Screen times have been announced for a new ITV Covid drama written in Oxford which stars Joanne Froggatt.

Oxford doctor and author Rachel Clarke has co-written the ITV drama based on her experiences during the pandemic.

Breathtaking, based on her book of the same title, is being screened on ITV1 over three consecutive nights - Monday, February 19, Tuesday, February 20 and Wednesday, February 21 at 9pm.

READ MORE: Oxford doctor co-writes new ITV series 

The drama, co-written with Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio, pays tribute to sacrifices made by NHS staff during the Covid pandemic, revealing the reality of hospital life in the face of momentous challenges.

Filming of the three-part series was completed in Northern Ireland last year. 

The drama stars Joanne Froggatt in the role of a frontline hospital consultant and is based on Dr Clarke’s unflinching personal memoir of the greatest public health crisis in living memory.

Herald Series: Joanne Froggatt in BreathtakingDr Clarke, a palliative care doctor, said one motivation for writing Breathtaking was the “amount of misinformation and spin and downright lies from the government".

The three-part series has been produced by Mr Mercurio’s independent production company, HTM Television.

READ MORE: Why employers in Oxford are taking to bikes 

Jed Mercurio said during filming: "Everyone at HTM Television has felt privileged to dramatise Rachel Clarke’s hauntingly illuminating memoir of health workers struggling to cope with the extraordinary challenges of the Covid pandemic.

"I’m honoured to have collaborated with Rachel and Prasanna Puwanarajah on this important drama, and thrilled to be working with a cast led by Joanne Froggatt and crew led by director Craig Viveiros.”  

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Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

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