Jenna Coleman leaves Victoria behind for a gripping new drama about a mother dealing with the psychological repercussions of her child going missing
We do love a psychological thriller as the nights draw in, and Jenna Coleman delivers in this four-part adaptation of Helen FitzGerald’s gripping novel.
Jenna plays Joanna, a young mum struggling with post-natal depression.
Her high-flying husband, Alistair (Ewen Leslie), is busy with work and his campaign to get custody of his daughter from a previous relationship.
When the family fly to his native Australia, tragedy strikes, and their lives are left in tatters, but who is to blame?
Told in flashbacks and snippets, this is a captivating drama that will leave you counting down the days till the next episode.
TV Times went to visit Jenna, 32, on set in Glasgow during the shoot, she talks about being intimidated by this complex role and explains more about the drama...
'It’s a psychological thriller,' Jenna explains. 'My character, Joanna, is in a relationship with a charming PR guy, Alistair. They have a baby together and Joanna is dealing with postnatal depression, although she doesn’t realise it.
'Alistair has a daughter from a previous relationship, who lives in Australia, so they have to fly there as part of a custody battle. When they get there, the baby goes missing.
'It’s every parent’s worst nightmare but what’s quite interesting is that Joanna doesn’t behave in a way that you would expect someone in that situation to behave.
'As a viewer, you get thrown in many different directions – there are lots of reveals and twists and turns as the series develops,' she adds.
'We go back and forth between different scenes, and between Scotland and Australia.
'A lot of the story is about the aftermath and the press. Joanna is a primary-school teacher and a new mother who suddenly finds herself on the front of national newspapers.
'It’s a really surreal experience going through these extreme emotions and having a lens pointed at you – everyone is judging her and looking for clues.
'There’s no big outpouring of emotion from Joanna, so they’re asking why she isn’t grieving.
'Is it because she’s in shock? Maybe she’s a liar, or perhaps she’s just odd? The audience almost sees it through Joanna’s eyes, but you’re in a distorted reality.'
TV Times rating: ****
