Six things we know about new Sheridan Smith drama Care

Sheridan Smith, whose CV includes Cilla and Mrs Biggs, is headlining a big new BBC1 drama. Here are six things we know…

1. Care is a 90-minute drama penned by screenwriter Jimmy McGovern (Broken, The Street) and Gillian Juckes, whose real-life experiences have inspired the story.

2. Sheridan plays Jenny, a single mum-of-two whose one lifeline is mum Mary (Hold The Sunset’s Alison Steadman). When Mary develops dementia, Jenny’s world darkens and everything changes for her and sister Claire (Little Boy Blue’s Sinead Keenan).

3. Torn between looking after herself and her mother's wellbeing, Jenny discovers another way is possible - but she'll have to fight hard for it...

4. “It’s always an honour to work with Jimmy McGovern, here joining forces with Gillian Juckes,” says Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama. “Together they tell the story of one woman’s battle to get the best care for her mother.”

5. Sheridan’s a busy woman! This autumn she’ll play a cleaner in ITV drama Clean Break and next year she’ll star in C4’s Adult Material as an ageing porn star. Sheridan has described Adult Material as a “taboo-busting” drama.

6. Filming for Care will begin soon in and around Liverpool.

Alison Steadman pic: PA Wire/PA Images