Best Interests

{{Short description|British television drama}}

{{other uses|Best Interest (disambiguation){{!}}Best Interest}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox television

| image =

| caption =

| genre = Drama

| creator =

| based_on =

| developer =

| writer = Jack Thorne

| director = Michael Keillor

| starring = Sharon Horgan
Michael Sheen

| theme_music_composer =

| opentheme =

| endtheme =

| composer =

| country = United Kingdom

| language = English

| num_episodes = 4

| list_episodes =

| executive_producer = Sharon Horgan
Michael Sheen
Sophie Gardiner
Toby Bentley
Michael Keillor
Jack Thorne
Lucy Richer

| producer = Jenny Frayn

| editor =

| location =

| cinematography =

| camera =

| runtime = 56 minutes

| company = Chapter One Pictures
One Shoe Films

| network = BBC One

| first_aired = {{Start date|2023|06|12|df=y}}

| last_aired = {{End date|2023|06|20|df=y}}

| related =

| num_series = 1

| budget =

}}

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.

Plot

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.{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2022/tv/global/michael-sheen-sharon-horgan-jack-thorne-disability-bbc-1235206305/|title=Michael Sheen, Sharon Horgan Lead Jack Thorne's Disability-Focused BBC Drama 'Best Interests'|first1=Naman|last1=Ramachandran|date=16 March 2022|accessdate=13 December 2022|archive-date=13 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213000320/https://variety.com/2022/tv/global/michael-sheen-sharon-horgan-jack-thorne-disability-bbc-1235206305/|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/jun/12/best-interests-review-sharon-horgan-is-magnificently-ferocious-as-a-mum-in-agony|title=Best Interests review – Sharon Horgan is magnificently ferocious as a mum in agony|first1=Lucy|last1=Mangan|newspaper=The Guardian |date=12 June 2023|accessdate=9 June 2024}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/best-interests-bbc-review-sharon-horgan-b2356359.html|title=Best Interests review: Unflinching Sharon Horgan drama imagines parents' ultimate nightmare|first1=Nick|last1=Hilton|newspaper=The Independent |date=13 June 2023|accessdate=9 June 2024}}

Cast

Episodes

{{Episode table |background=#483C32 |overall= |director= |writer= |airdate= |airdateR= |country=U.K. |viewers= |episodes=

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 1

|DirectedBy = Michael Keillor

|WrittenBy = Jack Thorne

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2023|6|12|df=y}}

|Viewers = 2.76

|ShortSummary =

|LineColor = 483C32

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 2

|DirectedBy = Michael Keillor

|WrittenBy = Jack Thorne

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2023|6|13|df=y}}

|Viewers =

|ShortSummary =

|LineColor = 483C32

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 3

|DirectedBy = Michael Keillor

|WrittenBy = Jack Thorne

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2023|6|19|df=y}}

|Viewers = 2.76

|ShortSummary =

|LineColor = 483C32

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 4

|DirectedBy = Michael Keillor

|WrittenBy = Jack Thorne

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2023|6|20|df=y}}

|Viewers =

|ShortSummary =

|LineColor = 483C32

}}

}}

Production

The series was commissioned by Piers Wenger, director of BBC Drama and Charlotte Moore, BBC's chief content officer. The four-part drama series was written by Jack Thorne.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/sharon-horgan-michael-sheen-jack-thorne-disability-drama-bbc-endeavor-content-1235112575/|title=Sharon Horgan, Michael Sheen to Lead Jack Thorne's Disability Drama 'Best Interests' for BBC, Endeavor Content|first1=Alex|last1=Ritman|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=16 March 2022|accessdate=13 December 2022|archive-date=13 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213000321/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/sharon-horgan-michael-sheen-jack-thorne-disability-drama-bbc-endeavor-content-1235112575/|url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=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 |url=https://deadline.com/2022/03/sharon-horgan-the-witchfinder-cast-downton-abbey-podcast-bbc-studios-creator-residencies-global-briefs-1234979935/ |website=Deadline Hollywood |date=2022-03-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230309162400/https://deadline.com/2022/03/sharon-horgan-the-witchfinder-cast-downton-abbey-podcast-bbc-studios-creator-residencies-global-briefs-1234979935/ |archive-date=2023-03-09 |url-status=live |last1=Goldbart |first1=Max |last2=Tartaglione |first2=Nancy}}

Filming began in London in March 2022.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2022/best-interests-casting/|title=Sharon Horgan and Michael Sheen lead cast for Jack Thorne's original four-part BBC series Best Interests|website=www.bbc.co.uk|accessdate=12 January 2025}}

Broadcast

Best Interest premiered on BBC One 12 June 2023.{{cite web |last1=Marland |first1=Sean |title=Best Interests: release date, plot, cast, and everything we know |url=https://www.whattowatch.com/watching-guides/best-interests-plot-cast-and-everything-we-know-about-jack-thornes-new-bbc1-drama |website=What to Watch |access-date=6 June 2023 |date=1 June 2023 |archive-date=5 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230605073818/https://www.whattowatch.com/watching-guides/best-interests-plot-cast-and-everything-we-know-about-jack-thornes-new-bbc1-drama |url-status=live }}

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.{{cite web | last=Perry | first=Kevin | title=BEST INTERESTS: Sharon Horgan's new family drama | website=TV Blackbox | date=1 January 2024 | url=https://tvblackbox.com.au/page/2024/01/02/best-interests-sharon-horgans-new-family-drama/ | access-date=20 March 2025}} In the United States, it was released on subscription streaming platform Acorn TV in February 2025.{{cite web | last=Zuckerman | first=Esther | title=‘Best Interests’ Is a Deeply Empathetic British Series | website=The New York Times | date=18 February 2025 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/18/arts/television/best-interests-acorn-tv.html | access-date=20 March 2025}}

Reception

Lucy Mangan, writing in The Guardian, gave the show five stars out of five, praising the performances of both lead actors.{{cite web | last=Mangan | first=Lucy | title=Best Interests review – Sharon Horgan is magnificently ferocious as a mum in agony | website=The Guardian| author-link= Lucy Mangan | date=12 June 2023 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/jun/12/best-interests-review-sharon-horgan-is-magnificently-ferocious-as-a-mum-in-agony | access-date=20 March 2025}} The Independent's Nick Hilton gave it four stars, praising the script as well as the acting.{{cite web | last=Hilton | first=Nick | title=Unflinching Sharon Horgan drama Best Interests imagines parents’ ultimate nightmare | website=The Independent | date=13 June 2023 | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/best-interests-bbc-review-sharon-horgan-b2356359.html | access-date=20 March 2025}}

Best Interests was chosen as one of the 10 best TV shows of 2023 by The Daily Telegraph.{{Cite news |last=Bennion |first=Chris |date=2023-12-12 |title=The 10 best TV shows of 2023 – and the five worst |language=en-GB |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2023/12/12/best-and-worst-tv-shows-of-2023/ |access-date=2023-12-16 |issn=0307-1235}}

The series was nominated for several awards, winning Best Limited Series at the Banff Rockie Awards.{{Cite web |last=Schneider |first=Michael |date=2024-03-21 |title='Abbott Elementary,' 'The Last of Us,' 'Gen V' Among Banff's 2024 Rockie Awards Nominees |url=https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/abbott-elementary-the-last-of-us-gen-v-banff-2024-rockie-awards-nominees-1235947997/ |access-date=2024-03-22 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Rockie Awards ★ 2024 Winners & Nominees ★ |url=https://rockies.playbackonline.ca/winners/winner/2024 |access-date=2024-06-21 |website=rockies.playbackonline.ca}}

=Accolades=

class="wikitable"

|+

!Year

!Award

!Category

!Nominee

!Result

!Ref.

2023

|Series Mania

|Best Actor in International Competition

|Michael Sheen

|{{win}}

|{{Cite web |title=Best Interests |url=https://seriesmania.com/en/festival/fiche/best-interests/ |access-date=2023-12-17 |website=Festival Séries Mania |language=en}}

rowspan="7" |2024

| rowspan="2" |TV Choice Awards

|Best New Drama

|Best Interests

|{{nom}}

| rowspan="2" |{{Cite web |title=VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE SHOWS AND STARS! |url=https://www.tvchoicemagazine.co.uk/vote/ |access-date=2023-12-17 |website=TV Choice |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2024-02-13 |title=YOUR 2024 WINNERS |url=https://www.tvchoicemagazine.co.uk/awards/winners/ceremony-2024/ |access-date=2024-03-07 |website=TV Choice |language=en}}

Best Actor

|Michael Sheen

|{{nom}}

Royal Television Society Programme Awards

|Best Limited Series

|Best Interests

|{{nom}}

|{{Cite web |date=2024-04-06 |title=RTS Programme Awards 2024 |url=https://rts.org.uk/award/rts-programme-awards-2024 |access-date=2024-03-07 |website=Royal Television Society |language=en}}

rowspan="2" |British Academy Television Awards

|Best Limited Drama

|Best Interests

|{{nom}}

| rowspan="2" |{{Cite web |date=2024-03-15 |title=BAFTA Television 2024: The Nominations |url=https://www.bafta.org/television/awards/2024-nominations-winners |access-date=2024-03-20 |website=www.bafta.org |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=TV |first=Guardian |date=2024-05-12 |title=Bafta TV awards 2024: the full list of winners |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/article/2024/may/12/bafta-tv-awards-2024-winners-full-list |access-date=2024-05-13 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}

Best Actress

|Sharon Horgan

|{{nom}}

Irish Film and Television Awards

|Best Lead Actress - Television Drama

|Sharon Horgan

|{{nom}}

|{{Cite web |title=Irish Film and Television Awards (2024) |url=https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000365/2024/1 |access-date=2024-11-19 |website=IMDb}}{{Cite web |title=2024 IFTA Nominations Announced |url=https://ifta.ie/news/nominations-24.php |access-date=2024-11-19 |website=ifta.ie}}

Banff Rockie Awards

|Best Limited Series

|Best Interests

|{{won}}

|

References

{{Reflist}}