Help

Set in a fictional Liverpool care home, this one-off drama tells the moving story of the relationship between a young care home worker (Comer) and a patient (Graham), whose lives are changed forever by the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in Spring 2020.

Sarah (Jodie Comer) is smart, but she’s never fitted in, not in education and not in work. Her family told her she’d never amount to anything but she unexpectedly finds her calling as a carer at Bright Sky Homes. Sarah has a special talent for connecting with the residents, including one in particular, 47-year-old Tony (Stephen Graham ). Tony’s Young Onset Alzheimer’s has left him living out his days in care as his mind slowly deteriorates. His illness causes periods of confusion and violent outbursts, which the other members of staff can’t handle, but with Sarah he begins to build a real bond. Sarah’s success at managing Tony and the other patients helps build her confidence and restore her self-belief.

Then March 2020 hits and everything Sarah has achieved is thrown into doubt with the arrival of the Coronavirus pandemic. She and her colleagues tirelessly fight tooth and nail, ill-equipped, poorly prepared, and seemingly left helpless by the powers that be. A determined Sarah goes to extraordinary lengths to protect those in her care, whose conditions make their suffering and isolation all the more traumatic. But the staff’s unwavering commitment, compassion and heroic efforts can only do so much, and Sarah is pushed into a dark corner and desperately looks for a way out.

Credits

A 1 x 120 minute drama for Channel 4

Starring: Stephen Graham, Jodie Comer, Ian Hart, Sue Johnston, Lesley Sharp, Angela Griffin, David Hayman, Cathy Tyson

Written by: Jack Thorne

Directed by Marc Munden

Executive Producers: George Faber, Beth Willis, Jack Thorne, Marc Munden, Stephen Graham, Jodie Comer, Christopher Moll

Produced by: Jenny Frayn


AWARDS:

Winner – INTERNATIONAL EMMY:  Best TV movie

Winner – RTS: Best Single Drama

Winner – BAFTA: Best Leading Actress + Best Supporting Actress

Winner – ROSE D’OR: Best Drama

Winner – BANFF TV FESTIVAL: Best Feature Film + Grand Jury Prize

Winner – BROADCAST AWARDS: Best Single Drama


PRESS:

‘Plenty of TV dramas have already attempted to grapple with the human cost of the pandemic [ ] but this will surely be remembered as one of the best.’ The Evening Standard


‘It is rare that a TV drama manages to be agonising and compelling; unbearable yet utterly immersive. Help was such a drama.’ 5* The Times


‘It leaves you breathless with both anxiety and rage.’ The Guardian


‘Drama with guts, depth and soul. Exceptional’ The Times 


‘Virtuoso’ The Telegraph


‘The fantastic performances of Jodie Comer and Stephen Graham were at the centre of a film that brimmed with humanity.’ The Independent


‘…Help powerfully depicts the trauma and loss so many have suffered [  ]…it’s also a masterpiece on the importance of friendship, human connection and love, something we all need to remember as the fallout of the pandemic continues.’ Stylist