“More twists than a rollercoaster”: Black Work is the “unmissable” Sheridan Smith drama to watch on repeat

If, like us, you’re patiently awaiting the arrival of Sheridan Smith’s next ITV drama, I Fought the Law, we’re going to let you in on a secret. There’s another brilliant drama with Sheridan at the heart of it that you can watch right now. Enter Black Work: the unmissable crime thriller with more twists than a rollercoaster, which is available to stream immediately on ITVX.

The series stars Sheridan as police officer Jo Gillespie, whose world is thrown into turmoil when her husband Ryan (Kenny Doughty) is tragically shot dead. Determined to track down the killer, Jo is willing to put everything on the line to uncover the truth behind Ryan's murder – and we really do mean everything.

If you’re looking for something truly outstanding to watch, here’s everything you need to know about Black Work, including the plot, full cast and how to watch it.

What is Black Work about?

The three-part thriller stars Sheridan Smith as policewoman Jo Gillespie whose world is turned upside down when her undercover policeman husband Ryan (Kenny Doughty) is shot dead in mysterious circumstances. The mother to 7-year-old Melly (Honor Kneafsey) and stepson Hal (Oliver Woollford) is determined to find out who murdered him – but it means she also has to confront some difficult truths about her family life and her marriage along the way.

As she unravels the last six months of her husband’s life, she’s also wracked with guilt due to an attachment to Ryan’s colleague and fellow police officer Jack Clark, causing more friction within her grieving family. But for Jo, it’s worth risking everything – even her family and her career – to get to the truth.

Writer Matt Charman has shared the inspiration for the drama: "Sheridan Smith is a dream to write for because as an actress there’s really nothing she can’t do. And Black Work is a story that pushes her to the limit – it makes her character, Jo Gillespie doubt herself, her family, her friends, everything she’s always taken for granted in her search for her husband’s killer."

Who's in the cast of Black Work?

• Sheridan Smith as PC Jo Gillespie
• Matthew McNulty as DC Jack Clark
• Andrew Knott as DC Lee Miekel
• Ace Bhatti as DCI Jahan Kapoor
• Geraldine James as Chief Constable Carolyn Jarecki
• Douglas Henshall as DCS Will Hepburn
• Kenny Doughty as DS Ryan Gillespie
• Andrew Gower as DC Jared Ansell
• Phil Davis as DI Tom Piper
• Oliver Woollford as Hal Gillespie
• Honor Kneafsey as Melly Gillespie
• Lisa Dillon as Carla Gillespie
• Vinette Robinson as Zoe Nash
• Carla Henry as Vicki Stanton
• James Foster as Steve Glover

Is Black Work any good?

Yes – in fact, ITV decided to air the series not once, but twice – in 2015 and again in 2020 -a sure sign of how brilliant it is. The series was a major hit with Sheridan Smith fans, with viewers and critics hailing her performance “unmissable” and “extraordinary”, and commenting that the series has "more twists than a rollercoaster" and calling it "outstanding". When the show first aired in 2015, it was nominated for a National Television Award, which sadly it didn’t win, though personally, we think it absolutely deserved it.

What other roles does Sheridan Smith have coming up?

Fortunately for her fans, Sheridan Smith has two very exciting roles in the pipeline. The Gavin & Stacey star will appear in ITV's upcoming drama, I Fought the Law, as Ann Ming, the heartbroken mother who campaigned to change the Double Jeopardy Law and ensure that her daughter’s murderer was convicted. She's also been cast in BBC One crime drama, The Cage, which you can read about here.

How can I watch Black Work?

All three episodes of Black Work are available to watch on ITVX now.