Suranne Jones is that rare breed of actor that successfully crosses over from soap, manages to keep mainstream appeal AND gains the critical acclaim from the luvvie crew.
From Scott & Bailey and Vincent to Unforgiven and – of course – Doctor Foster, the former Coronation Street actress hasn’t put a dramatic foot wrong.
And she’s thrilling TV audiences again with her latest project – Sky Atlantic’s Save Me.
The six-part drama is from World Productions, the makers of Line of Duty, and was written and created by the monumental talent that is Lennie James, who also plays the lead male role (and who starred in the first series of the aforementioned police drama).
Suranne plays Claire McGory, the mum of 13-year-old girl Jody, who goes missing one day, leaving behind a video saying she’s going to find her dad.
Claire is convinced that Nelson ‘Nelly’ Rowe (Lennie), Jody’s estranged biological father, has abducted her, and he’s hauled in by police for questioning in the first episode.
Nelly embarks on a journey to prove his innocence and find the child he doesn’t know.
The drama also features the brilliant Stephen Graham (Little Boy Blue, Taboo).
The cast, in fact the show as a whole, has been very enthusiastically received, with viewers clamouring to pile on the praise on Twitter…
Watching #SaveMe actually reminds me how good some of actors and acting is in this country #LennieJames #stephengraham #SuranneJones #LineofDuty
— The Duke (@chris_jukes) 1 March 2018
Recommend everyone to binge watch #SaveMe on @skyatlantic. It’s a #LennieJames masterpiece. Superb performances from Lennie, @StephenGraham73, #SuranneJones and the rest of the cast. It’s dark but it’s truly brilliant and gripping throughout.
— Matt (@footballtyper) 1 March 2018
If you haven’t started watching #SaveMe yet, do. It’s excellent, has me hooked.
— Grumpyoldtroll (@pjnall) 1 March 2018
Be watching the whole series of #SaveMe today! Good start so far.
Got to say @StephenGraham73 must be the hardest working actor out there, in anything decent from both sides of the Atlantic.— Ger Lundie (@Ger1888Lundie) 1 March 2018
Anyone looking for a new drama to watch should take in this, it’s excellent. Such a great cast with excellent performances from the stellar Suranne Jones, Lennie James and @StephenGraham73 . #SaveMe @skyatlantic https://t.co/QEPscqeQ3r
— Ian High (@ianhigh1) 1 March 2018
Suranne was due to take a break, after filming Dr Foster’s second series, to spend time with her baby son, but she was gripped by the Save Me script.
“Before this, I spent a lot of time wishing for a really dark, gritty piece,” she told Radio Times. “You have to be careful what you wish for, because then you get it tenfold!”
Just a warning if you are watching the series in the traditional manner – an episode per week as it airs on Sky Atlantic: steady as you go with #SaveMe on Twitter – the whole series is available online, many people couldn’t help but binge watch it, and there are spoilers galore!
Are you gripped by Save Me? Let us know by commenting on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix!