Limited series · BBC One
North & South
A passionate tale of love across the social divide
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Richard Armitage
John Thornton
4 eps
Daniela Denby-Ashe
Margaret Hale
4 eps
Sinéad Cusack
Hannah Thornton
4 eps
Jo Joyner
Fanny Thornton
4 eps
Tim Pigott-Smith
Richard Hale
4 eps
Pauline Quirke
Dixon
4 eps
Kay Lyon
Mary Higgins
4 eps
Brendan Coyle
Nicholas Higgins
4 eps
Anna Maxwell Martin
Bessy Higgins
4 eps
Lesley Manville
Mrs. Maria Hale
4 eps
David Fleeshman
Landlord
1 eps
Shaun Hennessey
Henderson
1 eps
Jonathan Magnanti
Harkness
1 eps
John Finn
Overseer
1 eps
Jane Cameron
Woman
1 eps
David Crellin
Slickson
1 eps
Rae Kelly Hill
Jenny
1 eps
Holly Scourfield
Lizzie
1 eps
Ian McHale
Stone
1 eps
Martin Walsh
Mr. Hamper
1 eps
Carl McCrystal
Worker
2 eps
Richard Evans
Dr. Donaldson
1 eps
Frank Lauder
Stephens
2 eps
Katie Wimpenny
Jane
1 eps
Marc Finn
Inspector
1 eps
Simon Cassidy
Worker
1 eps
Elianne Byrne
Worker
1 eps
Emma Ashton
Mother
1 eps
Martin Henshell
Slickson Worker
1 eps
Sam Chapman
Thornton Worker
1 eps
Philip Ralph
Brash Worker
1 eps
Karl Haynes
Rioter
1 eps
Rupert Evans
Frederick
3 eps
Travis Oliver
Captain Lennox
2 eps
William Houston
John Boucher
2 eps
Russell Mabey
Leonards
1 eps
Ben Crompton
Inspector Mason
1 eps
Caroline Pegg
Mrs. Boucher
2 eps
Neil Alan Taylor
Pall Bearer
1 eps
Matthew Storey
Policeman
1 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How North & South actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
North & South reads strongest on Character Depth, Bingeability and Serialized.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
The story
What it's about
Margaret Hale is a southerner from a country vicarage newly settled in the industrial northern town of Milton. In the shock of her move, she misjudges charismatic cotton mill-owner John Thornton, whose strength of purpose and passion are a match for her own pride and willfulness. When the workers of Milton call a strike, Margaret takes their side, and the two are brought into deeper conflict. As events spiral out of control, Margaret - to her surprise - begins to fall in love with Thornton...
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Kate BartlettProducer
- Diana BartonProducer
- Laura MackieExecutive Producer
- Phillippa GilesExecutive Producer
Writing
- Sandy WelchWriter
Direction
- Brian PercivalDirector
Cinematography
- Peter GreenhalghDirector of Photography
Music
- Martin PhippsOriginal Music Composer
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- Amazon Prime VideoStreaming
- Amazon VideoBuy
- Apple TV StoreBuy
- Google Play MoviesBuy
- BritBox Amazon ChannelStreaming
- Amazon Prime Video with AdsStreaming
If you liked this
Similar Series
Series that share this one's texture, not just its genre tags.
Emma
2009
Character-driven drama · Similar storytelling style
Poldark
2015
Character-driven drama · Similar storytelling style
Sense and Sensibility
2008
Character-driven drama · Similar storytelling style
Downton Abbey
2010
Character-driven drama · Similar storytelling style
The Bletchley Circle
2012
Character-driven drama · Similar storytelling style
Pride and Prejudice
1995
Character-driven drama · Similar storytelling style
Versailles
2015
Character-driven drama · Similar storytelling style
Kiznaiver
2016
Character-driven drama · Similar storytelling style
Fruits Basket
2019
Character-driven drama · Similar storytelling style
Blossom
2024
Character-driven drama · Similar storytelling style
The Double
2024
Character-driven drama · Similar storytelling style
Moon River
2025
Character-driven drama · Similar storytelling style
Where to go from here
Watch Next
Our editors' suggestion for the show you should start tonight — and why.
Peaky Blinders
2013
Another morally complex epic for anyone who wanted more grey.
Off Campus
2026
A natural next watch: same ambition, different world.
GuAn
2026
Keep the scale up — another series that spends its budget on screen.
The Sopranos
1999
Another morally complex epic for anyone who wanted more grey.
Overdo
2026
A natural next watch: same ambition, different world.
Chicago Fire
2012
Where our editors would send you after the credits roll.
Never stop watching
Related Collections
No related collections yet
This title isn't in a published Nutevio collection yet. It will appear here automatically as soon as it is.
Join the conversation