Superb drama shines spotlight on a truly unforgiveable crime

Some three decades ago, an entire generation of TV viewers was stunned by a momentous moment on the soap opera Brookside: Two young women kissed.

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It provoked a heated national debate and predictable outrage from the usual suspects. But that one moment back in 1994 was a turning point in the media's perception of gay and lesbian relationships.

It was also a momentous moment for actresses Nichola Stephenson and Anna Friel, with the latter in particular going on to a plethora of starring roles and critical acclaim.

And now she's back in Liverpool in Unforgivable, the new Jimmy McGovern drama - and again she's stealing the show.

There are times when you want to weep for her character Anna, whose 12-year-old son Tom (Austin Haynes) is a victim of child sex abuse; you also want to stand up and cheer when she goes head to head with his narrow-minded, jobsworth headteacher and verbally wipes the floor with him.

Essentially, this is a drama about the legacy of child abuse; thanks to Friel it also shines a light on the very real struggle of holding down a full-time job while parenting two boys without an ounce (or penny) of support from her ex-husband.