Miniseries · BBC One
This Is Going to Hurt
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Ben Whishaw
Adam Kay
7 eps
Ambika Mod
Shruti Acharya
7 eps
Rory Fleck-Byrne
Harry
7 eps
Michele Austin
Tracy
7 eps
Alex Jennings
Lockhart
7 eps
Tom Durant-Pritchard
Greg
7 eps
Ashley McGuire
Houghton
7 eps
Harriet Walter
Veronique
7 eps
Kadiff Kirwan
Julian
7 eps
Al Roberts
James
1 eps
Jack Wilkinson
Daniel Farrell
1 eps
Clea Martin
Layla
1 eps
Farah Sardar
A&E Nurse
1 eps
Clare Fraenkel
Nina
1 eps
Josie Walker
Non-Reassuring Trace
1 eps
Ricky Champ
Rob
1 eps
Stacey Norris
Matilda
1 eps
Amanda Ryan
Mindy
1 eps
Thomas Aldridge
Mark
1 eps
Cathy Murphy
Harry's Mum
1 eps
Ross Tomlinson
PJ
1 eps
Yinka Awoni
James
1 eps
Helen Cripps
Psych Reg
1 eps
Layo-Christina Akinlude
Chid
1 eps
Daniel Ward
Paul
1 eps
Michael Simkins
Stephen
1 eps
Hannah Onslow
Erika
6 eps
Rosie Akerman
Paula
6 eps
Phillipa Dunne
Ria
6 eps
Michael Workéyè
Ben
6 eps
Agata Jarosz
Agnieska
4 eps
Sara Kestelman
Winnicka
3 eps
Alice Orr-Ewing
Emma
3 eps
Ani Nelson
Nicola
1 eps
Hiftu Quasem
Joyce
1 eps
Alice Bailey Johnson
Callie
1 eps
Charlotte Arrowsmith
Jessica
1 eps
Mariam Haque
Jas
1 eps
Ellie Beaven
Anna
1 eps
Nansi Nsue
Triage Patient
1 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How This Is Going to Hurt actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
This Is Going to Hurt 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 often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
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.
The story
What it's about
The unvarnished truth of life as a doctor working in obstetrics and gynaecology.
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S01E06
Episode 6
Heartbroken Adam does his first shift at a posh private hospital and finds that it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Shruti has a challenging night shift on the NHS Ward.
- Directed by Tom Kingsley
S01E04
Episode 4
Adam’s mistake comes back to haunt him, and he tries desperately to dig himself out of trouble. Shruti is excited to find a promising new mentor.
- Directed by Lucy Forbes
S01E05
Episode 5
It’s the day of Adam’s engagement party, but his work stress is becoming increasingly overwhelming. Shruti tries a new tack, but doesn’t get the outcome she hoped.
- Directed by Tom Kingsley
S01E07
Episode 7
A grieving Adam faces a tribunal over his malpractice, and is no longer sure if he can go on in medicine. Reconnecting with Harry, he tries to decide where his future lies.
- Directed by Tom Kingsley
S01E01
Episode 1
Junior doctor Adam juggles his personal life with his hectic job on the labour ward. In the chaos of the ward, he makes his first big mistake.
- Directed by Lucy Forbes
S01E02
Episode 2
Still reeling from his mistake, Adam becomes increasingly difficult to be around. While he clashes with a colleague over a patient, he tries to make amends at home.
- Directed by Lucy Forbes
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
Adam Kay
Showrunner
- Photo unavailable
Kristin Jones
Executive producer
Ben Whishaw
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Dan McDermott
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
James Kay
Executive producer
Jane Featherstone
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Naomi de Pear
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Mona Qureshi
Executive producer
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Kristin JonesExecutive Producer
- Ben WhishawExecutive Producer
- Holly PullingerProducer
- Dan McDermottExecutive Producer
- Adam KayExecutive Producer
- James KayExecutive Producer
Direction
- Tom KingsleyDirector
- Lucy ForbesDirector
Cinematography
- Benedict SpenceDirector of Photography
- Nick CookeDirector of Photography
Music
- Jarvis CockerOriginal Music Composer
- Serafina SteerOriginal Music Composer
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- NetflixStreaming
- PhiloStreaming
- AMC Plus Apple TV Channel Streaming
- AMC+ Amazon ChannelStreaming
- AMC+ Roku Premium ChannelStreaming
- AMC+Streaming
- YouTube TVStreaming
- Acorn TVStreaming
- AcornTV Amazon ChannelStreaming
- Spectrum On DemandStreaming
- Netflix Standard with AdsStreaming
- Acorn TV Apple TVStreaming
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