While Motherland might always be the TV show we love Anna Maxwell Martin best for, comedy is far from the only thing she’s brilliant at - and she’s about to prove it with her latest project. The actor will tackle a deeply troubling subject in a major new BBC drama from Time creator Jimmy McGovern, which revolves around a family facing the unthinkable.

The currently untitled drama will introduce us to the Mitchell family, who must grapple with the aftermath of abuse when the perpetrator – a relative – is released from prison. Exploring themes of grooming and sexual abuse and described by McGovern as a “challenging”, it’s set to be an important but harrowing watch and Anna is expected to be at the heart of it.

While we await its arrival on our screens, here are all the details you need to know about the upcoming drama...

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What is Anna Maxwell Martin's new drama about?

The one-off 90-minute drama is the creation of multi-award-winning screenwriter Jimmy McGovern (Time, Cracker, The Street), and will explore the impact of grooming and sexual abuse on one family. Set and filmed in Liverpool, it centres around the Mitchell family who are dealing with the devastating aftermath of an act of abuse, and the knowledge that it was perpetrated by a member of their own family who, after serving his sentence, has just been released from prison.

Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, has shared an insight into what we can expect from the drama. "Jimmy McGovern is one of our greatest dramatists, and a master at writing about today’s world,” she says. “His new film sensitively examines the pain of abuse and how it affects not only the victim but ripples out across the whole family. To see it brought to the screen with such a high calibre cast and creative team is further testament to the quality of Jimmy’s writing.”

While we don't yet know exactly what roles they will play, we do know that Anna Maxwell Martin and Anna Friel will have key roles in the drama. You can read more about the cast below.

Is the drama based on a true story?

No, it's a fictional drama, but it will no doubt resonate with anyone who's dealt with the challenging themes within it. We're expecting a pretty harrowing 90 minutes of TV, so do be prepared.

Who's starring in the new drama?

anna friel attends the princes trust and tk maxx homesense awards
Karwai Tang//Getty Images

The cast includes:

  • Anna Maxwell Martin (Motherland, A Spy Among Friends, Poppy Shakespeare)
  • Anna Friel (Marcella, Pushing Daisies)
  • Bobby Schofield (Time, Anne, SAS Rogue Heroes)
  • David Threlfall (Nightsleeper, Shameless, Housewife 49)
  • Mark Womack (The Responder, Playing the Field, Moving On)

Further casting is expected to be announced soon, so watch this space!

How can I watch Anna Maxwell Martin's new show?

While the BBC hasn't yet shared a released date for Anna Maxwell Martin's new drama, we do know that it will air on at some point this year on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. As soon as we have a confirmed date - and a title for the drama - we'll share it here.