Sheridan Smith, Alison Steadman, & Sinead Keenan to Star in BBC's Upcoming Drama CARE

Sheridan Smith (The Moorside, Cilla), Alison Steadman (Hold The Sunset, Gavin & Stacey) and Sinead Keenan (Little Boy Blue, Being Human) will star in Care, a new drama written by Jimmy McGovern (Broken, The Accused, The Street) and Gillian Juckes, whose real life experiences formed the inspiration for the story.

The 90-minute drama will be produced by LA Productions for BBC One.

Sheridan Smith is Jenny, a mother-of-two raising her girls alone after the departure of her husband Dave. Her one lifeline is Mary (Steadman), Jenny's widowed mother, whose help with childcare allows Jenny to hold down her full-time job at the supermarket. When Mary suffers a devastating stroke and develops dementia, Jenny's world comes CRASHING down and everything changes for her and her sister Claire (Keenan). Finding herself torn between her own life and the wellbeing of her mother, Jenny soon discovers that another way could be possible - but she'll have to fight for it.

Jimmy McGovern says: "A great cast, a wonderful director and a superb co-writer! I'm really looking forward to making this."

Gillian Juckes says: "It has been a great experience working with Jimmy and a wonderful opportunity to write about a subject very close to my heart."

Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama, says: "It's always an honour to work with Jimmy McGovern, here joining forces with Gillian Juckes on her first script for a television drama. Together they tell a truly remarkable story of one woman's battle to get the best care for her mother. The cast, led by the wonderful Sheridan Smith, will portray this poignant story with the warmth and gravitas it deserves."

Colin McKeown, Executive Producer for LA Productions, says: "It is great to be working with three fantastic female actors, all with a huge association to Liverpool - Sheridan Smith (Cilla), Sinead Keenan (Little Boy Blue) and Alison Steadman, who is Liverpool born and bred."

Care (1x90') will be made by LA Productions for BBC One and was commissioned by Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama, and Charlotte Moore, BBC Director of Content. It will be directed by David Blair (Away, Reg) and will be produced by Colin McKeown and Donna Molloy (Broken, Moving On). Executive Producers are Colin McKeown and Jimmy McGovern for LA Productions and Lucy Richer for the BBC. Filming will begin shortly in and around Liverpool.

Photo Credit: BBC

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