Maternal on ITV1 and ITVX is a new six-part medical drama about three female doctors returning to the post-pandemic frontline of medicine after maternity leave. It sees Parminder Nagra, Lisa McGrillis and Lara Pulver taking the lead roles.
Created by director and playwright Jacqui Honess-Martin in her TV screenwriting debut, this tense medical drama is one to look out for according to ITV Head of Drama Polly Hill.
"The scripts perfectly capture how difficult it can be for women juggling family life, whilst under pressure at work, making critical life or death decisions," she says. "It's hard to believe this is Jacqui's first television drama."
Meanwhile, BAFTA-winner director James Griffiths, who's created hit US series including Black-ish, Episodes and A Million Little Things, has overseen the drama.
Here's everything we know about Maternal on ITV1 and ITVX...
Maternal release date
Maternal begins on Monday, January 16 at 9 pm on ITV1.
After the first episode has aired on ITV1, the six-part drama will be available as a complete boxset on ITV's free streaming service ITVX.
We will update you with any US or international air dates in due course.
Is there a Maternal trailer?
Yes ITV has just released a trailer for Maternal and it looks intense. Take a look below.
Maternal plot
Maternal sees three female doctors returning to post-pandemic frontline medicine after maternity leave and having to heroically balance the intense demands of the NHS and being a parent.
The six-part series follows paediatrician Maryam (Parminder Nagra,) who has two children under two is feeling anxious, while ambitious surgeon Catherine (Lara Pulver) a single mum, is itching to get back and has already got her eye on a promotion. Acute Medicine doctor Helen (Lisa McGrillis) meanwhile is struggling as her marriage implodes and she’s forced to work with her cheating husband who’s a fellow doctor at City General Hospital.
An ITV statement about Maternal reveals more...
"The six-part drama explores working motherhood with wit, warmth and humour and offers a unique perspective on our beloved, overstretched NHS, and the people who hold it together. Sometimes.
"Jacqui’s scripts introduce us to Paediatric Registrar, Dr Maryam Afridi (Parminder Nagra) who is full of doubt that she can cope with the emotional demands of treating children now that she has her own; Ms Catherine MacDiarmid, (Lara Pulver) a single mother and successful surgeon determined to be one of the boys in the macho world of surgery; and Dr Helen Cavendish (Lisa McGrillis) a Registrar in Acute Medicine, who is wrestling with a self-prescribed role that sees her mothering everyone in her life."
Maternal cast
In Maternal, Parminder Nagra, Lara Pulver and Lisa McGrillis will star as the three overworked doctors who struggle to juggle their personal and professional lives.
US audiences will know Parminder Nagra from ER, while she also played the lead in recent ITV crime drama DI Ray, which followed a detective investigating an honour killing. Laura Pulver had a famous cameo in BBC drama Sherlock and more recently she's appeared in legal series The Split and period piece The Alienist.
After starring in acclaimed comedies Mum and King Gary, this new series will also see Lisa McGrillis return to a drama role as the third medic.
Maternal episode 1 recap - what happened?
It’s August 2022 and Maryam, Catherine and Helen – three friends and colleagues at City General Hospital – are returning to work after maternity leave.
Maryam, a Paediatrician, is nervous. She’s been away for two years and she isn’t prepared for being thrust into frontline duties on Day One. But such is the under-staffed NHS, and once Maryam gets into the swing of things she begins to feel the buzz of the vocation she loves. Over the course of the week, however, things change, as Maryam faces the demands of being on-call alongside supervising new F1 Simon Segman, all while trying to treat a young boy in her care.
After nine months maternity leave, surgeon Catherine is desperate to get stuck back in. She also wants to bag a Consultant job, which is the only way she can manage her life as a single mum to daughter Elis. But making Consultant won’t be easy, not least because she’ll be in direct competition with her ex, Jack. And things are set to get even more complicated as Lars – a fellow surgeon who Catherine had a fling with – arrives in town from Sweden, and Catherine decides to break the news to him that he is Elis’ dad.
Mum-of-three Helen’s life is chaotic, and now she’s back at work on the same ward as husband Guy… as his junior. Add to this the fact that Guy had an affair with a young female colleague and it’s not surprising that Helen’s personal problems often play out at work. Helen is a skilled doctor who intuitively diagnoses an elderly patient and takes Tessa, an F1, under her wing. But will she be able to get past Guy’s betrayal enough to keep doing her job and holding everything, and everyone, together?
Jacqui Honess-Martin on Maternal
“I am thrilled to bring this funny, warm and quietly political story to ITV. It’s been humbling to have the opportunity to hear the stories of so many brave and brilliant female doctors working in the NHS over the past two years and I know the incredible team working on this show will do them proud.”
Meanwhile ITV Head of Drama Polly Hill says...
"Jacqui's scripts are brilliant, and they perfectly capture how difficult it can be for women juggling family life, whilst under pressure at work, making critical life or death decisions. It's hard to believe this is her first television drama. I'm thrilled Parminder, Lara and Lisa will lead our cast and to be working with Patrick Spence and James Griffiths on what promises to be a modern and engaging medical drama."
Maternal episode guide
Episode one
It’s August 2022 and Maryam, Catherine and Helen – three friends and colleagues at City General Hospital – are returning to work after maternity leave.
Maryam, a Paediatrician, is nervous. She’s been away for two years and she isn’t prepared for being thrust into frontline duties on Day One. But such is the under-staffed NHS, and once Maryam gets into the swing of things she begins to feel the buzz of the vocation she loves. Over the course of the week, however, things change, as Maryam faces the demands of being on-call alongside supervising new F1 Simon Segman, all while trying to treat a young boy in her care.
After nine months maternity leave, surgeon Catherine is desperate to get stuck back in. She also wants to bag a Consultant job, which is the only way she can manage her life as a single mum to daughter Elis. But making Consultant won’t be easy, not least because she’ll be in direct competition with her ex, Jack. And things are set to get even more complicated as Lars – a fellow surgeon who Catherine had a fling with – arrives in town from Sweden, and Catherine decides to break the news to him that he is Elis’ dad.
Mum-of-three Helen’s life is chaotic, and now she’s back at work on the same ward as husband Guy... as his junior. Add to this the fact that Guy had an affair with a young female colleague and it’s not surprising that Helen’s personal problems often play out at work. Helen is a skilled doctor who intuitively diagnoses an elderly patient and takes Tessa, an F1, under her wing. But will she be able to get past Guy’s betrayal enough to keep doing her job and holding everything, and everyone, together?
Episode two
Things are looking up for Catherine as Lars flies in from Sweden to be a father to Elis. Until, that is, she discovers he’s brought his hot, judgy wife Brigitta. At work, Catherine is struggling to get surgical hours as staffing problems mean operations are cancelled. Catherine is tasked with letting the patients down, and it isn’t long before she realises communication isn’t her strong point. Also avoiding talking is Maryam, who hasn’t told Raz what happened with Edward Williams. When Maryam finds out there’s going to be an investigation into the case, Catherine and Helen try to reassure her she’ll be okay. But Maryam fears her old doubts and anxieties are returning... and how she feels as a doctor and a mother becomes even more problematic as she is confronted by news of a potential addition to her family.
Helen feels the tensions in her marriage worsen when her estranged sister Debbie arrives on the ward, much to the annoyance of Guy, who sees Debbie as little more than an addict and a drunk. Debbie has come to collect her son Callum, an
epileptic who has suffered an injury, and when questions arise about Callum’s medication – and Debbie’s addiction – Helen has to make some tough decisions about where her loyalties lie. Also faced with a huge decision is Catherine. After an emotionally challenging day at work, Catherine knows she needs help parenting baby Elis if she’s going to stand any chance of getting the Consultant job. But can she really agree to what Lars and Brigitta are asking?
