| Best Interests | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama |
| Written by | Jack Thorne |
| Directed by | Michael Keillor |
| Starring | Sharon Horgan Michael Sheen |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 4 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Sharon Horgan Michael Sheen Sophie Gardiner Toby Bentley Michael Keillor Jack Thorne Lucy Richer |
| Producer | Jenny Frayn |
| Running time | 56 minutes |
| Production companies | Chapter One Pictures One Shoe Films |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC One |
| Release | 12 June – 20 June 2023 |
Best Interests is a four-part British television drama series, 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.
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]
| No. | Directed by | Written by | Original release date [4] | U.K. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Keillor | Jack Thorne | 12 June 2023 | 2.76 |
| 2 | Michael Keillor | Jack Thorne | 13 June 2023 | N/A |
| 3 | Michael Keillor | Jack Thorne | 19 June 2023 | 2.76 |
| 4 | Michael Keillor | Jack Thorne | 20 June 2023 | N/A |
The series was commissioned by Piers Wenger, director of BBC Drama and Charlotte Moore, BBC's chief content officer. [5] The four-part drama series was written by Jack Thorne. [6] [7]
Best Interest premiered on BBC One 12 June 2023. [4]
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]
Lucy Mangan, writing in The Guardian , gave the show five stars out of five, praising the performances of both lead actors. [10] The Independent's 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]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Series Mania | Best Actor in International Competition | Michael Sheen | Won | [15] |
| 2024 | TV Choice Awards | Best New Drama | Best Interests | Nominated | [16] [17] |
| Best Actor | Michael Sheen | Nominated | |||
| Royal Television Society Programme Awards | Best Limited Series | Best Interests | Nominated | [18] | |
| British Academy Television Awards | Best Limited Drama | Best Interests | Nominated | [19] [20] | |
| Best Actress | Sharon Horgan | Nominated | |||
| Irish Film and Television Awards | Best Lead Actress - Television Drama | Sharon Horgan | Nominated | [21] [22] | |
| Banff Rockie Awards | Best Limited Series | Best Interests | Won | [13] |