Broken family

Anna Friel stars in Jimmy McGovern's hard-hitting drama about the consequences of a shocking crime

- HANNAH DAVIES, IAN MACEWAN

NEW DRAMA Unforgivable Thursday, 9pm, BBC2

The heartbreaking ripple effect of abuse on one ordinary family is told in BBC2 drama Unforgivable, starring Anna Friel as supermarket worker Anna, whose son Tom was 12 when he was sexually abused by her own brother, Joe.

The one-off Liverpool-based drama from writer Jimmy McGovern begins as Joe (SAS Rogue Heroes' Bobby Schofield) is freed on licence, having served only half of his sentence.

But while he tries to seek some sort of redemption via intense therapy sessions from ex-nun Katherine (Anna Maxwell Martin), it's clear his whole family has been left utterly shattered by his actions.

'Anna's holding together a broken family that's been devastated by sexual abuse,' says Marcella star Friel, 49. 'This event has wreaked havoc.