ITV has announced Breathtaking, a COVID-19 drama starring Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abbey) that's been co-written by Rachel Clarke, Prasanna Puwanarajah and Line of Duty's Jed Mercurio!
Breathtaking is based on the bestselling memoir of the same name by Rachel Clarke and has been described as "a searing, thought-provoking and poignant account of an NHS doctor in the eye of the storm during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic".
The Golden Globe-winning actress stars in the lead role of Dr. Abbey Henderson, a frontline hospital consultant who works in a fictional big-city hospital. Abbey Henderson is a mother of two children and is known for her calm approach to crises, and is a first-hand witness to the virus as it begins to take hold and overwhelm the NHS and its workers.
Filming on the three-part series took place in Northern Ireland earlier in the year. When filming ended in May, Joanne Froggatt said: "I feel truly honoured to be playing Dr. Abbey Henderson in Breathtaking, based on Dr. Rachel Clarke's beautifully written, poignant and shocking book of the same name.
"When I first read the incredible scripts they moved me to tears on many occasions. I felt so passionately that I had to be a part of telling this story, the real story, of what was really happening behind the closed doors of the hospitals during the pandemic.
"Our NHS staff are nothing less than absolute heroes in my eyes, and I hope telling this story goes a little way towards us understanding their truth, their lived experience and honouring their unbelievable commitment and sacrifice on behalf of us all", she added.
A synopsis for Breathtaking reads: "Against a backdrop of news footage from the early months of 2020, the drama will follow Abbey in her daily work whilst weaving together the stories of her fellow doctors, nurses, patients, and the paramedics whose ambulances were queued outside hospitals as the NHS tried to cope with a tsunami of devastating cases. All of human life is present, and in parts, it’s an uplifting account of resilience and fortitude."
The Breathtaking release date has not been confirmed at this time, but the series will air on ITVX and ITV1 when it arrives. In the meantime, check out our picks for the best ITV dramas you should be streaming right now.
