Doctors Recommend Watching ITV's Poignant New Series "Breathtaking"
The British Medical Association is endorsing ITV's series "Breathtaking," dramatizing the COVID-19 crisis as depicted in Rachel Clarke's 2021 memoir.
Starring Joanne Froggatt, the drama, set in a city hospital, portrays medical staff's struggle against the virus, depicting the scarcity of PPE and the moral dilemmas healthcare workers faced.
The union praised the series, which melds 2020 news clips with fictional narratives, for its accurate representation of medical professionals' experiences. Dr. Clarke, whose Twitter handle is @doctor_oxford, has urged viewers to watch the series.
Reactions from audiences have been strong, with some expressing the deep emotional impact, calling it "terrifying" and "heartbreaking." Others choose not to watch, finding the recollection too distressing.
Dr. Clarke emphasized in a Metro.co.uk interview the importance of sharing her story to acknowledge the trauma NHS staff endured, likening their unpreparedness and humanity to soldiers thrust into battle.
The series, developed by practitioners of drama and medicine including Jed Mercurio and Prasanna Puwanarajah, seeks to honor the hardships and resilience of healthcare workers during the pandemic.