Calling all Netflix viewers! Looking for your next TV binge-watch? The gripping two-part crime drama, A Mother’s Son, recently arrived on the streaming platform and is already storming the Top Ten TV chart. The series, which first aired on ITV in 2012, stars Doc Martin actor Martin Clunes, Cold Feet star Hermione Norris and Annika‘s Nicola Walker, and follows a local shopkeeper in an idyllic coastal village, who becomes suspicious of her son after a teenage girl is killed.

There are a number of British TV hits now on Netflix, from the BBC’s Line of Duty and Inside Man, to ITV’s The Walk-In and Channel 4’s The Gathering, all of which captivated viewers when they were first broadcast and have now found a new audience on the streaming giant. A Mother’s Son is the latest compelling drama to arrive on the platform, and fans of shows like Broadchurch and , about a shocking crime that take place in a tight-knit community, should give it a try. The series is created by TV drama veteran Chris Lang, known for his work on ITV’s Unforgotten and The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe, and with a cast full of British TV favourites, you can’t go far wrong. Keep reading to find out more.

man in shirt and tie standing in bedroom holding mobile phone © ITV/Shutterstock
Martin Clunes as Ben in A Mother’s Son

What is A Mother’s Son about?

The series follows Rosie, a mother-of-two facing a horrifying dilemma when a local teen schoolgirl is murdered in their quiet Suffolk coastal village. After discovering damning evidence, she suspects her son could have had something to do with it. The synopsis continues: “Recently remarried, Rosie lives with her two children, Jamie and Olivia, husband Ben Harley, and his children from a previous marriage, Jessica and Rob. As the newly formed family settle into daily life living together under one roof, Rosie begins to suspect she may be sharing her home with a killer when she finds a pair of blood-splattered trainers hidden under her son Jamie’s bed. At first, Rosie tries to dismiss her suspicions, believing them too incomprehensible to be true. Could her teenage boy be involved in murder?”

teenage boy standing in front of two men in field© ITV/Shutterstock
The series begins when a local teen schoolgirl is murdered in their quiet Suffolk coastal village

Meet the cast of A Mother’s Son

Hermione Norris, famed for her roles in Cold Feet and Spooks, leads the cast as Rosie Cutler. She’s joined by Doc Martin and Manhunt star Martin Clunes, who plays her husband Ben, as well as Paul McGann (Annika, Holby City) as David Cutler, Alexander Arnold (Pistol, Skins) as Jamie Cutler, Ellie Bamber (The Trial of Christine Keeler, The Serpent) as Olivia ‘Livvy’ Cutler and Nicola Walker (Annika, Unforgotten) as D.C. Sue Upton.

woman in black blazer sitting on sofa in tv studio© Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
Nicola Walker also appears in the show

Jake Davies also stars in the show as Rob Banks, alongside Antonia Clarke as Jess Banks, Juliet Yorke as Lorraine Mullary, Annabelle Apsion as Kay Mullary and Charles Daish as D.C.I. Thomas McCleish.

What have critics said about the show?

The series was met with positive reviews from critics when it first aired, with The Guardian describing it as “tense, absorbing, thrilling”, while The Telegraph praised the series as “a taut, psychological thriller that will have left every parent who watched it feeling uneasy, maybe even culpable”.

actor sitting in tv studio© Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
Martin Clunes has starred in some popular, gritty dramas, including Manhunt and Out There

What have viewers said?

The series has been praised by viewers online, with many commenting on the “brilliant” and twist-filled script, as well as “excellent” performances from the cast. One person wrote: “I thought Chris Lang’s script was wonderful – natural-sounding dialogue, and for one hour fifty minutes of the two hours I was unsure who had actually committed the crime,” while another penned, “Brilliant writing with lots of twists and turns and great acting too.”

Others commented on the compelling nature of the show, writing: “A mighty fine cast indeed. I was literally glued to my seat throughout. Simply Brilliant,” while another added: “Wow! What an impactful drama. The premise and the performances were powerful.”

A Mother’s Son is available to stream on Netflix and on ITVX.