leading roles in hit dramas such as Doctor Foster, Gentleman Jack, Scott and Bailey and Maryland. 

Rose Leslie as DI Kristen Longacre

DI Kirsten Longacre found love with DCI Silva in the first series and now the couple are happily living together, while caring for Amy's teenage daughter Poppy. The couple are also expecting a child and with Kirsten pregnant as the series begins, Amy wants her to take things easy. Yet DI Longacre is determined to continue investigating the events at Dundair while her partner is in the Middle East. 

Where have I see Rose Leslie before? Rose got her big break in the first season of Downton Abbey and has appeared in a string of hit TV shows since, including Luther, Game of Thrones and The Good Fight. 

Dougray Scott as Air Marshall Marcus Grainger

Air Marshall Marcus Grainger is in charge of the British air force's RPAS (Remotely Piloted Air System) drone operation. He's demonstrating the weapons to a group of prominent Wudyanis when one goes wrong, killing seven people. Following that tragedy, he's keen to protect the important relationship the UK has with Wudyan and is none-too-pleased when DCI Silva and DI Longacre start investigating his programme. But what does he have to hide? 

Where have I seen Dougray Scott before? The Scottish actor has starred in Mission Impossible 2 and Ripley's Game. He's also had a string of small screen hits, including Irvine Welsh's Crime, Batwoman, Desperate Housewives and The Woman in White. 

Romola Garai as Acting Squadron Leader Eliza Russell

Eliza Russell takes on the role of Squadron Leader at Al-Shawka air base after her boss, Wing Commander Anthony Chapman, flies back to Scotland at the beginning of the series. She knows she must try and keep the squadron together following the disastrous events at Dundair, but how will she feel about DCI Silva investigating her team? 

Where have I seen Romola Garai before? The British actress has starred in many dramas including The Crimson Petal and the White, The Hour, Born To Kill and the recent BBC One series The Following Events Are Based on a Pack of Lies. 

Alastair Mackenzie as Wing Commander Anthony Chapman

Wing Commander Chapman resigns his post at Wudyan air base and flees the country with his daughter, Sabiha, whom he's raised alone after the death of her mother. Chapman says a recent visit to doctors in Dubai has revealed he's terminally ill and he wishes to spend his final days in the UK, but is there more to his story than he's letting on? 

Where have I seen Alastair Mackenzie before? One of Mackenzie's earliest roles was as Archie MacDonald in BBC drama Monarch of the Glen, but he's also starred in dramas such as Cold Feet, Wolf Hall, Unforgotten and Star Wars spin-off Andor. 

Hiba Medina as Sabiha Chapman

Sabiha has been raised by her father Anthony Chapman following the death of her Wudyani mother and the pair flee the Middle-Eastern country at the start of the series. When disaster strikes in Scotland, Sabiha soon flies back to Wudyan to be with her mother's family, yet DCI Silva believes she knows more about the drone disaster than she's letting on..

Where have I seen Hiba Medina before? Hiba is a newcomer and this is her first major screen role. 

Gary Lewis as DSU Robertson

DCI Silva and DI Longacre's boss trusts them implicitly to get to the bottom of another military mystery and doesn't take kindly to members of the air force who get in their way. With seven people murdered at Dundair, he's also desperate to find the people responsible. 

Where have I seen Gary Lewis before? The Scottish actor (who reprises his role from Vigil season 1) has starred in a number of hit movies, including Gangs of New York, East Is East and Billy Elliot. His small screen credits include His Dark Materials, It's A Sin and The Bay. 

Amir El-Masry as Daniel Ramsay

Ramsay is an MI5 agent who's called in to help DI Longacre interrogate Firas Zaman, who's seen flying a drone near Dundair just before the weapons test in the first episode. He and Longacre clash initially, but when DCI Silva departs for Wudyan he proves a useful partner for the detective as she continues to investigate the case in Scotland. 

Where have I seen Amir El-Masry before? The British-Eygptian actor has appeared in several hit TV shows, such as The Night Manager, McMafia, SAS: Rogue Heroes, The Crown and Industry. 

Oscar Salem as Captain Sattam Abdul Kader

Based at the air base in Wudyan, Captain Sattam Abdul Kader was in control of one of the RPAS drones when the demonstration at Dundair went disastrously wrong. He's distressed to learn of what happened at the Scottish base as he knew the Wudyanis who were killed...  

Where have I seen Oscar Salem before? Oscar starred in Game of Thrones spin-off  House of the Dragon last year and has also appeared in dramas such as Des and Deep Water. 

Chris Jenks as Callum Barker

Also based in Wudyan, Barker is upset when he hears of the disaster at Dundair. He was in control of one of the RPAS drones during the demonstration and clashes with Acting Squadron Leader Russell in the aftermath of the tragedy. 

Where have I seen Chris Jenks before? The British actor has appeared in shows including Karen Pirie, Beyond Paradise and Netflix hit Sex Education. 

Jonathan Ajayi as Wes Harper

Also based in Wudyan, Wes Harper is the technical lead on the RPAS drone programme. He doesn't report to Acting Squadron Leader Russell, but DCI Silva does have some tough questions for him when she arrives in the Middle East. 

Where have I seen Jonathan Ajayi before? The British actor's most prominent role to date has come in BBC drama Noughts and Crosses. 

Nebras Jamali as Colonel Ali Bilali

Colonel Ali Bilali is part of the Wudyani party at Dundair when the RPAS weapons test goes wrong, killing seven people. With two of his countrymen killed in the tragedy, he has some tough questions for Air Marshall Grainger and says the Prince of Wudyan is considering withdrawing funds for the programme.. 

Where have I seen Nebras Jamali before? Nebras has starred in dramas such as Our Girl, Baghdad Central, Hijack and The Looming Tower. 

In ITV1's new drama Maryland, Suranne Jones and Eve Best play estranged sisters who are brought back into each other's lives following the death of their mother Mary, only to discover that she'd been living a double life on the Isle of Man that neither of them knew about.

Suranne co-created the series with writer Anne-Marie O'Connor, and her inspiration from the series came from a rather unexpected place — it all began with a dream! 

We caught up with Suranne to find out more about creating and starring in the three-part family drama...

Suranne Jones interview for Maryland

"She's become defined by that, and she's lost because she modelled herself on her mother, who also did that — but when she finds out her mother had a second life, Becca's world is completely blown-up because she's like, 'well, who did I model myself on, then? Who am I, if you're not that person?'. She feels very betrayed by her mother, and in turn her life gets blown apart — she goes through a journey where she has to rediscover herself."

• Maryland airs on ITV1 and ITVX from Monday, May 22 to Wednesday, May 24 at 9pm

Suranne Jones leads an all-star cast in Maryland, a new drama about a pair of sisters who've grown apart but learn to love and respect one another again through tragic events.

The BAFTA-winning star, who's recently appeared in hit shows Gentleman Jack and Vigil, co-wrote the series with Trollied creator Anne-Marie O'Connor and will also play a leading role. 

Explaining how she thought up the series, Suranne says: "It was a dream I had — I woke up and thought 'ooh, what was that weird dream about sisters in a house?' I got this little bit of paper and wrote 'sisters, house, double life', the very bare bones of the idea, and then I kind of rattled it around for a bit and then I wrote a page treatment. 

"I've known Anne-Marie for years, but we'd never worked together before, so we got on a call and she sent me a couple of scripts about a double life that she'd written and I thought, 'this is great' — and then she added in the Isle of Man, because she knows it really well and it felt very 'other' to what both our characters were used to. And that then became Maryland!"

Here's everything we know about the series, which was filmed last year in Ireland... 

Maryland release date

Maryland aired on on Monday, 22 May 2023 at 9 pm on ITV and concluded on Wednesday, 24 May 2023.  

The series is now available as a boxset on ITVX for those wanting to watch on demand. There's currently no news on whether the series will air in the US. 

Maryland plot

An ITV press release reads...

"Maryland introduces us to the characters of Becca and her sister, Rosaline, who have forged ahead with family lives and careers, growing distant through time and circumstance. But when the body of an older woman is discovered at sunrise on Laxey Beach in the Isle of Man, it brings devastating news for the sisters.

"Each sister flies out to the Isle of Man to discover and repatriate the body of their mother, Mary, who they learn has been living a double life, leaving their father Richard at home in Manchester, whilst creating another world for herself…Maryland. Confined on the island with each other, the sisters can’t escape the ripple effect of their mother’s secrets and lies."

Maryland cast

Suranne Jones will play "down-to-earth and Manchester-born" Becca, while House of the Dragon and Nurse Jackie star Eve Best will play her sister Rosaline. 

Oscar-nominated Stockard Channing (The Good Wife, The West Wing) will take on the role of Cathy, their mum’s larger-than-life, spiritual friend on the island. 

The rest cast will be completed by Hugh Quarshie (Stephen, Riches), Dean Lennox Kelly (Tom Jones, Jamestown) and Andrew Knott (Ackley Bridge, Tin Star). 

What happens in Maryland episode 1? 

Becca and Rosaline, two sisters living worlds apart in Manchester and London, receive the worst news imaginable about their mother, Mary. The pair are forced to fly to the Isle of Man, where unbeknownst to them, their mother had been living a secret, second life. The sisters have taken separate roads in life and found themselves further away from each other than ever before. As they navigate shock and grief over their mother’s clandestine decisions, old wounds are re-opened and tensions surface.

With the news about their mother weighing heavily on them, the sisters continue to fight their own private battles. Becca’s marriage to her husband Jim is an institution, but like any institution it has become subject to wear and tear. Not to mention their daughter Molly who is pushing her parents to the edge. Meanwhile Rosaline must deal with the stress of another health scare, which reawakens deeply held fears. Neither sister can share pieces of themselves with the other as they desperately attempt to maintain face.

What happens in Maryland episode 2?

Becca and Rosaline wake up to their new reality in Mary’s home on the Isle of Man, reeling from the shock of learning of their mother’s infidelity and cause of death. The sisters go looking for more answers from Pete and Cathy, the former revealing that Mary planned on moving to the island permanently. Both paint a picture of a woman the sisters don’t recognise. Rosaline is able to get closer to local cabbie Jacob following an emotional wobble, but efforts to connect with her father fall on deaf ears as Richard refuses to engage with Mary’s cause of death.

Meanwhile Becca and Jim continue to struggle to connect emotionally. Jim keeps Molly’s behaviour from Becca, and Becca struggles to be open about what she has learned about Mary. When Cathy reveals that Mary was sick the sisters are overwhelmed. Uncharacteristically Rosaline wants to talk it out but Becca stonewalls. This dynamic reaches its peak as the pair have a night out at a club and Becca’s embarrassing antics make Rosaline leave in protest. Rosaline seeks support from Jacob and the two open up to each other further. It’s the morning after the night before, and Becca must face the music… and her sister.

What happens in Maryland episode 3?

Everything comes to a head as Richard and Jim descend on Bayview, Mary’s house in the Isle of Man. Whilst the family tries to heal and reconnect, the fallout from Mary’s actions continue to reverberate…

Suranne Jones on Maryland

"Maryland delves into family dynamics and the way in which we ‘label’ each other, sometimes never letting ourselves or our siblings break free from those roles. We look at how we grow apart from one another and how sometimes we don’t really know anything about the people we call our own.

“I love how complex sibling relationships can be and I’m thrilled we get to do it over 3 wonderful hours and not as a ‘side story’. Maryland is an uncomfortable, funny and sometimes difficult story with two sisters at its heart and we can’t wait to take our audience along for the ride.”

Meanwhile, Anne Marie O'Connor, who created Sky comedy Trollied and has written and executive produced C4 comedy Hullraisers, added... 

“I’m thrilled to be working with Suranne and Monumental on Maryland and for ITV to have given us the opportunity to write a character-led show, at the heart of which is a love story about two sisters. 

"From the start, Suranne and I have wanted to tell a story about the roles that are ascribed to us in families — especially as women — and to look at the legacy of a woman who decided to step away from the traditional role but wasn't honest about her decision.”

Maryland trailer

Yes, one has finally arrived...

Suranne Jones has made her name playing strong women. But powerful 19th-century lesbian landowner Anne Lister in the period drama Gentleman Jack is her most spirited and irrepressible character to date. 

Written and directed by Happy Valley and Scott & Bailey creator Sally Wainwright, the star-studded eight-part series was inspired by Anne Lister’s encoded diaries found hidden behind paneling, in the 1930s, at Lister's home, Shibden Hall. The diaries (and the drama) explore how the shrewd businesswoman — who was dubbed ‘Gentleman Jack’ by her neighbors — romanced a string of women including the wealthy, but troubled, Ann Walker (Bodyguard’s Sophie Rundle).

Why Suranne Jones couldn’t say no to Gentleman Jack

TV Times: What do you love about playing Anne Lister?

Suranne Jones: “There’s so much to love! It feels really modern and fresh because she’s a woman in a man’s world. She’s a one-off character who is eccentric, unknowable, flawed, but true to herself.”

TV Times: How do you see her relationship with Ann Walker?

Suranne Jones: “There is a joyfulness about her love of women but there is such sadness when her heart gets broken a lot. Their relationship is so up and down all the time, but they have beautiful scenes together where Anne is unguarded."

TV Times: What do you make of Anne’s distinctive style?

Suranne Jones: “Her top half is very male and every new cast member who saw me with my collars and top hat on went, ‘Wow!’ I like to rehearse dressed as her because I  hold myself differently. Other people’s performances change too because she and the costume are so imposing. She is unaware of people’s personal space too. I can see other actors thinking, ‘Why is nobody telling her she is very close?!’”

TV Times: You worked with Sally Wainright on Unforgiven, Dead Clever and Scott & Bailey, have you enjoyed teaming up again?

Suranne Jones: “I wanted to work with Sally as a director because I’d only worked with her as a writer. She’s so clever. Sometimes she has to tell me, ‘That’s direct from the diary,’ because her writing is so seamless. I’ve had to somehow be a sponge to all of her 20 years of work on this.”

Gentleman Jack airs Sundays on BBC One (UK) and Mondays on HBO/HBO Max (US)

More Gentleman Jack

• Gentleman Jack season 2 first-look pictures
• Gentleman Jack creator Sally Wainwright tells us what's in store for Anne Lister
• Gentleman Jack season 2 episode 1 recap
• How to watch Gentleman Jack season 2 online

Doctor Foster viewers have been divided over the final episode of the second series and there is speculation as to whether it will return

Doctor Foster viewers have been divided over the final episode of the second series, with some calling the ending an “anticlimax". But can it return?

Gemma Foster (Suranne Jones) and her ex-husband Simon (Bertie Carvel) both survived, despite Simon trying to take his own life.

But the series ended with an unexpected plot twist, as their troubled teenage son Tom (Tom Taylor) ran away, the pressure of his parents’ constant warring having become too much for him to deal with.

For some fans, the lack of a death in the Doctor Foster finale was a disappointment.

One viewer wrote on Twitter: “Five whole episodes and not one main character died. Anticlimax.” Meanwhile another viewer said they thought the ending was “an absolute cop out”.

One suggested that “Tom should have died at the end” of the series, adding: “Harsh but would make for a far better finale. Only explanation I can think of is… series 3?”

For others, the dramatic scenes and possibility for a third series were welcomed with open arms.

“Excellent finale to #DoctorFoster,” one fan wrote. “Final shot made it feel like Tom really *was* missing. Superb acting by all, will miss dearly.”

Another said they were “broken” after the final episode and asked for more, adding that the cast have “been so amazing, gimme S3”.

Creator Mike Bartlett has hinted that a third series could be possible.

“You can see the ending,” Mike old RadioTimes.com. “Tom’s gone. So there’s a question mark. In a way that is a question mark at the end. And I think it works as an end to this series and all the things that have been going on. Clearly there’s potential there. But obviously there would have to be lots of conversations. We need to talk – Suranne and I and lots of other people need to have lots of conversations and we’ll see.”

However, the BBC seemed to imply on Twitter that series two could mark the end of the drama.

Whatever the future of the show, the fifth and final instalment of Doctor Foster was filled with plenty of dramatic ups and downs, with Simon nearly throwing himself into a busy road before Gemma talked him out of it.

After an awkward meal, Simon returned to his hotel room, where he almost succeeded in ending his life once again, this time with drugs given to him by Gemma. But she later begged him not to take his life and gave him a small photo frame with pictures of herself and Tom together in happier days.

Leaving the hotel, Gemma learned that Tom – who had been waiting in her car outside – had vanished and, in a message left on her voicemail, he announced he was leaving forever because he has “had enough” of her and Simon.

“You won’t see me again, it’ll be better,” he said.

Devastated at her son’s departure, Gemma was seen trying to move on with her life without him, before speaking directly to the camera to tell Tom he is welcome back whenever he wants to return.

Suranne Jones reveals third series of Doctor Foster looking unlikely for very long time as she's busy with film and theatre projects

Suranne Jones has given TV Times an interview about how the series will build up to an “amazing” finale and why a third series looks unlikely…for now at least

What’s the story?

Any doubts that the second series of BBC1 drama Doctor Foster couldn’t live up to the glorious heights and tumultuous twists of the first run, were quashed within seconds of the gripping opening episode.

The sequel is proving to be even more compelling, shocking – and downright outlandish! – as the battle between warring exes Gemma and Simon Foster, played sublimely by Suranne Jones and Bertie Carvel, has reached new levels of toxic hatred.

Here Suranne Jones gives TV Times an interview about what’s in store

TVT: Could there be a third series?

Suranne Jones: "I’m not sure unless you are talking about doing it in 10 years’ time! I am very busy next year with a film as well as a theatre project [West End thriller Frozen next spring, in which Suranne will play a mother whose daughter is abducted] and a TV show [Sally Wainwright’s BBC1 period drama Gentleman Jack]. So I don’t see where we could fit it in and writer Mike Bartlett has also got a million amazing projects on. I’m really happy that we all did what we did and we’ve moved on to do other stuff. Also, it’s such an amazing ending that I wouldn’t like to then just say, 'Now we’re doing another one.'"

TVT: This series has seen Gemma and Simon’s mutual loathing escalate. But do they still have romantic feelings towards each other too?

SJ: When they were together, Gemma thought they had a loving relationship and now she has unresolved sexual energy and where does she put that? Also your head says you hate someone but your body betrays that, so there is a darker sexual tension going on under the hatred…

TVT: Gemma was the wronged woman in series one. But are they as bad as each other now?

SJ: Gemma hasn’t behaved well but this time, I looked at her and Simon and thought, ‘You’re both really hurt,’ and I hadn’t realised that before, because I’m usually concerned with what a swine Simon is! Now it makes more sense where we go towards in the finale because you’re looking at vulnerable, damaged people and what betrayal does to a person.

TVT: Will viewers be satisfied with next week’s final episode?

SJ: It ends in a place where it is uncomfortable and hopefully the audience will be glad that we’ve ended it there and realise why we thought it was important to do a second series. There is also an amazing set piece scene in the finale that just features three characters and it’s Mike’s best writing of the whole two series.

TVT: Was it tough going back to filming Doctor Foster after having your baby [Suranne has an 18-month-old son with husband Laurence Akers]?

SJ: I went back to work after six months and I was still quite hormonal but it was good because I couldn’t take anything home with me emotionally once I had a baby plonked in my arms. He also came on set with me and there is a brilliant picture of me carrying him when he is full of a cold and I am trying to be Gemma and pretend that I haven’t got a baby on my hip. All I could hear was, ‘Aww’ from the crew – he was taking my limelight away because he looks much better than I do!

TVT: Has being a mum changed the way you approached playing Gemma?

SJ: I’ve played mums before I was a mum but it makes you realise the enormity of seeing your marriage falling apart if you have a child, which I didn’t understand before. Also, I just look at Tom Taylor, who plays my son Tom, and if my own son grows up to be gorgeous and brilliant like him, I will be very happy!

TVT: Gemma is an amazing character, what impact has playing her had on your career?

SJ: I was an executive producer on ITV drama Scott & Bailey and being the executive producer again on this gave me the confidence to continue developing shows and I now have my own production company and write myself. Doctor Foster has also given me the confidence to take risks more because I don’t want to play it safe any more and when you get a Bafta for something like Doctor Foster you realise, ‘OK, risk-taking is good!’

TVT: Where do you keep your Bafta?

SJ: I had it underneath the fireplace but then my baby got interested in it so I put it on top of the fireplace and then I went into mother panic that he’d pull it down so now it is upstairs in the office. I’d like to put it in the loo though because that’s the thing that people do!

Suranne Jones is about to tread the boards in a new West End play. The actress has been cast a mother whose child goes missing in the new production of the play Frozen.

Doctor Foster actress Suranne Jones has signed up to star in another psychological thriller – this time on stage.

Suranne, 39, has been cast as Nancy, a mother whose child goes missing in the new production of the play Frozen, in London’s West End.

W1A, Line Of Duty and Taboo actor Jason Watkins will also star in Bryony Lavery’s award-winning play.

Frozen tackles issues of “retribution, remorse and redemption” in the “interwoven lives of three strangers as they try to make sense of the unimaginable” after a young girl walks to visit her grandmother one sunny evening but does not arrive.

Ex-Scott & Bailey and Coronation Street actress Jones’s previous theatre credits include A Few Good Men, with Rob Lowe, for which she received a Theatregoers’ Choice Award.

Watkins, 51, who starred in The Lost Honour Of Christopher Jefferies, has appeared in more than 70 plays and was nominated for an Olivier Award in 2001.

Frozen was commissioned by Birmingham Repertory Theatre, and a production on Broadway was nominated for four Tony Awards in the US.

Directed by Jonathan Munby,  whose credits include King Lear starring Sir Ian McKellen, the play opens at the Theatre Royal Haymarket for a 12-week run from Friday February 9 next year.

Suranne Jones on the trials of taking her baby son on the set of Doctor Foster

Suranne Jones admits she has found it tough filming the second series of Doctor Foster after becoming a mum.

The actress, who plays adultery victim GP Gemma Foster in the hit drama, gave birth in March 2016 to her first child, a baby boy, with her husband Laurence Akers and was back filming the second series of the tense thriller six months later.

"I was quite hormonal still and didn’t know about childcare. I wanted him to go into a nursery and then I would get home after work and it would be great," Suranne told What’s On TV. "But I didn’t know that when you put babies in nursery they get ill all the time and then they don’t go to nursery so we ended up with nannies on set."

However, having the little boy nearby during filming resulted in a juggling act for the star.

"You just get on with it, but there is a brilliant picture of me carrying him down a corridor when he is full of a cold and I am trying to be Gemma and pretend that I haven’t got a baby on my hip!" she laughed. "I was trying to be serious and do my job, but all I could hear was 'Awww' from all the crew. He was taking all my limelight away!"

The youngster, whose name Suranne has not publicly announced, also played a role in deciding where she would put the Bafta award that she won for the first series.

"I had it underneath the fireplace but then my baby got interested in it so then I put it on top of the fireplace and then because it is so heavy, I went into mother panic that he would pull it down so now it is upstairs in the office," she said. "I would like to put it in the loo though because that is the thing that people do!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMNlKJ020KM

Doctor Foster premieres on BBC1 on Tuesday, September 5 at 9pm

The young Doctor Foster star has just made his first blockbuster, but already has his eye on the types of challenging roles he wants in the future

Tom Taylor resumes his role as Gemma and Simon's son Tom, in series two of Doctor Foster. But given the success of the first series it's unsurprising the 16-year-old actor is thinking about what he could do next.

He revealed: "I would like to continue getting into the minds of different characters and playing different...I would hopefully like to play a psychopath or something. Or a murderer and get into that mind and see what goes on in their heads."

We wonder if Suranne Jones' and Bertie Carvel's warring characters in Doctor Foster played any influence on this.

Since the first series screened, Tom has worked alongside Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey in The Dark Tower, which is currently in cinemas.

He explained that shooting for TV and film were very different and that he enjoyed the pace of television, but bonded with the film cast while in Cape Town, South Africa.

He said: "I did four months of filming for Dark Tower for an hour and a half film. Whereas [Doctor Foster] was four months filming and five hours of footage. So you feel the buzz when you come into television."

Speaking about why Doctor Foster was so popular, Tom had similar thoughts to his on-screen mum Suranne.

Read More...

FIRST LOOK: Suranne Jones features in blood-dripping Doctor Foster picture

Bertie Carvel: Simon is 'trying to take the wheel' as Doctor Foster returns (VIDEO)

Doctor Foster returns! Suranne Jones: 'If Gemma had therapy we wouldn't have series 2' (VIDEO)'

Doctor Foster's Suranne Jones: Becoming a mum made me realise the 'enormity' of a marriage falling apart (VIDEO)

He said: "It is like every couple's worst nightmare, or every family's worst nightmare. To watch something where you are watching it thinking 'oh bloody hell, I hope this isn't happening to me'. You can kind of see why the audience is so attracted to it."

Tom alongside Suranne Jones (Gemma) and Bertie Carvel (Simon)

Tom added: "You kind of just get absorbed into the drama. You just hope that would never happen to you. But you don't want to not watch it because it is so dramatic. And I think that is what the audience loved about it."

As with series one, it seems viewers can expect to be kept on the edge of their seat.

Tom said: "There is quite a lot of secrets in this so it is tempting to just spoil it for everyone, isn't it? Just ruins everyone's day..."

He joked: "It is, it has got a lot of secrets in. When you watch it, they come, you realise them and... I don't want to spoil anything, I'm tempted, but I won't!"

Doctor Foster series two premieres on BBC1 at 9pm on 5 September

Interview by Caren Clark 

His character divided the nation but Bertie Carvel says Simon is working hard to present himself well in series two. Has he REALLY changed?

With less than two weeks until Doctor Foster series two hits the screens, What's On TV caught up with on-screen bad boy Bertie Carvel, to get the scoop on what's to come.

The first series ended explosively with Simon's affair being exposed and his and Gemma's (Suranne Jones) marriage ending in a bitter divorce.

On this series, Bertie explained, '[Simon] has more of an agenda. He has gone away, started a new life, put himself back together, well or badly, time will tell..."

Bertie added: "He is trying to take the wheel."

In episode one of series 2, we can expect to see Simon 'working hard to present himself again' says Bertie. "He is kind of manicured metaphorically."

But will it be enough to sway the hardcore viewers loyal to Gemma? Who knows...

Read More...

FIRST LOOK: Suranne Jones features in blood-dripping Doctor Foster picture

Series two of Doctor Foster is ‘a separate story’ says its star Suranne Jones

Revealed! What to expect in Doctor Foster series 2

Jodie Comer teases Doctor Foster Series 2: 'Viewers will see things from Kate's perspective' (VIDEO)

Doctor Foster returns! Suranne Jones: 'If Gemma had therapy we wouldn't have series 2' (VIDEO)'

Suranne Jones: 'Doctor Foster 2 is like a contemporary Western. It's two people at war'

Doctor Foster's Suranne Jones: Becoming a mum made me realise the 'enormity' of a marriage falling apart (VIDEO)

One thing for sure is that viewers will be left to make up their own minds.

Bertie explained: "This show is a bit like the moral equivalent of a hand-held camera. You know it is not a neat tracking shot that tells you where to look. There is a sense that you might catch things out of the corner of your eye. That is what I like about being in it."

The second series is very much focused around how two people who have a child together interact after their marriage has fallen apart.

Bertie Carvel alongside his on-screen ex-wife and son Suranne Jones and Tom Taylor

Bertie described Simon's relationship with on-screen son Tom, played by Tom Taylor, as 'hugely valuable'.

He said: "He [Simon] loves Tom very deeply and fully. I think one of the key narrative themes of the show is 'what is it like two years after that happens to your family and what happens next'?"

"How does someone like Simon continue to be a parent?"

We will just have to tune in to see if Simon and Gemma pull it off!

Doctor Foster series 2 screens on BBC1 at 9pm on 5 September

Interview by Caren Clark

Suranne Jones reveals who in the Doctor Foster cast she hopes her son will take after and how becoming a mum influenced her approach to the series.

It has been a long two years since Doctor Foster first got the nation hooked. During this time actress Suranne Jones, Gemma, became a mother for the first time.

Speaking to What's On TV, Suranne revealed how this milestone also shaped her approach to Doctor Foster series 2.

She said: "Of course I could have done it if I hadn't of become a mum but I think that becoming a mum makes you understand the enormity of what would happen if your marriage fell apart and you have a child, which I perhaps didn't understand before."

The BAFTA-winning actress and her husband, Laurence Akers, welcomed their little boy to the world in June 2016. She went back to work after six months and admits that she was still quite hormonal.

However, during the interview Suranne revealed there is someone in the Doctor Foster cast she hopes her little one will take after...

Suranne gushed: "If my son grows up to be anything like Tom Taylor [her on-screen son], the actor, who's gorgeous and brilliant I will be very happy."

As for her other cast members, it seems Suranne was able to have a little more fun with actor Bertie Carvel off-screen than their tense relationship on-screen might suggest.

Suranne recalled one example where she got Bertie to join in planking (an exercise move designed to build core strength) between shots.

She said: "He [Bertie] just came along and did like five, a five-minute plank within like, with no practice what so ever!"

Suranne speculated: "I think he is quite fit under that jacket!"

She also revealed that although the two have a great relationship off-screen she struggles to detach when she watches Bertie on screen.

She said: "I love working with him, but he has this thing when you watch him...I hate Simon when I watch him on screen and at the same time this series I kind of cared for him as well."

Based on how series one finished we are not sure we will feel the same...

Doctor Foster will return to BBC1 in early September

Interview by Caren Clark

In a video interview with What's On TV Suranne Jones reveals that Doctor Foster series two is even darker than the first...

With new pictures and trailers for Doctor Foster series 2 trickling through it is safe to say excitement is growing... and What's on TV caught up with the star Suranne Jones.

If the first series left you wondering what the future was for Gemma (Suranne) and Simon, played by Bertie Carvel, you were not alone.

But in fact, Suranne didn't think there was a second series in it at first.

Speaking to What's On TV, the actress revealed that it was Mike Bartlett, the show's writer, who convinced her there was a second series to the first, which explored an explosive adultery and revenge storyline for the married couple.

Suranne explained series two explores how people can never really separate if they have a child.

She said: "It's about when Simon comes back into Gemma's life and how two people who hate each other navigate their situation when everyone else has looked the other way."

Suranne explained that the thrill of the first series was the affair, but the second series also contained lots of twists and turns.

She said: "There is a darker sexual tension and I think sex and hate work really well together in the hands of Mike Bartlett on a TV show."

The actress joked that if Gemma had received therapy a second series might not have happened. She revealed that Gemma 'channels her hatred and it's this town ain't big enough for the both of us'.

As for why Suranne thinks Doctor Foster is so gripping, she says it is down to the fact that people can relate to it.

Tell us your thoughts...

What did you like most about Doctor Foster series one and what are you hoping from series two? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below, or join the conversation on our Facebook page

She said: "You know you can sit on your sofa and go 'Oh My god, what if that happened to me? We are... Simon and Gemma are everybody."

Suranne added: "You know, and I think that is the beauty of it, that you are sat kind of thinking well if my life fell apart what would I do?"

Doctor Foster series 2 is likely to premiere on BBC1 in early September.

Interview by Caren Clark

Producers have teased the return of Doctor Foster with a grisly new image

Actress Suranne Jones takes centre stage in a chilling new image released in the lead-up to series two of hit 2015 drama Doctor Foster.

The award-winning BBC1 show’s return this year will see Suranne return to her role as Dr Gemma Foster, determined to expose her cheating husband while keeping her medical career intact.

The foreboding image shows a vengeful Jones lifting her hand to her face, with blood dripping from a deep cut where her wedding ring should be.

Season two will also see the return of The Crown star Bertie Carvel, playing Suranne’s on-screen husband Simon Foster, as well as Robert Pugh (Jack Reynolds), Adam James (Neil) and Jodie Comer (Kate Parks).

Broadcasting later this summer, the show will pick up two years on from the original five-part series, and the consequences of Gemma’s actions on Simon and their son Tom, after she went to extreme lengths to exact revenge on her unfaithful spouse.

Watch red carpet interviews with Suranne Jones, The Crown star Claire Foy and Joanna Lumley

Suranne Jones says she hopes the upcoming second series of her BBC1 divorce drama Doctor Foster will be better and different from the the first, hit series.

She said on the red carpet at the Bafta TV Awards: "I think it's definitely AS good, I'm hoping it will be better, different. It's kind of two people at war, so Mike Bartlett wrote it as a contemporary Western, and it does feel like that."

Suranne, who won a Bafta for her performance in 2016, continued: "Gemma and Simon, when people aren't looking, after a divorce, what happens to people who essentially still hate each other, haven't sorted out their issues and have a child to look after.

"It's really brave, different and pushes the boundaries of family drama."

On Sunday night Joanna Lumley received a Bafta Fellowship for her TV career and said: "It's just completely overwhelming, completely unexpected, and... at the same time pride and humility all rolled into one. Proud that you could even be noticed in the crowd of actors and humble because I know it's huge."

Watch the red carpet interviews with Suranne Jones, Claire Foy and Joanna Lumley, above.

We unveil what we know so far about the much-anticipated second season of the BBC1 thriller starring Suranne Jones

Doctor Foster – The story so far...

SPOILER ALERT: If you haven’t seen series one, stop reading now!

The BBC1 thriller was a hit when it screened in September 2015, with viewers gripped as they followed Suranne Jones’s character, GP Gemma Foster, as she discovered her husband Simon (Bertie Carvel) was having an affair with younger woman Kate (Jodie Comer).

More than 10 million of us watched the tense finale to see Gemma confront Simon and Kate at the most awkward dinner party in TV history, and the drama ended with Simon and his pregnant mistress leaving town together.

Series two was quickly given the go-ahead, but filming was put on hold until last autumn as Suranne welcomed her first child in March.

Who’s back?  

Suranne, of course, returns as scorned Gemma, along with Bertie and Jodie. Neil Stuke and Sara Stewart reprise their roles as Kate’s parents Chris and Susie.

"I’m thrilled we will all be reunited to tell Gemma’s next chapter, and I can’t wait for the audience, who invested in these characters, to find out the explosive twists and turns writer Mike Bartlett has in store," says Suranne.

Gemma’s out for revenge

The second series again comprises five episodes and, while exact plot details are a closely guarded secret, we do know that the action will pick up two years on and time definitely hasn’t healed old wounds.

"Now we can look into what happens to a woman after divorce, deceit and revenge has taken their toll…" hints Suranne.

Meanwhile, writer Mike Bartlett teases that the new series will explore the far-reaching effects of Simon’s infidelity and Gemma’s hate-fuelled revenge.

"Gemma’s life in Parminster may look better on the surface, but as she will discover to her cost, every action has its consequences eventually. No one comes through hell unscathed," he said.

Expect more Kate

Jodie tells us that she’s looking forward to viewers finding out more about ‘other woman’ Kate this time. "The thing I’m most excited about is that I feel the audience will get to see more from Kate’s perspective," said Jodie. "She was judged a lot, which is very fair, but this season may give a different side to her."

So, when’s it on?

The BBC released a teaser trailer for Doctor Foster last year to stoke the fire, and sources say it will be screening later this year. Watch this space!

https://youtu.be/3h9-kpiV9X0

Sally Lindsay talks about her pal Jo Joyner joining Mount Pleasant and her best mate Suranne Jones having a baby!

Sally Lindsay and Jo Joyner became good friends after working on BBC1 drama Ordinary Lies, so Sally was over the moon when the former EastEnders star joined Mount Pleasant for the new series.

"For years Jo and I have been going for the same parts, but it was so good to finally work with her on Ordinary Lies," Sally told What's on TV. "She said she'd love to be on a show like Mount Pleasant and then when I heard she was joining the show I couldn't believe it!"

Jo will be playing the ex-wife of show regular Fergus and is sure to stir things up in Mount Pleasant Close when she makes her first appearance in the second episode.

Against all odds both women are also mothers to twins, with Jo's kids a year older than Sally's five year-olds, yet Jo isn't the only one of Sally's close friends to recently have a baby and the Mount Pleasant star was delighted to hear of Suranne Jones's new arrival.

"Me and Suranne have been best friends for so long," explains Sally. "She's taken to motherhood like a duck to water. She's brilliant! She still sends me pictures of him and I'll send her pictures of the twins back!"

Catch Jo Joyner's arrival in Episode 2 of Mount Pleasant, on Tuesday September 6 at 9pm Sky1.

BBC1's Doctor Foster, which stars Suranne Jones, has continued its winning streak by claiming best TV drama at the South Bank Sky Arts Awards.

The 37-year-old actress, who plays a GP with suspicions that her husband is having an affair in the drama, said it was a special award because it felt like recognition for the whole team.

Holding the trophy aloft, the actress, who first became a household name as Karen McDonald in Coronation Street, said: “We’re going to take it and love it and look at it and hopefully produce a Doctor Foster two with as much love and care.”

Suranne Jones (Anthony Devlin/PA)

The actress, who also stars in Scott & Bailey, has already won a BAFTA TV award for her leading role in the series which was also nominated as best mini-series.

Here’s What's on TV's no-frills guide who won what at the BAFTA TV Awards tonight

Leading Actor went to Mark Rylance for Wolf Hall

Leading Actress went to Suranne Jones for Doctor Foster

Supporting Actor went to Tom Courtenay for Unforgotten

Supporting Actress was won by Chanel Cresswell for This Is England ‘90

Entertainment Performance was picked up by Leigh Francis for Celebrity Juice

Female Performance in a Comedy Programme was awarded to Michaela Coel for Chewing Gum

The Male Performance in a Comedy Programme gong was given to Peter Kay for Peter Kay’s Car Share

The Single Drama category was awarded to BBC3’s Don’t Take My Baby

Mini-series winners were This Is England ‘90

The Drama Series accolade went to Wolf Hall

EastEnders walked away with the coveted Soap and Continuing Drama award

International accolade went to Transparent

Factual Series was presented to The Murder Detectives

Specialist Factual was won by Britain’s Forgotten Slave Owners

My Son The Jihadi got the trophy for Single Documentary

Ever-popular The Great British Bake Off won the Features category

First Dates picked up Reality & Constructed Factual

Outbreak: The Truth About Ebola (This World) won Current Affairs

Channel 4 News: Paris Massacre was presented with the News Coverage award

The Ashes/Sky Sports were bowled over when they were crowed champions of Sport

Big Blue Live picked up the Live Event accolade

Entertainment Programme was presented to Strictly Come Dancing

Have I Got News For You picked up the Comedy and Comedy Entertainment Programme crown

The Scripted Comedy award went to Peter Kay’s Car Share

Poldark was presented with the Radio Times Audience Award, voted for by the public

Suranne Jones has promised that Doctor Foster will be just as nail-biting the second time around when the jaw-dropping drama returns to BBC1 later this year.

Suranne, who gave birth to her first child last month, revealed that after reading the scripts for the show’s second series, she was left stunned.

“I’ve read episode one and... it’s pretty good!” she said. “My reaction was, ‘Oh My God, are you serious?’ So yeah... it’s good!”

Suranne, 37, added that series two is a “separate story” from its predecessor, and will follow the “trauma” of a divorce fall-out.

“That had only just been touched on [in the first series] - so yeah, we start with the trauma and what happens in the period after,” she added.

Suranne’s comments, in the Daily Express, come after she admitted to being initially reluctant to reprise her role as the heroine, who thrust brutal revenge on her cheating husband Simon (Bertie Carvel).

The former Coronation Street star explained: “[It was] because my story had finished, but then when they told me what they wanted to do with it, I felt that nothing had been done on television like it.”

Suranne, currently on TV in Scott & Bailey, recently confirmed filming for Doctor Jones’ next chapter will begin this September.

“Hopefully my baby brain will have gone by then - because learning lines is hard enough... but I’ve been getting to sleep and then waking up at 2.00am!” she revealed.

Doctor Foster is nominated for Best Short Series at this year’s Television BAFTA Awards in London against This Is England ’90, London Spy and The Enfield Haunting.

Suranne is also nominated in the Best Actress category against Ruth Madeley (Don’t take My Baby), Claire Foy (Wolf Hall) and Sheridan Smith (The C Word).

As Scott & Bailey returns to ITV for a new three-part series on Wednesday (April 13), Suranne Jones reveals how Rachel Bailey's hiding a dark secret...

What has detective Rachel Bailey been up to since we last saw her? And what's her relationship like with DS Janet Scott (Lesley Sharp) when she returns?

"Rachel's been away for a year, working with the Vice team down in London. In that time, Rachel and Janet haven't been in touch that much simply because they've both been busy, so they've got to find their feet with each other again. Scott & Bailey's always been about the love story between these two friends."

What do you mean by that?

"Well, it's just a real relationship. They don't have men in their lives that 'work', yet they work and it's nice. Scott & Bailey has always been about the women, and the actual crime is almost secondary. And it's the same again – there's definitely a heavier focus towards the relationship."

Indeed, Scott & Bailey has always focused on Rachel and Janet's personal lives outside of their work. What can we expect when the three-part series begins this week?

"We find out Rachel's got a secret – let's just say, she's come back having had a really good time in London! Meanwhile, there's a personal trauma for Janet. Because she's been working 24/7, she may have taken her eye off the ball a bit with her family life. Janet's now forced to focus on that."

At work, Rachel's back on Syndicate 9's murder squad as Acting Detective Inspector. How is this new role a challenge for her?

"Rachel comes back with a bit of chip on her shoulder – she thinks she's been out in the big wide world and learned a lot and now she's back working with a team who really know her and how take the mick, so it's hard. She also takes an instant dislike to new recruit DC Anna Ram (played by ex-Holby City actress Jing Lusi) – she doesn't take kindly to her inappropriate banter."

Rachel with a chip on her shoulder… surely not!

"I know – when hasn't she had a chip on her shoulder? She's rude at the best of times and she's got no social skills whatsoever. When we were developing this series, we played with the fact that Rachel had grown up – but it didn't really work!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNVg3bdMwlE

This series of Scott & Bailey follows one case all the way through. What can you tell us about it?

"It's a very dark and sinister serial killer case, opening up a disturbing and terrifying world hidden online. Rachel has the skills to lead the case, but it's a massive investigation so, for all her bolshiness, she actually feels very insecure that she can't handle it. It's like they're almost not dealing with real people; everything's playing out on a computer screen and that's the scary thing. There's lots at stake for Rachel."

While making this series, did you learn anything about internet crime that really shocked you?

"Yeah, some of the stuff you agree to on your phone actually gives access to people listening in, who might be recording things or taking personal information. You don't know what you're agreeing to half the time on emails or on updates and you're allowing all kinds of things in. It's scary."

Do you always enjoy reuniting with Lesley for the show?

"Oh yeah! Lesley and I are like a pair of comfy old slippers you can just put on. I always see us coming back in 20 years time, when we're old and grey, and doing a 'Scott & Bailey meets Rosemary and Thyme' type of show. Even at 70, Rachel still won't have grown up – she'll still be drinking and going crazy!"

Finally, congratulations on your Best Drama Performance win for Doctor Foster at the National TV Awards earlier this year…

“Oh, thank you. When I signed up for Doctor Foster, it sounded like a good programme but, when you say it's a drama about a couple and one has an affair, it didn’t sound as exciting as it was. But people really got behind it and I'm delighted we're making another one."

Doctor Foster star Suranne Jones is celebrating the birth of her baby boy.

Suranne, 37, only revealed a couple of months ago that she and husband Laurence Akers were expecting their first child, after marrying in August 2015.

She confirmed that they had become parents last week, after she missed the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards on March 12.

According to The Sun, Suranne revealed her baby news in a pre-recorded video to accept the Best Actress award for Doctor Foster.

“Sorry I can’t be there but I have a good excuse,” she told the audience.

Suranne with husband Laurence at the National Television Awards in January

In a statement to the Mirror, Suranne’s representative said: “Suranne and Laurence were delighted to welcome their son into the world last week.”

It was at another awards ceremony – the National Television Awards in January, where she won Best Drama Performance for Doctor Foster – that Suranne announced her pregnancy. Pointing to her tummy, she told the crowd, “Yeah, I’m pregnant.”

Suranne is due to start filming series 2 of Doctor Foster in September.

    •    ‘Most’ of cast returning

    •    ‘Continuation’ of story

    •    Filming starts September

More than 10 million of us tuned in to see scorned GP Gemma Foster’s private life implode in spectacular fashion in last year's unforgettable finale of hit BBC1 drama Doctor Foster.

We’ve since been promised a second series with ‘explosive twists’, dealing with ‘what happens to a woman after divorce, when deceit and revenge have taken their toll.’

But what could possibly happen next?

We have our own theories (click here for TV Times’ six ideas for shocking storylines), and this week we tracked down star Suranne Jones to ask her what she knows…

‘I can’t say much, only that most of the original cast are returning,’ Suranne tells TV Times Online.

‘It’s not going to be a whole new ball game, it’s a continuation of Gemma and Simon’s story, but it’s a different stage in their life.’

Which would suggest that Gemma’s cheating husband Simon (played by Bertie Carvel), who was last seen living a separate life with his pregnant mistress, is still on the scene?

‘Yes he is – as far as I know, that’s the plan,’ confirms Suranne.

The Scott & Bailey star admits she had her doubts about signing up for a second series.

‘Our writer Mike Bartlett said he didn’t want to end it where he had stopped, he wanted to look at how their lives would be affected by the drama of what had happened, but I was a bit reticent at first.’

‘It was so successful, I just wondered what the hook would be to keep people coming back to this relationship.

‘Then I went out for dinner with Mike and the team and they told me what they had planned. I thought it sounded great, and actually like something we haven’t explored in a couple before, so I said yes and we start filming in September.’

Suranne will be an Associate Producer on the hotly anticipated second series, which will once again air on BBC1. TV Times and millions of others cannot wait!

EMMA BULLIMORE

The BBC has prescribed another series of its hit show Doctor Foster.

Suranne Jones will reprise her role as scorned wife and GP Gemma Foster for the second series of the five-part drama, which was created by Mike Bartlett and first aired on BBC One in September.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h9-kpiV9X0&feature=oembed

Suranne said: “I am thrilled to announce we will all be reunited to tell Gemma’s next chapter, and I can’t wait for the audience who invested in these characters to find out the explosive twists and turns Mike has in store.

“Now we can look into what happens to a woman after divorce, deceit and revenge has taken its toll… What a gift of a part and a dream to work with Mike Bartlett again!”

More than 10.1 million viewers tuned in for the explosive finale in October, which saw Gemma confront her husband Simon (Bertie Carvel) over his adultery – in front of his lover.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBakNe4akHY&feature=oembed

Doctor Foster, which had a consolidated weekly audience of 8.2 million, was the highest-rating BBC drama this year after Call The Midwife.

Writer Bartlett said: “I’ve been astounded by the response to Doctor Foster. So I’m thrilled that, alongside (producers) Drama Republic and the phenomenal Suranne Jones, we’re now going to tell the next chapter in Gemma’s story.

“Her life in Parminster may look better on the surface but, as she will discover to her cost, every action has its consequences eventually. No one comes through hell unscathed.”

Twisty-turny shocker Doctor Foster was the surprise hit drama of the Autumn.

TV Times loved it and we, along with millions of others, want more!

Here are our 6 suitably outrageous storyline ideas for series two. Help yourself BBC1 - just make it happen!

Let us know below what YOU think should happen next....

1  Simon wants Doctor Foster back!

Cheating husband Simon Foster realises he's made a huge mistake and, behind his

girlfriend Kate's back (of course), he tries to win back Doctor Gemma Foster.

Gemma sets him ridiculous tasks to prove his love (run naked through Tesco, etc) and then rejects him anyway.

2  Simon is not the father of Kate's baby…

…philandering neighbour Neil is the daddy!

3  Doctor Foster's son Tom has grown up and is having a revenge fling with Kate

Getting it on with the woman who broke up your parents' marriage is wrong,

complicated, and actually pretty mild for Doctor Foster.

4  Kate's mum Susie tries to seduce Simon

Just to prove he's not to be trusted with anyone, you understand. Simon rejects Susie but they are caught in what looks like a compromising

position by Kate. And she tells her dad Chris....

5  Chris frames Simon for murder…

… and Doctor Foster has the vital evidence that will get Simon off the hook - but will she help him...?

6  Doctor Foster finds a new "perfect" boyfriend

But poor poor Gemma, eventually, finds out he used to be a she and had a baby with..... guess who!

Doctor Foster then gives up and becomes a nun. The end.

What do you think should happen next? Let us know below…

Suranne Jones has revealed she visited a real GP’s surgery to prepare for playing one in new BBC1 drama Doctor Foster.

The former star of Coronation Street and Scott & Bailey plays Gemma Foster in the new series, a GP whose seemingly perfect life is thrown into disarray when she suspects her husband of an affair.

Suranne revealed to research the role she visited a GP surgery and “sat in a corner like some mad actress writing stuff down, as people were opening up and having blood tests and doing pee samples”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h9-kpiV9X0&feature=oembed

“I felt very awkward, but privileged to be in there as well,” she confessed.

Suranne, 37, also watched the fly-on-the-wall Channel 5 series, GPs: Behind Closed Doors.

“My husband would come in and I’d be crying at all these real people in intimate situations,” she revealed.

Suranne admitted she found being the star of the drama very demanding, but the toll it took on her actually helped her performance.

Suranne plays GP Doctor Foster in the new BBC show (Des Willie/BBC)

She explained: “I think in the whole five hours, there are about four scenes I’m not in.

“Filming-wise, it’s been like The Truman Show. I’ve never done anything like that before. The big projects I’ve done have always been shared.”

“The more extreme she got, the more exhausted I was getting,” she added.

“According to the execs, that actually worked really well. I think they were basically saying I looked really tired and terrible, which was great!”

Doctor Foster begins on BBC 1, on Wednesday, September 9, 9.00pm.

When TV Times meets up with Suranne Jones for a chat about her new drama Doctor Foster (Wednesday, September 16), she’s concerned that the BBC1 thriller, about a GP who thinks her husband is having an affair, might cause friction in households across the country.

The five-part series centres on popular GP Gemma Foster, who lives in the fictional town of Parminster with her husband Simon, played by Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell’s Bertie Carvel, and their 11-year-old son Tom. Suranne, 37, reveals more...

What is your character like?

“She’s a busy doctor, wife and mother and is trying to be a pillar of the community. She works long hard hours and supports her family and she is juggling everything. But she has a happy marriage, she likes her patients and it’s all working well.”

How does she react?

“Her gut tells her that something isn’t right, but she starts to behave in unusual, difficult and inappropriate ways and crosses the lines of professionalism. The beauty of this piece is that it shows what suspicions can do to an everywoman because it pulls out extreme parts of your personality. Because of her questionable behaviour, she might not remain an innocent in viewers’ eyes. She has things of her own to hide…”

Is this like other medical shows?

“People said it was going to be the new Doc Martin and it is so not that! I sat in on a practice meeting and then with patients. Some were so ill that they didn’t care that there was an actress in the corner writing while they were opening up and having blood tests and doing pee samples. I felt awkward but privileged to be there. I also watched a brilliant Channel 5 series, GPs: Behind Closed Doors, and my real husband used to come in and find me crying at all these real-life situations.”

Does you own home life differ from Gemma’s?

“I’ve never experienced what Gemma goes through, and thankfully I’m in a very happy marriage, but if I wasn’t, it would have been harder to film. Two of my acquaintances have been through something similar. One did regrettable things and thought she was going mad checking emails and statements and a friend of a friend got a private investigator to follow their partner. If you’re going to do that, you shouldn’t be with them. I’m very black and white, if your relationship isn’t trustful, then don’t stay in it.”

Was the shoot tough?

“I didn’t realise I’d be in every scene, although I should have known by the title! I do look exhausted on screen by the end, but that works for the character.”

Are you looking forward to filming the Scott & Bailey special?

“It’s great to be back. I love working with Lesley and because it’s a three-parter, we can tell one story.  Rachel has been away working in vice so it’s about well-loved characters who haven’t seen each other for a while coming back for a case, which is interesting, because they might have changed.”

This time it must be extra special for you because you’re an executive producer?

“It is great to help create the stories. I’ve always been heavily involved, but I’ve now got a title!”

Popular Suranne Jones crime drama Scott & Bailey is tor return for a standalone, three-part special featuring a single crime story.

The three-part format will allow the story to unfold with scale and ambition as Scott & Bailey tackle one of the biggest and darkest cases they have ever had to face.

Suranne said: “I’m very excited to be returning to the series as Rachel Bailey and this time to be working alongside Nicola Shindler as an executive producer."

Nicola, Red Production Company founder, said: "We’re delighted to be returning to Scott & Bailey with an investigation that will have everlasting consequences for the characters. This series is more ambitious and sinister than ever before and the concept of a three-part story allows us the opportunity to tackle a story of epic scale and ambition."

Both Suranne and Lesley Sharp return to the roles of the unflappable Scott and her hotheaded partner DS Bailey, the crime-solving duo who have been together for popular series since its launch on ITV in 2011.

The three-part drama sees the return of Rachel to Syndicate 9’s Murder Squad, joining Janet (Lesley Sharp) and the squad in a terrifying and sinister internet crime investigation of epic scale and unrelenting horror. Using her Vice authorisation, Rachel accesses a disturbing world where people brag about committing murder and lay down the gauntlet for the next victim. 

A game of ruthless life or death daring develops, as Scott & Bailey investigate multiple killers with horrifying consequences. They will be changed forever and the investigation will take a devastating toll on their private, professional and personal lives.

There's no broadcast date for the new series of Scott & Bailey.

This Christmas is looking grim for Tracy Barlow… No man, no money, no hope.

Ten years ago, though, it was even worse. Tracy (Kate Ford) thought “barren Karen” had killed her daughter, Amy… and she wanted to kill Karen!

Armed with a lump hammer, Tracy trapped Karen (Suranne Jones) - Steve McDonald's (Simon Gregson) wife at the time - on the roof of the factory and told her: “The only way is down, Karen, and you won’t be needing the stairs.”

Treat yourself to another taste of that Christmas drama below.

http://youtube.com/v/KRz2Z5o4kFs

This year’s Coronation Street Christmas build-up continues on ITV, Sunday, December 7, 7.00pm

Suranne Jones has revealed the cast of Scott & Bailey staged their own Bake Offs on the set of the series - complete with celebrity judge.

The 36-year-old actress stars with Lesley Sharp and Amelia Bullmore in the ITV crime drama, which is returning for a fourth series.

“Oh God, we had 50 cakes at the last bake-off,” says Suranne, “because all the crew joined in as well. It was just brilliant.

“Russell T Davies [former Doctor Who writer] came to judge our competition and he was off his head on sugar when I saw him because he tasted 50 cakes!” Suranne added. “But it was very, very swish.”

Suranne’s own banana, blueberry and chocolate chip muffins weren’t judged to be winners - but that’s not the only competition she faced on set.

There’s competition at the start of the new series of Scott & Bailey, too…

It opens with Suranne’s character, DC Rachel Bailey, and her partner DC Janet Scott, played by Lesley, competing against each other to land the job as sergeant, with the final decision resting with DCI Gill (Amelia).

“Usually when there are two women who want the same thing, there’s a lot of rivalry,” says Suranne, “where actually, in Scott & Bailey, it’s set up as healthy competition.”

Scott & Bailey returns to ITV on Wednesday, September 10, 9.00pm.

As detective drama Scott & Bailey returns to ITV for its fourth series (premieres Wednesday, Sept 10), Rachel's got her eye on the sergeant's job, as Suranne Jones reveals...

We know that this series of Scott & Bailey begins with Rachel and Janet (Lesley Sharp, left) vying for the job of sergeant. What does being a sergeant mean to Rachel?

"Rachel knows she's made mistakes, but she's decided to sort herself out and mature and she's positive she can do it. She's getting divorced from husband Sean and sees a promotion as an exciting new start."

Rachel and Janet fell out big time last series after Janet caught Rachel sleeping with colleague Kevin in her spare room and threw her out. They eventually made up - but what's their friendship like now?

"Rachel and Janet's friendship really did hit rock bottom so, while they are friends again, they don't tell each other everything that, once upon a time, they would have."

So what impact does competing for the promotion have on their friendship?

"Rachel and Janet are happy working together, but they also have an ulterior motive of having to prove themselves - they both have their eye on the prize. Work-wise, their relationship will be fiery, whoever gets the job."

Do you think viewers like to see Rachel and Janet getting on?

"Lesley and I are very aware if we're filming a scene where there's supposed to be 'banter' or 'bickering' between Rachel and Janet that things don't become too fractious. We know viewers don't want to see two women battling because that's never been what Scott & Bailey is about."

The last series followed a 'House of horrors' story arc. Would you say this series is as 'dark' as the last one?

"I'd say the first three episodes are introducing us back into police life and the last three do get pretty grim. But you never really see blood and guts on this show - it's more about what Rachel and Janet say."

Amelia Bullmore - the show's DCI Gill Murray - has taken over much of the writing duties on this series from Sally Wainwright. What's it like having Amelia on set as both an actress and writer?

"Amelia writes for the characters of Rachel and Janet brilliantly and it's great having her on set. One minute she's acting as Gill, then she takes her glasses off, goes all posh and says: 'What do you mean, darling?' It's just a good atmosphere."

Do you think Rachel's changed at all over four series? Has she grown up?

"Yeah, definitely! In the first series she had men trouble, in the second series she had drink trouble and in the third series she had a terrible marriage and a wayward mother and brother! I thought that if we were to do a fourth series you couldn't have a character that continues to be at odds with herself and her past. So she has grown up - she's just still a bit immature."

Did you worry Rachel would become really dislikeable?

"Well, I think people can understand why she is the way she is. I think that she is good at her job and she does have a good heart - but maybe it's because I play her that I'm like: 'She's good really!'"

What do you still enjoy about playing Rachel after four series?

"I love that she's this maverick cop, who's a bit blokey and not afraid to get stuck in - but, unlike her, I'd say I've grown up!"

The Crimson Field's writer Sarah Phelps says the wartime period drama has been axed by the BBC.

Phelps broke the news on Twitter: "Found out today that #TheCrimsonField won't be recommissioned by @BBCOne Gutted doesn't even touch the sides of how I feel."

Set in the battlefields of France during the First World War, the BBC1 drama starred Hermione Norris, Suranne Jones, Oona Chaplin and Kerry Fox as nurses tending to the injured.

The BBC said in a statement: "The Crimson Field was our landmark drama series that launched the start of the BBC's World War One coverage. We are very proud of The Crimson Field and are hugely grateful to all those who worked so hard on it.

"However in order to create space for new shows and to keep increasing the variety of BBC One drama it will not be returning for a second series. Coming up this autumn on BBC One further WW1 drama content includes The Passing Bells and War Poems."

Phelps has adapted JK Rowling's novel The Casual Vacancy for the BBC.

Suranne Jones has apparently got engaged to her boyfriend after a whirlwind romance of just six weeks.

The Crimson Field star said in April that she was single and there was no man in her life, but earlier this week was seen wearing a diamond engagement ring and receiving flowers from her friend, former Coronation Street co-star Sally Lindsay.

According to The Sun, 35-year-old Suranne's fiance is magazine editor Laurence Akers, 45, who she is said to have met at a wedding.

Laurence is thought to have been so keen to keep the relationship low key that he has apparently been referring to his new love as Sarah in conversations with others to keep them off the scent.

In current BBC One drama The Crimson Field, Suranne plays Sister Joan Livesy, who tells colleagues she is single, but is seen wearing an engagement ring, and is later revealed to have a German fiance who she tries to reunite with during World War I.

– Press Association

Lesley Sharp and Suranne Jones will reunite for a fourth series of crime drama Scott & Bailey, ITV has confirmed.

Eight new episodes will see the friendship between DC's Janet Scott (Lesley) and Rachel Bailey (Suranne) sorely tested as both seek the same promotion to Detective Sergeant.

Amelia Bullmore (Twenty Twelve) will return as straight-talking DCI Gill Murray who keeps control of Syndicate 9, and will write four scripts for the new series.

Suranne, Lesley and Amelia will be joined this time round by Danny Webb (Lightfields), who takes on the role of family man D.C. Chris Crowley.

Ex-Emmerdale star Danny Miller returns as D.S. Rob Waddington, while former Coronation Street actress Sally Lindsay is back as Rachel's sister Alison.

Scott & Bailey has become one of ITV's most successful returning series. The finale of series three in 2013, which saw Gill held hostage by crazed Helen Bartlett (played by Last Tango in Halifax star Nicola Walker), was watched by an average 7.1 million viewers. 

"We're thrilled to be producing a new series of Scott & Bailey," said Nicola Shindler, Director of Red Production Company, who will executive produce the new series alongside co-creator and writer Sally Wainwright. "It's rewarding to think the public have become so familiar with the characters and taken them to heart. With this new series, we have the chance to explore great story ideas and continue developing those characters."

Filming is currently underway in Oldham and Manchester.

New First World War drama The Crimson Field has left an indelible impression on its cast, reveals actress Hermione Norris

Hermione Norris, Suranne Jones and Oona Chaplin star in BBC1’s The Crimson Field, a new six-part drama that explores the human impact of the First World War and pays tribute to the millions who sacrificed their lives.

Hermione plays Grace Carter, the matron of a French field hospital, and she has poignant memories of the effects the conflict had on her own family.

“I remember being four and my grandfather [who fought in the First World War] was very confused,” reveals Hermione. “He was sitting on the kitchen floor, calling out to boys in the trenches. He asked me to come and sit with him and, being four, I went to keep him company.

“My grandma would say, ‘Oh, he’s calling out to the boys again’. Every year he’d go to hospital and have shrapnel removed from his leg.”

Hermione told the Daily Express she feels honoured to have been cast in a drama that acutely depicts the agonies of the war, and read widely to research her role.

“I think what stands out most is the suffering - without modern anaesthetics - and all that human loss. What those people did in the name of duty is just beyond imagination really.”

Sister Joan Livesey, played by former Coronation Street actress Suranne Jones, is a woman ahead of her time and makes her grand entrance on a motorbike.

“After the read-through I fell in love with Hermione,” says Suranne. “Her character, Grace, realises the world is changing and nothing will ever be the same again, so I think there is a definite respect between the two women.”

Oona Chaplin, granddaughter of Charlie Chaplin, plays Kitty Trevelyan, one of the hospital’s first VADs (Voluntary Aid Detachment), who arrives with emotional baggage and a chip on her shoulder.

“It was essentially a group of posh ladies who felt a call of duty. They were trained in how to make beds, how to cook and how to look after people,” Oona explains.

Writer Sarah Phelps created The Crimson Field with Lyn MacDonald’s military nursing memoir, The Roses Of No Man’s Land, as a starting point.

“It’s amazing, when you think about how little they had to work with at the start of the war, that anybody survived at all,” reflects Sarah.

“I just hope what comes across in the drama is that you get terrible acts of brutality and terrible acts of cruelty, but what really shines through is the humanity.”

The Crimson Field, BBC1, 9.00pm, Sunday, April 6

Suranne Jones tells TV Times magazine about riding a vintage motorbike, turning into her mother and shedding tears for her first role in BBC1's new period drama The Crimson Field (Sunday, April 6).

We're not used to seeing you look quite like this…

"I look like my mum! I have a picture of her on her wedding day, wearing a veil and I just look the spit of her. It has shocked me – every morning I think, 'Oh God, I’m my mother!'"

Are you enjoying the different costume, though?

"The costume is very severe and the look is so different for me, which is great, although wearing no make-up does make you feel exposed. When the weather was a bit harsher we were getting really muddy and the skirts were so heavy – it made you think about how those women always managed to look so pristine."

You play Liverpudlian reservist nurse Joan Livesey in this six-part series about the First World War, which tells the story of the first wave of volunteer nurses (VADs) arriving at a field hospital in France in 1915. What's she like?

"She rides a motorcycle, she’s had her hair chopped off and she’s a suffragist, so she’s very forward-thinking. Joan champions the VADs and believes they should have a more hands-on role, which clashes with Matron Carter and Sister Quayle [played by Hermione Norris and Kerry Fox], who think the girls are just good for washing linen and making beds. So she causes a bit of a stir, plus we discover that actually she hasn’t come to France to nurse – she has a secret…"

What was it like riding a vintage motorcycle?

"Even the stunt girls hadn’t ridden a vintage motorcycle before and it’s a really heavy piece of machinery, so I couldn’t even push it – I had to get the supporting artists to help me! The goggles were a problem too because they were made for men. Women have smaller faces, so when I put them on they would fall to either side like Toad of Toad Hall!"

This is your first period drama as well…

"It’s funny, I got the call offering me the part and it was only after that I started thinking, 'Oh this is my first period drama!' But Joan is a very modern character in this world and I think that that’s what worked for them, knowing that I usually do contemporary pieces. It’s exciting, I think I just happened to fit the bill for Joan."

Do you think you would have signed up for the VADs in similar circumstances?

"It’s a difficult situation to put yourself in, but everybody wanted to do their bit and when the men were going out to war I think it was important to women to find their place in this new, ever-changing society."

Did you do a lot of research?

"Yes. And one of the things that came up is that community was a huge thing at that time, and it’s something we have definitely lost. It does make you wonder, should a big disaster happen now, how would we react? In horrific times you would hope that you would step up to the challenge – I roll my sleeves up and get on with pretty much anything."

Did you ever struggle with filming?

"One day there was a supporting artist with gauze over his eyes and fake blood. He couldn’t see where he was going and he was just left wandering. I saw him and just started crying because suddenly I realised what it would have been like in the war. It was a weird thing because obviously we’re making a drama, but it was a very strange moment where I suddenly started to really think about all those things. You can’t let yourself do that too much or you would be sobbing all the time."

The Crimson Field has been made alongside a series of BBC documentaries to mark the centenary of the First World War. What do you hope people take away from this?

"Our series offers a human look at The Great War, because it’s not set on the battlefield. It shows what happens afterwards – the trauma, the care, the nursing and then also the heartbreaking thing of who you send back to the front and why. To me, 100 years doesn’t sound that big a number and I hope people will realise that this wasn’t a long time ago. Hopefully they will see something different and be educated and fascinated by our history."

Suranne Jones was moved to tears by her new role in BBC1's First World War drama The Crimson Field.

The series is the 35-year-old actress's first period drama and sees her play spirited nurse Joan Livesey, who joins the staff at a field hospital in northern France which cares for those who are injured at the front.

The Crimson Field has been meticulously researched and is filmed on a purpose-built set in Wiltshire, and one scene in particular made her feel very emotional.

"I don't want to sound too silly about it, but there was one day where they said, 'Action' and there was one of our supporting artistes had pretend blood on him. But he couldn't actually see where he was going because he had been bandaged up and he was just left wandering and no one had told him where to go," Suranne tells TV & Satellite Week.

"It was weird, but I started crying and I grabbed this poor guy’s hand and he was just happy for me to guide him to a bed. It just really made me wonder, should a big disaster happen, how would I react? I like to think I'd roll my sleeves up and get on with pretty much anything and in the show there is all this horror coming in,  but they group together and support each other."

The Crimson Field premieres on Sunday on BBC1.

Suranne Jones says she jumped at the chance to play a young female judge in a new Sky Living drama.

The Scott & Bailey actress stars in Lawless, which follows the fortunes of Lila Pettitt - the youngest judge on the circuit - as she tries to move up the ranks of the judicial system.

Suranne told whatsontv.co.uk: "Lila's a young woman from a humble background, who thinks it's important that there's a woman represented in the judicial system. From my point of view, it's a really important role for someone like me to play."

Suranne filmed the drama - part of Sky Living's Drama Matters series - while also appearing in the stage production of Beautiful Thing, and used the theatre role to her advantage.

She said: "I had dyed blonde hair to play Sandra Gangel in Beautiful Thing and thought, actually, we're already fighting so many stereotypes, so Lila might as well be a woman, northern AND have dyed blonde hair!"

Former Coronation Street star Suranne thinks that Lawless carries an important message for young women.

"Lila is actually the victim of an assault and finds strength in her eight-year-old daughter," she said. "When she looks at her daughter she thinks: 'She's going to become a woman and that can't be allowed to happen to her - I need to sort this out!'"

Lawless can be seen on Thursday, October 3 on Sky Living.

Scott & Bailey star Suranne Jones is back on the case as Anne Oldman (prounounced ‘an old man’) as Sky 1’s criminally funny crime drama spoof A Touch of Cloth (Sunday, 25 August), created by Charlie Brooker and co-starring John Hannah, returns. TV & Satellite Week called her in for questioning to find out more…

Is A Touch of Cloth as much fun to work on as it looks?

“It is one of those jobs that doesn’t feel like work – and they don’t come along very often. Not that we didn’t work hard, but it was a lot of fun. They had to keep reapplying my makeup because everyone was making me laugh so much.”

Is it strange alternating between this and a straight crime drama like Scott & Bailey?

“I treat it as a separate job. Although my Scott & Bailey co-star Lesley Sharp did say to me: ‘When you’ve finished taking the mickey out of crime drama, can you come back and play with us properly?’”

What are the key ingredients in a crime drama that are ripe for spoofing?

“Crime scene tape; the acronyms that policemen spout and nobody has any idea what they mean; and detectives with a dark past. A well-adjusted cop would be terribly boring.”

What’s the starting point for the new investigation?

There is a bank robbery involving Todd Carty. Jack Cloth’s been sacked and is working as a taxi driver, but he’s called back to work on the case. We’ve also filmed a third two-parter, and that one guest stars Karen Gillan."

What’s in store for your character, Anne Oldman?

“She meets a politician called Hope Goodgirl, played by Anna Chancellor, who takes a bit of a shine to Anne and seduces her. But Anne still isn’t over Jack.”

Has A Touch of Cloth creator Charlie Brooker ever written about you in his previous job as a TV critic?

“I asked that when we made the first A Touch of Cloth, and when he said no, I thought: Thank God for that!’ There were things he got me doing in this where I thought: ‘What the hell am I doing?’, but I trust him implicitly.”

You’ve got some heavyweight acting talent in the cast. Does that make it all the funnier?

"It’s lovely to see all these actors I admire doing something silly. I’d like to see more of those really serious actors guesting in A Touch of Cloth."

What’s the best thing about this particular acting job?

“I love the silly humour of this, as nonsensical stuff is right up my street. It reminds me of what it’s like when you’re with old friends and something ridiculous makes you all laugh.”

Former Coronation Street star Suranne Jones has teamed up with ex-EastEnders writer Sarah Phelps for a new drama set in a field hospital in the First World War.

Suranne will play a nurse in the show, The Ark, alongside Oona Chaplin, Hermione Norris and Kerry Fox.

Sarah, who has written the six-part series, said: "I am bouncing off the walls with excitement at having such an extraordinary talented cast, bouncing off the walls."

Suranne said: "This is my first period drama and I am so excited at the prospect of filming a First World War series set on a frontline hospital. It's an important period in history not just because of the war but because it was a transitional period for women, liberated in some respect, but still shackled by the conventions and hierarchies of the past.

"Sarah Phelps really gets to the beating heart of a story and gives very strong images and weight to her characters. For my role as Joan she has created a nurse with a very independent and modern outlook who is much more interested in her patients than protocol. I am really looking forward to getting started and it will be great to work once again with director David Evans."

Filming on the BBC One drama starts this month.