Best Interests Explained

Best Interests is a British television drama miniseries written by Jack Thorne. It stars Sharon Horgan and Michael Sheen as a married couple, fighting for their disabled daughter's medical care. It premiered on BBC One on 12 June 2023. The show was well-received by critics, and was nominated for several awards, winning Best Limited Series at the Banff Rockie Awards.

Plot

13-year-old Marnie has a rare form of muscular dystrophy that was diagnosed when she was a baby. When she ends up in intensive care after a chest infection, Marnie's doctor Samantha questions whether her treatment should be continued. Marnie's parents, Nicci and Andrew, fight to have her treatment continued but are driven apart by conflicting attitudes towards the battle.^{[1] [2] [3]}

Cast

• Sharon Horgan as Nicci
• Michael Sheen as Andrew
• Alison Oliver as Katie
• Niamh Moriarty as Marnie
• Noma Dumezweni as Samantha
• Chizzy Akudolu as Mercy
• Des McAleer as Eddie
• Mat Fraser as Greg
• Gary Beadle as Frank
• Jack Morris as Tom
• Pippa Haywood as Judge Spottiswood
• Shane Zaza as Fred
• Lucian Msamati as Derek
• Lisa McGrillis as Brenda

Production

The series was commissioned by Piers Wenger, director of BBC Drama and Charlotte Moore, BBC's chief content officer. The four-part drama series was written by Jack Thorne.^{[4] [5]}

Filming began in London in March 2022.^[6]

Broadcast

Best Interest premiered on BBC One 12 June 2023.^[7]

The series was screened on Australian public broadcaster ABC Television's streaming service ABC iview on 2 January 2024, and from Sunday 14 January on ABC TV.^[8] In the United States, it was released on subscription streaming platform Acorn TV in February 2025.^[9]

Reception

Lucy Mangan, writing in The Guardian, gave the show five stars out of five, praising the performances of both lead actors.^[10] The Independents Nick Hilton gave it four stars, praising the script as well as the acting.^[11]

Best Interests was chosen as one of the 10 best TV shows of 2023 by The Daily Telegraph.^[12]

The series was nominated for several awards, winning Best Limited Series at the Banff Rockie Awards.^{[13] [14]}

Accolades

External links

• • Best Interests, review by Alison Wilde on Disability Arts Online, 7 July 2023

Notes and References

1. Web site: Michael Sheen, Sharon Horgan Lead Jack Thorne's Disability-Focused BBC Drama 'Best Interests'. Naman. Ramachandran. 16 March 2022. 13 December 2022. 13 December 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221213000320/https://variety.com/2022/tv/global/michael-sheen-sharon-horgan-jack-thorne-disability-bbc-1235206305/. live.
2. News: Best Interests review – Sharon Horgan is magnificently ferocious as a mum in agony. Lucy. Mangan. The Guardian . 12 June 2023. 9 June 2024.
3. News: Best Interests review: Unflinching Sharon Horgan drama imagines parents' ultimate nightmare. Nick. Hilton. The Independent . 13 June 2023. 9 June 2024.
4. Web site: Sharon Horgan, Michael Sheen to Lead Jack Thorne's Disability Drama 'Best Interests' for BBC, Endeavor Content. Alex. Ritman. The Hollywood Reporter. 16 March 2022. 13 December 2022. 13 December 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221213000321/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/sharon-horgan-michael-sheen-jack-thorne-disability-drama-bbc-endeavor-content-1235112575/. live.
5. Web site: Sharon Horgan & Michael Sheen To Lead Jack Thorne's 'Best Interests'; 'The Witchfinder' Cast; Sky Super League Trailer; 'Downton Abbey' Podcast; BBC Studios Creator Residencies – Global Briefs . . 2022-03-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230309162400/https://deadline.com/2022/03/sharon-horgan-the-witchfinder-cast-downton-abbey-podcast-bbc-studios-creator-residencies-global-briefs-1234979935/ . 2023-03-09 . live . Goldbart . Max . Tartaglione . Nancy.
6. Web site: Sharon Horgan and Michael Sheen lead cast for Jack Thorne's original four-part BBC series Best Interests. www.bbc.co.uk. 12 January 2025.
7. Web site: Marland . Sean . Best Interests: release date, plot, cast, and everything we know . . 6 June 2023 . 1 June 2023 . 5 June 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230605073818/https://www.whattowatch.com/watching-guides/best-interests-plot-cast-and-everything-we-know-about-jack-thornes-new-bbc1-drama . live .
8. Web site: Perry . Kevin . BEST INTERESTS: Sharon Horgan's new family drama . TV Blackbox . 1 January 2024 . 20 March 2025.
9. Web site: Zuckerman . Esther . ‘Best Interests’ Is a Deeply Empathetic British Series . The New York Times . 18 February 2025 . 20 March 2025.
10. Web site: Mangan . Lucy . Best Interests review – Sharon Horgan is magnificently ferocious as a mum in agony . The Guardian. Lucy Mangan . 12 June 2023 . 20 March 2025.
11. Web site: Hilton . Nick . Unflinching Sharon Horgan drama Best Interests imagines parents’ ultimate nightmare . The Independent . 13 June 2023 . 20 March 2025.
12. News: Bennion . Chris . 2023-12-12 . The 10 best TV shows of 2023 – and the five worst . en-GB . The Telegraph . 2023-12-16 . 0307-1235.
13. Web site: Schneider . Michael . 2024-03-21 . 'Abbott Elementary,' 'The Last of Us,' 'Gen V' Among Banff's 2024 Rockie Awards Nominees . 2024-03-22 . Variety . en-US.
14. Web site: Rockie Awards ★ 2024 Winners & Nominees ★ . 2024-06-21 . rockies.playbackonline.ca.
15. Web site: Best Interests . 2023-12-17 . Festival Séries Mania . en.
16. Web site: VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE SHOWS AND STARS! . 2023-12-17 . TV Choice . en.
17. Web site: 2024-02-13 . YOUR 2024 WINNERS . 2024-03-07 . TV Choice . en.
18. Web site: 2024-04-06 . RTS Programme Awards 2024 . 2024-03-07 . Royal Television Society . en.
19. Web site: 2024-03-15 . BAFTA Television 2024: The Nominations . 2024-03-20 . www.bafta.org . en.
20. News: TV . Guardian . 2024-05-12 . Bafta TV awards 2024: the full list of winners . 2024-05-13 . The Guardian . en-GB . 0261-3077.
21. Web site: Irish Film and Television Awards (2024) . 2024-11-19 . IMDb.
22. Web site: 2024 IFTA Nominations Announced . 2024-11-19 . ifta.ie.