MATERNAL ITV MON 9pm. TV PACE. NO SPOILERS

[Blondeshavemorefun]

One of the recent shows in the slate of new dramas is also Maternal, a six-part medical drama that centres on three women who are not only juggling their lives as new mothers, but also the post-pandemic world of frontline medicine.

We follow Maryam, a paediatric registrar, Catherine, a general and trauma Surgeon, and Helen, a registrar in acute medicine, who are played by Parminder Nagra (DI Ray), Lara Pulver (The Split) and Lisa McGrillis (King Gary) respectively. It's a stellar cast with an important plot line.

Maternal tells the stories of the three leading doctors as they each attempt to balance their increasingly demanding jobs in post-pandemic frontline medicine with their lives as new mothers. It's a series concerned with motherhood, as much as it is about the NHS and the intense demands of working in it.

According to the synopsis: "Maternal explores working motherhood with wit, warmth and humour and offers a unique perspective on our beloved, overstretched NHS, and the people who hold it together. Sometimes."

@LavenderHillMob yes sensitivities would take a while but I think they were going to contact the lab for advice on a broad spectrum antibiotic to start because the child had multiple antibiotic allergies and this wasn't done.

Yes Maz said "we will" in her plan but she failed to allocate responsibility, pretty classic human factors stuff.

Interesting that there was a lot of animosity from the sister towards Twat Husband - when she said "tell me you didn't have kids with him" it made me wonder if this isn't the first time he's been unfaithful and Helen has taken him back? Or maybe she just blames him for their estrangement and thinks he's the one encouraging/forcing Helen to cut her off.

You'd think if he was serious about rebuilding their relationship he'd have tried to have junior doctor/shag buddy assigned to another senior.....

Certainly makes me want to know more about Helen's background. Of course life shit can happen to anybody. I wonder if perhaps Guy sees himself as a bit of a saviour, taking Helen away from her crappy sister.

I've finished the series now so trying hard to remember where you are at TV pace and not give any spoilers!

Agree he prob has Been unfaithful before

Maybe between 1&2 children

I thought the implication was that he had been the driving force behind reporting her to SS because of the drug problem. And that that was also the reason the sisters were NC- druggy sister cut Helen dead because they reported. And that possibly, although this might be a leap, his motivation for reporting was more to get rid of her than out of concern for the child, and she knew this.

I’ve finished this series and won’t post any spoilers but just to say I have really enjoyed it,I hope there will be more!

I'm not taking from this that there's any ambiguity about the dad. I think the dad is Lars.

I binged this on ITVx, wish I hadn’t as it was so good and wanted it to carry on! So no spoilers from me, when it’s finished on ITV pace can we change the title so we can chat about it?

Suffice to say it battered me emotionally from about ep4 😭 and I’m not even NHS staff, I assume it’s even more impactful if you can relate personally and professionally. Still such humour in it though, it was so good in every way. I’d recommend to fans of Greys, ER, Motherland and throwback (if you’re old enough to remember) to Bodies, Teachers,
No Angels type of drama too. The cast are so spot on too- all the leads, yet it feels like all of them have a strong role to play.

I really hope there’s another series to come, it’s too good not to carry on.

@NowThatsWhatICall22 it's tv based in title

So once an episode has been seen we chat about it

Once all been seen so guessing 6w from title date then yes can discuss anything in the show

Enjoying this, just finished ep2. Haven't come across a drama like this that feels as necessary and current. It's basically Motherland in scrubs.

Could do with a few more men who aren't completely shit though!

E3 tonight

Can't wait. Really enjoying this series

Will catch up with tonight's episode tomorrow 😊

I saw ep 1, really liked it, missed ep 2 , just seen tonight's. They all have problems which are making them miserable, so I didn't enjoy watching it much .

It does make me wonder why people have kids if they never spend any time with them and life is just massive stress pushing them from pillar to post. Adopting a child for example when both parents work full time (most likely even longer hours) and the kids spend most of their time at childcare/grandparents.

With doctors it's a tricky one. You know that your life one day will be more 9-5, but you don't reach that age until you're probably past child bearing age. So you have to have the kids while you're working the hours or you wouldn't have any.

Last night's episode was a tough watch. Catherine is going to end up with a huge custody battle over Elis isn't she and she is giving them plenty of evidence. I wonder how his wife accepts the evidence of her husband's infidelity so calmly though?

yep that is what I asked last week...seems odd that she doesn't seem perturbed at all by it?! Guy is a nasty piece of work they way he spoken to Helen at the table in front of people about his drinking he's a prize prick!!

Guy is really not coming across as a repentant husband desperate to save his marriage and put things right with his wife, is he? That dinner date was excruciating. Struggling to see why Helen doesn't bin him off, unless she wants to cling onto her marriage at all costs to prove she's not a screwup like her dad and sister.

Feel Catherine will regret signing that Swedish document without getting it translated and checked first (seriously, who does that?). Bit rich of Lars to come over all moralistic about her bringing back a random guy when he was happy to enjoy it himself eighteen months ago...

Maz's husband is annoying me as well, he doesn't seem to be very sympathetic or understanding about her struggles and wants to add another baby into the mix. Guilt tripping her about "it's us or foster care" was a bit shitty, they can't take every baby the birth mum has!

Never sign anything before reading ir but esp foreign !!!

Love the way not - that husband pushes adoption of baby - but he won't be doing the childcare

And yes typical of childcare when kids ill to go to mum to sort out

I'm still thinking lars won't be the dad and other doctor

Tho then course won't be Sweden

And is childcare really that cheap over there - 150 a month

I'm still thinking lars won't be the dad and other doctor

I'm wondering-although wouldn't he have checked before getting so involved?

The fact that he brought his wife at the beginning of the 2nd ep seems to suggest he's got fuck all clue about kids!

I don't think they've meant to say there's ambiguity as far as far as Catharine is concerned. She firmly believes Ellis/Alice (I keep both???) is lars. However as the viewer we're more aware that she had sex with the other dr in the time frame so it is possibly is although for whatever reason Catharine think this.

I think it will get to a point Lars and wife will go for full custody. Catharine will realise she can't bear to let Ellis/Alice go. There'll be drama and tears then at the 11th hour they'll find out Las isn't the Dad and Catharine gets to keep her daughter in England hopefully with a father who is onboard.

Sorry for all the typos!!!

Typos corrected.

I don't think they've meant to say there's any ambiguity as far as Catharine is concerned. She firmly believes Ellis/Alice (I keep hearing both???) is Lars. However as the viewer we're more aware that she had sex with the other dr in the same time frame so it is possible he the father is although for whatever reason Catharine doesn't think this.

She firmly believes Ellis/Alice

It shows as Elis in the subtitles

Not so sure I’m enjoying this and I can’t put my finger on why.