Broken

Barbara Fan

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Anyone watching this great, well written and acted Jimmy McGovern drama on BBC?

Really enjoying it and Sean bean is fab. Also stars a few familiar faces from Corrie, naomi radcliffe wheo went out with kevin, melanie Kilburn - did she marry Roy, and Paul the fireman who went out wit Eileen

recommend it, and Anna friel is brilliant as a down trodden, skint, mother of 3 and it features wonderful Adrian Dunbar from Line of Duty

By Sarah Doran

Jimmy McGovern, the man who gave us Cracker, The Accused, The Street and quite a few episodes of Brookside, brings new BBC1 drama Broken to our TV screens in 2017.

Set in a northern community, it tells the tale of Catholic priest Father Michael Kerrigan, and the people of his parish.

Who's starring in the new series? Find out more about all the actors and characters they play below.

Father Michael Kerrigan - Sean Bean

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Father Michael is the local parish priest who's trying to find a place for the church in the modern world, help his parishioners, and battle the demons of his past - all at the same time

From Sharpe to Game of Thrones’ Eddard Stark, James Bond’s Alec Trevelyan to Lord of The Rings' Boromir, Sean Bean's back catalogue of roles (and screen deaths) is rather extensive. Most recently he's been managing to stay alive on screen though, in The Frankenstein Chronicles on ITV Encore. And he has previously worked with McGovern, playing teacher Tracie Tremarco in BBC drama Accused.

Bean shares the role of Michael with Brief Encounters star Fin Campbell (who plays Michael when he's 10) and Sam Rintoul (who plays the teenage Michael).

Christina Fitzsimmons – Anna Friel

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Christina Fitsimmons is a woman on the edge who's determined to do right by her kids

Brookside fans will probably remember Friel best as Beth Jordache, but she also popped up in Coronation Street and Emmerdale back in the day. Friel's got quite the international TV and film CV, with roles in Pushing Daisies and Marcella to her name. She's also no stranger to a Jimmy McGovern drama, having popped up in series 3 of The Street in 2009.

Jean Read – Rochenda Sandall

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Christina's boss Jean runs the local betting shop while struggling with her own secrets

Rochenda Sandall is a relative newcomer to TV screens but she's well able to hold her own among the big names. You may have previously spotted her working alongside Tom Hiddleston and Mark Gatiss in Coriolanus. She's also played a police officer or two on Coronation Street.
 

Barbara Fan

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Father Peter Flaherty – Adrian Dunbar

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Father Flaherty is Michael's friend and confidante

FELLA! Sure it's only Line of Duty's Ted Hastings. Of course, there's more to Adrian Dunbar than merely catching bent coppers (what a good job he's done there though, eh?) – you might also recognise the Irish actor from The Crying Game, My Left Foot, Ashes to Ashes or, more recently, The Hollow Crown.

Father Fitzpatrick – Tony Guilfoyle

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Father Fitzpatrick is the teacher who haunts Michael's dreams

Guilfoyle is no stranger to playing a man of God. In The Crown he played the Bishop of Durham, he starred as a vicar in Decline and Fall, and - perhaps most famously - he played Father Ted's rather unfortunate friend Father Larry Duff, who always ended up having accidents thanks to the cleric's phone calls.

Mariella – Clare Calbraith

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Mariella is Christina's sister - and seems to have her life in order

From SIlent Witness to DCI Banks, Clare Calbraith's enjoyed roles in many a UK TV drama. Most recently you'll have spotted her in ITV's Little Boy Blue, as well as wartime drama Home Fires. Calbraith's also popped up in Vera as DC Rebecca 'Shep' Shepherd, and she had roles in Downton Abbey, The Shadow Line and Coronation Street too.

Pauline Pickering – Naomi Radcliffe

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Ms Pickering is the local primary school teacher who's helping to prepare the children for First Communion

Naomi Radcliffe is probably best known to fans of Coronation Street as Alison Webster, Kevin's ill-fated other half who walked out in front of a truck after snatching Bethany Platt following the death of her own baby. Radcliffe also appeared in hotel drama The Grand, Spotless, Shameless and Doctors. And in recent weeks she also starred in BBC's gripping three-part drama, Three Girls.
 

Barbara Fan

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Muna Otaru - Helen Oyenusi

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Helen is one of Michael’s congregation and has a son who is struggling with day to day life

You might have spotted Otaru playing Temitayo in Damilola, Our Loved Boy.

Vernon Otaru – Jerome Holder

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Young Vernon doesn’t trust many people, but he does trust Father Michael

Holder played Maxy in The Story of Tracy Beaker and Max Tyson in Holby City

Mark Stanley – PC Andrew Powell

PC Powell is a local officer who crosses paths with Father Michael

Stanley enjoyed a stint in Game of Thrones playing Jon Snow’s pal Grenn and he also popped up in Dickensian as Bill Sykes. Oh, and you won’t have seen him thanks to the helmet, but he played one of the Knights of Ren in Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens.

Paula Malcomson – Roz Demichelis

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Roz comes to talk with Father Michael about something that’s been troubling her

Paula Malcolmson is a veteran of both the big and small screen playing Karniss’ mother in the The Hunger Games series, Abby Donovan in Ray Donovan and Maureen Ashby in Sons of Anarchy to name but a few. Fans of ER will know her as Meg Riley, while those who watched Deadwood might remember her as Trixie. Oh and she also played Marjorie Detterick in The Green Mile.
 

Ome

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Anyone watching this great, well written and acted Jimmy McGovern drama on BBC?
We watched the first episode and the deleted the following one. It wasn't for anything other than we were watching the BBC drama PAULA and decided to stick with that. We have recorded FEARLESS and are looking forward to that one.
 

Barbara Fan

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We watched the first episode and the deleted the following one. It wasn't for anything other than we were watching the BBC drama PAULA and decided to stick with that.

I didnt like all the bad language in it and gave up, was it worth watching?
 

Willie Oleson

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Thanks for the info, Barbara Fan. It looks very promising, and I like religion drama.

But...Sean Bean? Again? It's not that he's not good enough, but he's in everything.
 

Barbara Fan

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Have just finished watching the final episode.
Sean Bean was absolutely fantastic, and surely a Bafta or Emmy are heading his way.

It was a bleak drama with a social message and my cheeks are still stinging from crying, but the ending was very moving and touching and glad to see Anna Friel back. She was fab.

Gets an A + from me.

Ps he got married for 5th time at weekend!!
 

Barbara Fan

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I bought the DVD of this and binge watched it last week
Sean Bean is mesmerising and totally nailed the part as a RC priest, its even better 2nd time round

recommend it!!

 
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