Broken

Sean Bean will forever be Ned Stark from Game of Thrones, but his darkest work is playing Father Michael Kerrigan, a priest who’s forced to put his own anguish aside to follow his faith and help his congregation.

Don’t for a second think that screenwriter Jimmy McGovern is making light of the sex abuse scandals that’ve rocked the Catholic Church for years. If anything, this shows the torment it has on someone who was abused as a child, only to grow up into the same industry as his abusers.

Keep an eye out for a couple of familiar TV faces, like Paula Malcomson (Ray Donovan’s Abby) as Roz Demichelis and Anna Friel (Deep Water’s Lisa) as troubled mom Christina who begs Father Michael for help.

The writing is intelligent and adult and pulls you in. It’s gritty and dark and an upsetting topic, but one that needs to be explored, writes Sarah Hughes of theguardian.com: “Bean’s Father Michael is quiet and conflicted, haunted by his past and battling a sadness that has seeped deep into his soul. He commands the screen, his pain flitting across that gaunt, ravaged face reminding us that some of the best actors say most when speaking least.”