Trust Me (2017 TV Series Review)
- Feb 22
- 5 min read
The Trust Me British TV series is a high-stakes medical drama that first captured audiences on BBC One in 2017. Originally conceived as a character-driven thriller, the show underwent a significant transformation between its two seasons, effectively becoming an anthology series. Written by Dan Sefton and produced by Red Production Company, the series explores themes of identity, whistleblowing, and the fragile nature of trust within the medical profession. Whether it is a nurse stealing an identity to provide for her family or a paralyzed veteran uncovering a conspiracy in a hospital ward, the series consistently places its protagonists in claustrophobic, life-or-death situations.
Series Profile
• Director Name: John Alexander and Amy Neil.
• First Release Date: 8 August 2017.
• Number of Seasons: 2.
• Rating: Not provided in the sources.
• Country of Origin: United Kingdom.
• Original Release Network: BBC One.
• Distribution: Not provided in the sources.
• Original Release Network: BBC One.
Synopsis and Plot
The Trust Me British TV series is unique in that each of its two seasons tells a completely self-contained story with different leads.
Series One centers on Cath Hardacre, a hardworking nurse and single mother living in Sheffield. After raising concerns about patient neglect and subsequently losing her job due to whistleblowing, Cath finds herself in a desperate position. In a moment of extreme risk, she steals the identity of her best friend, Dr. Alison Sutton, and moves to Edinburgh with her daughter to start a new life as an A&E doctor. The plot follows her precarious balance of performing medical duties she isn't fully qualified for while hiding her true identity from suspicious colleagues and her past.
Series Two shifts to a neurological unit at South Lothian Hospital. The protagonist is Corporal James 'Jamie' McCain, a Syrian tour veteran who is recovering from severe spinal injuries and psychological trauma. While paralyzed and confined to his bed, Jamie notices that patients in his ward are dying unexpectedly. Convinced there is a potential enemy within the hospital, he begins an investigation into the suspicious deaths, despite his physical limitations and the skepticism of the medical staff.
Critics Response and Accolades
The sources provided do not list specific critical reviews or formal accolades received by the Trust Me British TV series. However, the public response can be gauged by the initial viewership figures for Series One, which opened to a strong 7.63 million viewers. This high level of engagement led to the show's renewal in early 2018. While critical consensus is not detailed, the fact that the series was able to transition into an anthology format after losing its primary lead suggests the BBC had initial confidence in the brand's premise and writing.
Cast and Characters
Series One Cast:
• Jodie Whittaker as Cath Hardacre / Alison 'Ally' Sutton
• Emun Elliott as Dr. Andy Brenner
• Sharon Small as Dr. Brigitte Rayne
• Blake Harrison as Karl
• Nathan Welsh as Sam Kelly
• Cara Kelly as Mona McBride
• Lois Chimimba as Nurse Karen
• Michael Abubakar as Dr. Charlie McKee
• Andrea Lowe as Dr. Alison Sutton
• Duncan Pow as Rob Beasley
Series Two Cast:
• Alfred Enoch as Jamie McCain
• Katie Clarkson-Hill as Dr. Zoe Wade
• John Hannah as Dr. Archie Watson
• Ashley Jensen as Debbie Dorrell
• Richard Rankin as Dr. Alex Kiernan
Main Characters Description
• Cath Hardacre (Jodie Whittaker): A Sheffield nurse who assumes her friend’s identity to work as a doctor in Edinburgh after being fired for whistleblowing.
• Jamie McCain (Alfred Enoch): A Syrian tour veteran recovering from a spinal injury who becomes suspicious of the mortality rate in his hospital ward.
• Andy Brenner (Emun Elliott): An A&E colleague in Edinburgh who becomes romantically involved with Cath and eventually discovers her secret.
• Dr. Zoe Wade (Katie Clarkson-Hill): A medical professional in the neurological unit during the events of Series Two.
Production
The series was written by Dan Sefton and produced by Red Production Company. Originally, the production team planned for Jodie Whittaker to return for the second series. However, those plans had to be scrapped when Whittaker was cast as the Thirteenth Doctor in Doctor Who. This led to the creative decision to turn Trust Me into an anthology, featuring a new premise and an entirely new cast for its 2019 return. Despite the successful pivot, the BBC confirmed the series' cancellation in June 2019, shortly after the conclusion of the second series.
Seasons
• Series 1
◦ Number of Episodes: 4.
◦ Release Date: 8 August 2017.
◦ Years in Air: 2017.
◦ Description: Follows Cath Hardacre as she navigates life as a fraudulent doctor in Edinburgh while her past threatens to catch up with her.
• Series 2
◦ Number of Episodes: 4.
◦ Release Date: 16 April 2019.
◦ Years in Air: 2019.
◦ Description: Focuses on Jamie McCain’s struggle to uncover the truth about dying patients while paralyzed in a neurological unit.
Spin-offs and Adaptations
According to the sources, there are no recorded spin-offs or adaptations for the Trust Me British TV series. The show ended after its second series was aired and subsequently cancelled.
Ratings and Review
The Trust Me British TV series saw a significant disparity in ratings between its two seasons. Series One was a major success, with episodes consistently drawing between 6.88 million and 7.63 million viewers in the UK. This strong performance initially secured the show's future.
In contrast, Series Two struggled to find the same audience. None of the episodes in the second series were reported in the weekly top 15 programmes for four-screen viewer ratings. The premiere of the second season had fewer than 4.15 million viewers, and by the final episode, the numbers had dipped below 3.67 million. This sharp decline in viewership likely played a decisive role in the BBC’s decision to cancel the medical drama in June 2019.
🔖 Key Takeaways
🗝️ Anthology Shift: The Trust Me British TV series began as a single-story drama but became an anthology because Jodie Whittaker left to star in Doctor Who.
🗝️ Core Themes: Both seasons utilize a medical drama setting to explore psychological thrillers involving deception and mysterious hospital deaths.
🗝️ Creative Team: The series was written by Dan Sefton and produced by Red Production Company for BBC One.
🗝️ Cancellation: Despite a very successful first series, a decline in ratings during the second series led to the show's cancellation in 2019.
🗝️ Star Power: The series featured notable British talent, including Jodie Whittaker, Alfred Enoch, and John Hannah.
Keywords: Trust Me TV series
Trust Me TV series
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