Viewers left in tears at Jed Mercurio's moving Covid-19 drama Breathtaking

Following the final episode on Wednesday 21st February, viewers have been taking to social media to express their thoughts on Jed Mercurio's latest drama, Breathtaking, which gives a thought-provoking and poignant account of an NHS doctor in the eye of the storm during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The three-part drama, which aired on ITV/STV this week, features Liar actress Joanne Froggatt as frontline consultant Dr Abbey Henderson, in the early-days of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

After watching all three episodes, viewers have taken to social media to express their emotions from the harrowing drama, with many praising both the cast and writers.

One wrote: 'Harrowing and heartbreaking 💔 BUT a true reflection of what was experienced in the NHS. The ultimate fear and anxiety of taking this home to our loved ones but wanting to help the vulnerable individuals to get home to theirs'. (sic)

Another wrote: 'Omg just finished watching the ITV drama breathtaking. I’ve been in tears over the last three nights watching it the script and the production is so real it just brought back memories'. (sic)

A third wrote: 'Utterly heartbreaking to watch. Beautifully acted, representing those on the front line so well', with another adding: 'This series is wonderful because of how important things it shows🎀 but it also breaks my heart when you realize how much suffering the pandemic has caused people💔'. (sic)

Another said: 'Such an impressive acting. What a great story ! Beautifully for all the healthcare workers ❤️'. (sic)

See photos from Breathtaking below:

The drama, which was filmed in Belfast, showcases how frontline medical staff desperately tried to save the lives of their patients during the Covid-19 pandemic, with ITV describing the series as: 'Against a backdrop of news footage from the early months of 2020, the drama will follow Abbey in her daily work whilst weaving together the stories of her fellow doctors, nurses, patients and the paramedics whose ambulances were queued outside hospitals as the NHS tried to cope with a tsunami of devastating cases. All of human life is present, and in parts it’s an uplifting account of resilience and fortitude.'

As well as Jed Mercurio, the drama was written by former NHS doctor Rachel Clarke, who used her memoir from the Covid-19 pandemic, where she worked on the frontline.

Rachel said of the series: “There is so much misinformation and rewriting of history around what really happened inside our hospitals during the pandemic. The truth is, NHS staff gave everything they had in impossible conditions that sometimes cost them their lives. It is an honour to try and depict the courage and decency of my NHS colleagues on screen, and I’m so grateful to ITV and HTM Television for giving me the chance to show the public the truth.”

Breathtaking is available to watch on ITVX and STV Player now.

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