Best Interests

This article is about the British TV series. For the child rights principle, see Best interests. For similar uses, see Best Interest.

Best Interests is a four-part British television drama series, written by Jack Thorne.^[1][2] It stars Sharon Horgan and Michael Sheen as a married couple, fighting for their disabled daughter's medical care. It premiered on 12 June 2023.^[3]

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 (2023-06-12) – 20 June 2023 (2023-06-20)

Plot

13-year-old Marnie (Niamh Moriarty) 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 (Sharon Horgan) and Andrew (Michael Sheen), fight to have her treatment continued but are driven apart by conflicting attitudes towards the battle.^[4][5][6]

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

Episodes

No.	Directed by	Written by	Original release date [3]	U.K. viewers (millions)
1	Michael Keillor	Jack Thorne	12 June 2023 (2023-06-12)	2.76
2	Michael Keillor	Jack Thorne	13 June 2023 (2023-06-13)	N/A
3	Michael Keillor	Jack Thorne	19 June 2023 (2023-06-19)	2.76
4	Michael Keillor	Jack Thorne	20 June 2023 (2023-06-20)	N/A

Production

The series was commissioned by Piers Wenger, Director of BBC Drama and Charlotte Moore, BBC's Chief Content Officer. The series began filming in London in March 2022.^[7]

Reception

Best Interests was chosen as one of the 10 best TV shows of 2023 by The Daily Telegraph.^[8]

Year	Award	Category	Nominee	Result	Ref.
2023	Series Mania	Best Actor in International Competition	Michael Sheen	Won	[9]
2024	TV Choice Awards	Best New Drama	Best Interests	Nominated	[10][11]
		Best Actor	Michael Sheen	Nominated
	Royal Television Society Programme Awards	Best Limited Series	Best Interests	Nominated	[12]
	British Academy Television Awards	Best Limited Drama	Best Interests	Nominated	[13][14]
		Best Actress	Sharon Horgan	Nominated
	Irish Film and Television Awards	Best Lead Actress - Television Drama	Sharon Horgan	Nominated	[15][16]
	Banff Rockie Awards	Best Limited Series	Best Interests	Won	[17][18]

References

1. Ritman, Alex (16 March 2022). "Sharon Horgan, Michael Sheen to Lead Jack Thorne's Disability Drama 'Best Interests' for BBC, Endeavor Content". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 13 December 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
2. Goldbart, Max; Tartaglione, Nancy (16 March 2022). "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". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 9 March 2023.
3. Marland, Sean (1 June 2023). "Best Interests: release date, plot, cast, and everything we know". What to Watch. Archived from the original on 5 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
4. Ramachandran, Naman (16 March 2022). "Michael Sheen, Sharon Horgan Lead Jack Thorne's Disability-Focused BBC Drama 'Best Interests'". Archived from the original on 13 December 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
5. Mangan, Lucy (12 June 2023). "Best Interests review – Sharon Horgan is magnificently ferocious as a mum in agony". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
6. Hilton, Nick (13 June 2023). "Best Interests review: Unflinching Sharon Horgan drama imagines parents' ultimate nightmare". The Independent. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
7. "Sharon Horgan and Michael Sheen lead cast for Jack Thorne's original four-part BBC series Best Interests". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
8. Bennion, Chris (12 December 2023). "The 10 best TV shows of 2023 – and the five worst". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
9. "Best Interests". Festival Séries Mania. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
10. "VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE SHOWS AND STARS!". TV Choice. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
11. "YOUR 2024 WINNERS". TV Choice. 13 February 2024. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
12. "RTS Programme Awards 2024". Royal Television Society. 6 April 2024. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
13. "BAFTA Television 2024: The Nominations". www.bafta.org. 15 March 2024. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
14. TV, Guardian (12 May 2024). "Bafta TV awards 2024: the full list of winners". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
15. "Irish Film and Television Awards (2024)". IMDb. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
16. "2024 IFTA Nominations Announced". ifta.ie. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
17. Schneider, Michael (21 March 2024). "'Abbott Elementary,' 'The Last of Us,' 'Gen V' Among Banff's 2024 Rockie Awards Nominees". Variety. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
18. "Rockie Awards ★ 2024 Winners & Nominees ★". rockies.playbackonline.ca. Retrieved 21 June 2024.

External links

• Best Interests at IMDb