Latest news with #BobbySchofield
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Unforgivable viewers in tears as they say the same thing about new BBC drama that was 'difficult to watch'
Unforgivable viewers were left feeling very emotional and all said the same thing as they watched the BBC drama on Thursday night. The 90-minute episode, written by Jimmy McGovern, follows the fictional Mitchell family's devastation after finding out that one of their relatives abused another family member. According to BBC Two's official synopsis: 'The Mitchell family deal with the devastating aftermath of an act of sexual abuse committed by a member of their own family who, after two years, is about to leave prison.' The programme boasts a star-studded cast including Anna Friel, Anna Maxwell Martin, Bobby Schofield, Austin Haynes, Fin McParland, David Threlfall, Mark Womack, Phina Oruche and Paddy Rowan. The hard-hitting drama tackles themes of child abuse as it follows an ordinary family as they try to cope with the aftermath of the horrific crime. Viewers at home were left in tears as they deemed it a difficult watch but praised the cast for their work tackling the highly sensitive subject matter. One said on X, formerly known as Twitter, said: '#Unforgivable wow, what a difficult but powerful story. Jimmy McGovern strikes yet again. The last scene broke me. Brilliant stuff.' 'Heartbreaking viewing but you couldn't look away. À difficult nuanced topic treated with great sensitivity from the amazing Jimmy McGovern. I've shed more than a few tears tonight but was left with glimmer of hope for the family àt the end thanks to all concerned.' 'Uncomfortable watch but gr8 acting all round #Unforgivable.' 'Jimmy McGovern has done it again. What a genius. Great cast. 10/10. #Unforgivable #iplayer.' '#Unforgivable was a powerful watch, well done to all involved.' 'Watched Unforgivable on BBC2 tonight. Uncomfortable storyline but it made for an excellent drama with outstanding acting. 5 stars #Unforgivable.' 'An extremely difficult watch, but sensitive, well written and superbly acted. David Threlfall as always, an understated masterclass and Bobby Schofield showing his acting credentials #Unforgivable.' '#Unforgivable BBC iplayer - what a brilliant drama, taken from so many of those involved perspectives, so many emotions in the drama! A difficult subject but one that is so worth watching- you can't help but be moved!' Many rushed to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their praise and highlighted how much of a 'hard watch' it was Actor Bobby Schofield takes on the role of the abuser Joe, who is sent to an institution called St Maura's, a rehabilitation place that offers him support. An ex-nun called Katherine (Anna Maxwell) tries to help him by offering therapy sessions to try and figure out why he abused his nephew Tom - played by Austin Haynes. It also explores how Joe's sister Anna (Anna Friel), their father Brian (David Threlfall) and her sons Tom and Peter (Finn McParland) struggle to deal with his actions. Writer Jimmy McGovern opened up about why he wanted to explore the serious topic and why he felt 'compelled to write about it'. 'I received a letter from a woman who works with sex offenders and wanted to speak to me,' he said. 'She spoke no holds barred about her job and working with sex abusers. 'She told me certain facts and figures that are quite unbelievable, so I want people to watch the film and learn things about child abuse. I felt compelled to write about it.' He added: 'I've always been quick to condemn child abusers, as we all are and as we all should be. 'This is not a film that goes easy on child abusers at all. I wanted the audience to hear a few of the things I'd learned. 'I think we should be ultra cautious whenever we're dealing with abusers. 'I'm a father and a grandfather, I would find it very hard to forgive somebody who had done that to me or my family.' Watch Unforgivable on BBC iPlayer.
Scotsman
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Unforgivable BBC: who is in the cast
Jimmy McGovern's Unforgivable features plenty of recognisable faces in the cast 📺 Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Unforgivable deals with the 'devastating aftermath of an act of abuse'. It is set and filmed in Liverpool. But who is in the cast and where do you know them from? A drama exploring the 'ripple effect of abuse' is set to begin on BBC Two tonight. Unforgivable explores the "devastating aftermath' of such an act. Filmed and set in Liverpool it will make its debut this evening (July 24). The drama centres around the Mitchells who are forced to reckon with an act of abuse perpetrated by a member of their own family. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Writer Jimmy McGovern said: 'Even though we're talking about child abusers, I think I still think there's a need for compassion. Caution, yes, punishment, yes, justice, yes. 'These are enormous crimes, they must be punished, you must go to prison. But alongside all that, an element of compassion. To understand a bit more and equally condemn.' But who is in the cast of Unforgivable and where do you know them from? Here's all you need to know: What time is Unforgivable on TV? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Bobby Schofield as Joe and Anna Maxwell Martin as Katherine in Unforgivable | BBC / LA Productions / Kerry Spicer The drama will make its debut on BBC Two today (July 24). It is set to premiere at 9pm and it is a feature length special - lasting for just under 1 hour 45 minutes. If you can't watch it live, Unforgivable is also available to watch on iPlayer. It can already be found on the on demand platform. Who is in the cast of Unforgivable? Having served his prison sentence, Joe (Bobby Schofield) arrives at St Maura's, an institution which offers him a home and rehabilitation after his release. With the support of Katherine (Anna Maxwell Martin), an ex-nun, Joe undertakes therapy sessions in the hope of understanding what led him to commit the abuse. Simultaneously, his sister, Anna (Anna Friel), is dealing with the enormous impact that Joe's crime has had on her family - her sons, Tom (Austin Haynes) and Peter (Finn McParland), and her father, Brian (David Threlfall). Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Other actors in the TV film include Mark Womack, Phina Oruche and Paddy Rowan. Where do you know the cast from? Bobby Schofield was recently on screen as Bonehead in another Liverpool set drama - This City is Ours. Previously he had roles in SAS: Rogue Heroes and The Walk-In. Fans of Line of Duty will recognise Anna Maxwell Martin. She was nominated for a BAFTA for her role in the BBC comedy series Motherland - and she was also in Code 404. Anna Friel first shot to fame playing Beth Jordache on Brookside in the 1990s. More recently she played the title character in ITV's Marcella. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Austin Haynes played Thomas in the 2022 film The Railway Children - sequel to the beloved 1970 movie. He also appeared in Adolescence on Netflix earlier this year - playing Fredo - and also had a small role on All Creatures Great And Small. David Threlfall is best known for playing Frank Gallagher in Shameless - and he also directed a number of episodes of the hit show. More recently he was in the cast of BBC's Nightsleeper last year. Have you watched Unforgivable and what did you think about it? Let me know your thoughts by email: . If you love TV, check out our Screen Babble podcast to get the latest in TV and film.
Scotsman
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Unforgivable BBC: who is in the cast
Jimmy McGovern's Unforgivable features plenty of recognisable faces in the cast 📺 Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Unforgivable deals with the 'devastating aftermath of an act of abuse'. It is set and filmed in Liverpool. But who is in the cast and where do you know them from? A drama exploring the 'ripple effect of abuse' is set to begin on BBC Two tonight. Unforgivable explores the "devastating aftermath' of such an act. Filmed and set in Liverpool it will make its debut this evening (July 24). The drama centres around the Mitchells who are forced to reckon with an act of abuse perpetrated by a member of their own family. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Writer Jimmy McGovern said: 'Even though we're talking about child abusers, I think I still think there's a need for compassion. Caution, yes, punishment, yes, justice, yes. 'These are enormous crimes, they must be punished, you must go to prison. But alongside all that, an element of compassion. To understand a bit more and equally condemn.' But who is in the cast of Unforgivable and where do you know them from? Here's all you need to know: What time is Unforgivable on TV? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Bobby Schofield as Joe and Anna Maxwell Martin as Katherine in Unforgivable | BBC / LA Productions / Kerry Spicer The drama will make its debut on BBC Two today (July 24). It is set to premiere at 9pm and it is a feature length special - lasting for just under 1 hour 45 minutes. If you can't watch it live, Unforgivable is also available to watch on iPlayer. It can already be found on the on demand platform. Who is in the cast of Unforgivable? Having served his prison sentence, Joe (Bobby Schofield) arrives at St Maura's, an institution which offers him a home and rehabilitation after his release. With the support of Katherine (Anna Maxwell Martin), an ex-nun, Joe undertakes therapy sessions in the hope of understanding what led him to commit the abuse. Simultaneously, his sister, Anna (Anna Friel), is dealing with the enormous impact that Joe's crime has had on her family - her sons, Tom (Austin Haynes) and Peter (Finn McParland), and her father, Brian (David Threlfall). Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Other actors in the TV film include Mark Womack, Phina Oruche and Paddy Rowan. Where do you know the cast from? Bobby Schofield was recently on screen as Bonehead in another Liverpool set drama - This City is Ours. Previously he had roles in SAS: Rogue Heroes and The Walk-In. Fans of Line of Duty will recognise Anna Maxwell Martin. She was nominated for a BAFTA for her role in the BBC comedy series Motherland - and she was also in Code 404. Anna Friel first shot to fame playing Beth Jordache on Brookside in the 1990s. More recently she played the title character in ITV's Marcella. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Austin Haynes played Thomas in the 2022 film The Railway Children - sequel to the beloved 1970 movie. He also appeared in Adolescence on Netflix earlier this year - playing Fredo - and also had a small role on All Creatures Great And Small. David Threlfall is best known for playing Frank Gallagher in Shameless - and he also directed a number of episodes of the hit show. More recently he was in the cast of BBC's Nightsleeper last year. Have you watched Unforgivable and what did you think about it? Let me know your thoughts by email: .
South Wales Guardian
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- South Wales Guardian
Writer Jimmy McGovern praises ‘brave' BBC for airing child abuse drama
The Liverpool-born scriptwriter said he thought he 'had' to write Unforgivable to tell the story – based on an account he heard from a child psychologist – of a convicted sex offender who revealed details of his own abuse after being released from prison. He said that as he was writing it he doubted whether it would ever be aired. The 75-year-old told the PA news agency: 'I wanted to get it right, but the thing that bothered me most was, why am I doing this? Because I have a very strong feeling that the BBC will never do this, because it was not only condemning child abuse, it was trying to understand all the issues about child abuse, and that's not easy for people to take. 'I thought the BBC would say no, but they haven't said no. 'I know that they've been subject to attack at the moment, but it is an extraordinarily brave organisation at times, particularly over drama.' McGovern said as he wrote it he worried about backlash 'more over this particular project than any other' from people who may think it offered a sympathetic view of child abusers. He said: 'People are more than the crime they have committed, aren't they? There is more to any criminal than the crime they committed. 'So, it's finding that within the child abuser that helps you tell the story. 'He is an interesting character. We do not make it easy for him at all. 'The crime of abuse is an appalling crime and should be punished as an appalling crime. We do not make it easy for for our abuser at all, but we do delve into aspects of his life.' The writer said he understood the public reaction to child abusers – having once driven around Liverpool's Sefton Park with a neighbour trying to find a man they believed had tried to touch their children. 'All we knew was the man who did it had blue running shorts on,' he said. 'We went, we toured around Sefton Park looking for a man, any man, in blue running shorts and we were going to kill him. Thank God we did not find such a man. 'I excuse myself by saying probably most men would have reacted that way.' McGovern said he always wanted actor Bobby Schofield, who appeared in the writer's prison series Time, to play the role of abuser Joe Mitchell. He said: 'He's tremendous in it. He doesn't curry favour at all. What he does do is he plays self-disgust really well and he is a man who hates himself.' The one-off TV film also sees McGovern working with Anna Friel and Anna Maxwell Martin, both of whom he has worked with before. 'It's great to give lines to actors like that, you know. You know they're going to be done well,' he said. For the first time, he worked with David Threlfall, who McGovern had admired since he had seen him as Frank Gallagher in Shameless. He said: 'I always saw that as King Lear, because he was just that man in the storm, almost, wasn't he? I think he's an incredible actor.' Unforgivable will air on BBC Two at 9pm on Thursday and will be available on BBC iPlayer from the same day.
Rhyl Journal
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
Writer Jimmy McGovern praises ‘brave' BBC for airing child abuse drama
The Liverpool-born scriptwriter said he thought he 'had' to write Unforgivable to tell the story – based on an account he heard from a child psychologist – of a convicted sex offender who revealed details of his own abuse after being released from prison. He said that as he was writing it he doubted whether it would ever be aired. The 75-year-old told the PA news agency: 'I wanted to get it right, but the thing that bothered me most was, why am I doing this? Because I have a very strong feeling that the BBC will never do this, because it was not only condemning child abuse, it was trying to understand all the issues about child abuse, and that's not easy for people to take. 'I thought the BBC would say no, but they haven't said no. 'I know that they've been subject to attack at the moment, but it is an extraordinarily brave organisation at times, particularly over drama.' McGovern said as he wrote it he worried about backlash 'more over this particular project than any other' from people who may think it offered a sympathetic view of child abusers. He said: 'People are more than the crime they have committed, aren't they? There is more to any criminal than the crime they committed. 'So, it's finding that within the child abuser that helps you tell the story. 'He is an interesting character. We do not make it easy for him at all. 'The crime of abuse is an appalling crime and should be punished as an appalling crime. We do not make it easy for for our abuser at all, but we do delve into aspects of his life.' The writer said he understood the public reaction to child abusers – having once driven around Liverpool's Sefton Park with a neighbour trying to find a man they believed had tried to touch their children. 'All we knew was the man who did it had blue running shorts on,' he said. 'We went, we toured around Sefton Park looking for a man, any man, in blue running shorts and we were going to kill him. Thank God we did not find such a man. 'I excuse myself by saying probably most men would have reacted that way.' McGovern said he always wanted actor Bobby Schofield, who appeared in the writer's prison series Time, to play the role of abuser Joe Mitchell. He said: 'He's tremendous in it. He doesn't curry favour at all. What he does do is he plays self-disgust really well and he is a man who hates himself.' The one-off TV film also sees McGovern working with Anna Friel and Anna Maxwell Martin, both of whom he has worked with before. 'It's great to give lines to actors like that, you know. You know they're going to be done well,' he said. For the first time, he worked with David Threlfall, who McGovern had admired since he had seen him as Frank Gallagher in Shameless. He said: 'I always saw that as King Lear, because he was just that man in the storm, almost, wasn't he? I think he's an incredible actor.' Unforgivable will air on BBC Two at 9pm on Thursday and will be available on BBC iPlayer from the same day.
