Breathtaking: the Covid drama that may make you scream
ITV three-parter is a 'tour de force' that exposes 'political complacency'

ITV's new Covid drama "Breathtaking" is "breathtakingly good".
That was Carol Midgley's assessment in The Times. She said "it's the best I have seen" from the lead actor, Joanne Froggatt, because "her performance as the consultant Abbey Henderson was more powerful for being restrained".
This is a "tour de force, exposing political complacency and reminding us how, despite all the clapping, NHS staff, many of whom died in the line of duty, are still taken for granted".
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
'Unparalleled attention to detail'
"Rarely does television feel so visceral," said Rachael Sigee on the i news site. "The attention to detail is unparalleled," she added, "from the scuffs on the walls to the red imprints of mask outlines on faces", and "that authenticity carries into the performances".
Sigee added a "big caveat", though. "It might be essential viewing but it is equally essential to do so with care. It may make you want to scream, but it's more likely you will watch in stunned silence."
As a polemic it is "powerful", said Anita Singh in The Daily Telegraph. But it does at points become "so caught up in the fierceness of its message that it forgets the basics of hooking an audience".
Lucy Mangan, in The Guardian, had a similar take. "By the end, despite great performances from the whole cast, Breathtaking feels more like a cathartic rush for the writers, rather than something that deepens our understanding of what doctors and patients – and to some extent what we all – went through."
'Sad and authentic'
Ultimately, though, it is a "deeply sad and often triggering drama", said Sean O'Grady in The Independent. It is also a "highly authentic" one, based as it is on the book by Dr Rachel Clarke, who worked in hospitals during the pandemic.
"Without lapsing into heavy-handed propagandising, the drama has the voice of Boris Johnson in 'Mayor in Jaws' mode floating above the traumatic scenes, with the juxtaposition between lazy spin about 'sending the coronavirus packing', and the "frantic reality of people basically drowning, adding to the tragedy."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Chas Newkey-Burden has been part of The Week Digital team for more than a decade and a journalist for 25 years, starting out on the irreverent football weekly 90 Minutes, before moving to lifestyle magazines Loaded and Attitude. He was a columnist for The Big Issue and landed a world exclusive with David Beckham that became the weekly magazine’s bestselling issue. He now writes regularly for The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, Metro, FourFourTwo and the i new site. He is also the author of a number of non-fiction books.
-
How do new stadiums affect football clubs?
In the Spotlight Everton's decision to move its men's team out of Goodison Park could be a catalyst for vital change, but there are cautionary tales too
-
Quiz of The Week: 10 – 16 May
Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
The Week Unwrapped: Why is cheese so bad for the environment?
Podcast Plus, will weight-loss drugs cut cancer rates? And what's behind a rise in 'sextortion' cases?
-
How to plan a (road) trip along the Mississippi River where the water isn't the only star
The Week Recommends See this vital waterway from the Great River Road
-
7 US cities to explore on a microtrip
The Week Recommends Not enough vacation days? No problem.
-
Slovenia is ready for its moment in the travel spotlight
The Week Recommends Mountains, lakes, caves and coastline await
-
Splish, splash is just the beginning when you have everything you need for a rollicking pool party
The Week Recommends Fire up the snow cone machine, and turn on that outdoor movie projector
-
How to create your perfect bedscape
The Week Recommends Nighttime is the right time to get excited about going to bed
-
How to enjoy the coolest of coolcations in Sweden
The Week Recommends You won't break a sweat on Lake Asnen or underground at the Adventure Mine
-
One great cookbook: 'I Dream of Dinner (so you don't have to)'
The Week Recommends The endless ease and versatility of a painless dinner
-
Crime alongside friendship, death as unrelenting force, and a music star's album companion piece all star in May's movies
The Week Recommends The Weeknd is back on the big screen, Wes Anderson pulls another ensemble cast and a horror franchise about death gets a new life