Suranne Jones is cemented in the canon of great British actors – and for good reason. From her poised performance in Doctor Foster and an emotionally raw role in Channel 4’s I Am to BBC One’s primetime crime thriller Vigil and her portrayal of Anne Lister in the hit period drama Gentleman Jack, Jones excels with every role that comes her way. 

It’s no exaggeration to say that we’re excited, then, for the actor’s moving new ITV drama Maryland. Created by the Bafta award-winning actor alongside screenwriter Anne-Marie O’Connor (Trollied, Waterloo Road), the three-part series promises to be just the kind of show that pulls us in hook, line and sinker. 

What is Maryland about?

The relationship drama will explore the dynamic of two sisters, Becca and Rosaline, who have grown apart over the years because of “complex family dynamics”, according to ITV’s synopsis; Jones’ character Becca is described as a “down-to-earth mother of two”, while her sibling, played by Eve Best, is a “disciplined high-flyer”.

The pair have become estranged, wrapped up in their own lives, but when their mother’s body is discovered on Laxey Beach on the Isle of Man, they must travel there together. Once they are on the island, “they discover shocking information about their mother and find it impossible to escape the ripple effect of her secrets and lies”. 

Their mother Mary, it seems, “has been living a double life, leaving their father Richard at home in Manchester, whilst creating another world for herself … Maryland”.

Who is in the cast of Maryland?

The new drama boasts some seriously impressive talent. Best has been making waves for her portrayal of Princess Rhaenys Targaryen in HBO’s Game Of Thrones prequel House Of The Dragon, while Grease’s Stockard Channing, who has also starred in The Good Wife and The West Wing, will be adding more star quality to the drama as Cathy, a larger-than-life, American spiritual friend friend of the mother on the island.

George Costigan (Gentleman Jack, Happy Valley), meanwhile, will be playing Becca and Rosaline’s father Richard.

What has Suranne Jones said about her latest project?

“Maryland delves into family dynamics and the way in which we ‘label’ each other, sometimes never letting ourselves or our siblings break free from those roles,” Jones said when the show was announced last year. “We look at how we grow apart from one another and how sometimes we don’t really know anything about the people we call our own.”

She added: “I love how complex sibling relationships can be and I’m thrilled we get to do it over three wonderful hours and not as a ‘side story’.

“Maryland is an uncomfortable, funny and sometimes difficult story with two sisters at its heart and we can’t wait to take our audience along for the ride.”

Jones will also executive produce the drama as part of her company, Teamakers Productions. 

O’Connor said of the new series: “From the start, Suranne and I have wanted to tell a story about the roles that are ascribed to us in families – especially as women – and to look at the legacy of a woman who decided to step away from the traditional role but wasn’t honest about her decision.

“I’m thrilled to be working with Suranne and Monumental on Maryland and for ITV to have given us the opportunity to write a character-led show, at the heart of which is a love story about two sisters.”

When is Maryland on ITV? 

The first episode of Maryland is set to air on ITV at 9pm on Monday 22 May, with the following episodes following on consecutive evenings - but if you can’t wait that long, you can also watch the series in full as a boxset on ITVX after the first instalment has aired. 

Images: ITV; Getty; BBC