Best Interests has landed on the BBC and this compelling series couldn't be more thought-provoking with its serious subject matter.
Fans who found themselves moved by I Am Ruth and Help on Channel 4 might well be similarly drawn in by the newest show from BAFTA-winning writer Jack Thorne. His four-part BBC series Best Interests delves into heart-wrenching subjects as it tells the tale of parents Andrew and Nicci who find themselves pushed to breaking point. Their daughter Marnie is living with a life-threatening condition and they soon find themselves having to make unimaginably difficult decisions. Andrew and Nicci and the doctors believe they know what’s in Marnie’s best interests, though they couldn’t disagree more on what path her treatment should take.
Here we reveal what Best Interests is about, whether it's based on a true story and how you can watch the profound drama.
*Warning: Spoilers ahead"
What is Best Interests about?
Those wondering whether or not to watch Best Interests should prepare themselves for a masterfully-told but deeply poignant journey across its four episodes. The BBC drama focuses on couple Andrew and Nicci whose younger daughter Marnie is living with a rare form of Congenital Muscular Dystrophy. When Marnie’s condition leads to her being admitted to hospital, doctors express their belief that it is in her best interests to be allowed to pass away rather than continue treatment, her parents and older sister Katie are devastated and angered.
Refusing to give up on Marnie and disagreeing with the medical professionals, Andrew and Nicci begin a legal fight to determine what is best for their daughter and who gets to decide what is truly in her best interests. Describing her own first impression of the story, Nicci’s actor Sharon Horgan revealed to the BBC that the script “broke” her and expressed how she believes it’s incredibly “timely” as Covid has illuminated the “desperate inequalities” that exist for the disabled community.
"Best Interests broke me when I first read the script and then again after talking with Jack about it. Covid seems to have shone a closer light on the desperate inequalities that exist for our disabled community so this felt very timely. It’s a big subject but it’s in Jack Thorne and Michael Keillor’s safe hands,” Sharon explained, before praising her fellow cast members.
Whilst Andrew’s actor Michael Sheen dubbed Jack an “extraordinary writer” and says that he believes the “incredibly important and urgent subject” has been approached with “humanity, honesty and humour”.
Is Best Interests based on a true story?
Whilst the BBC’s Best Interests storyline definitely has the emotional resonance of the Steeltown Murders true story and Manhunt true story, unlike these fellow dramas, it is fictional and isn’t adapted from a specific case. However, as we’ve seen with recent ITV show Maryland, that doesn’t mean that Best Interests’ powerful themes and focus isn’t something that many people will be able to connect to and which inspired the series.
Opening up to the BBC ahead of Best Interests premiering on June 12, the show’s creator Jack Thorne expressed his belief that the show’s cases are “revealing” when it comes to the UK.
“Best Interests cases are both compelling and revealing. Our country has a very troubled relationship with disability and these cases put a spotlight on that,” he shared, before stressing that the drama is also a “love story” as well as deeply poignant.
He continued, “[O]ur drama is first and foremost a love story and it needs incredible actors to bring it to life. Sharon Horgan and Michael Sheen lead a company of ridiculous talents that pull you into the most interesting of places.”
Jack also previously discussed with the BBC how being a father influenced his approach to the sensitive storyline of Best Interests and in what is reported in the media about real-life cases.
“As a parent of a three year old I've looked at the cases in the media about 'best interests' with some fascination and a little dread,” he said. “When the worst happens, how do you keep your head when everything around you feels wrong? We are going to try and tell a nuanced story that talks about this issue from all sides.”
In recent years there have been several high-profile cases where parents and medical professionals have disagreed when it came to what they believed was in their children’s best interests in terms of continuing medical treatment or withdrawing it, including Archie Battersbee in 2022 and Charlie Gard in 2017.
Best Interests viewers might find themselves naturally drawing some comparisons, however The Guardian reported that Sharon and Michael chose to come to the show “unschooled” in the “media circus” that surrounded specific cases.
They apparently believed that this would reflect Nicci and Andrew’s experience and Sharon also revealed how her experience with her daughter’s childhood illness personally inspired her performance as Nicci.
“My kid had meningitis when she was young,” she said. “While we thought we might lose her – as I was watching them trying to find a vein and get some antibiotics into her – I remember thinking: ‘I don’t care what happens – like, take off her limbs, whatever you need to do – just keep her alive.’”
Ultimately, Best Interests might not be based on one definitive true story but the story is one that resonates with so many of us. Nicci, Andrew and Marnie’s fictional story might also possibly remind some people of more personal, specific experiences as it did for Sharon Horgan.
Who’s in the Best Interests cast?
The Best Interests cast is led by BAFTA-nominated Welsh actor Michael Sheen as Andrew and BAFTA TV-dominated Irish actor Sharon Horgan as his wife Nicci. They are joined by A Christmas Carol’s Niamh Moriarty as their younger daughter Marnie and Conversations With Friends star Alison Oliver as their older daughter Katie. The Little Mermaid’s Noma Dumezweni plays Marnie’s paediatric consultant, Holby City star Chizzy Akudolu plays Mercy, one of Marnie’s paediatric doctors and Silent Witness’ Des McAleer plays Nicci’s dad Eddie.
Also part of the Best Interests cast are His Dark Materials’ Mat Fraser as lawyer Greg, who is assigned to look after Marnie’s best interests. Meanwhile, Magpie Murders star Pippa Haywood plays the judge presiding over Marnie’s case - Judge Spottiswood, and Gangs of London’s Lucian Msamati plays Derek who represents the suggestion that Marnie’s treatment should continue. He works on behalf of Every Christian Life, as do Fred played by Happy Valley’s Shane Zaza and Brenda played by Maternal actor Lisa McGrillis.
Where was Best Interests filmed?
Best Interests was reportedly filmed in Cheltenham in Gloucestershire where Andrew and Nicci and their daughters live in the show. However, the cast and crew are also said to have filmed in London for the courthouse scenes after the couple decide to challenge the doctors’ opinions.
How to watch Best Interests from anywhere in the world
For those who haven’t yet dived into the poignant BBC drama then Best Interests is airing for UK and Irish viewers at 9pm on Mondays and Tuesdays on BBC One, with the final episode set to air on Tuesday, June 22. Episodes are also being made available to watch afterwards via BBC iPlayer for those in the UK. For those who live elsewhere, sadly, you won’t be able to experience the masterful storytelling of Jack Thorne and performances from the stellar Best Interests cast.
If you’re going to be abroad when Best Interests airs, then you won’t be able to watch it as you normally would. Luckily there’s an easy solution and you can use a VPN to continue watching. This handy bit of software changes your IP address so that you can access on-demand content or live TV just as if you were at home.
Our sister site, TechRadar, has tested all of the major VPN services and they rate ExpressVPN as the absolute best. They say, “It’s compatible with all of your devices, supports most streaming services, and ranks among the fastest. You can even install it on devices like an Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox, and PlayStation. So for a one-stop-shop, you can’t go wrong with Express.”
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