Falling is a six-part British romantic drama television series written by Jack Thorne. It aired on Channel 4 from 19 May to 3 June 2026. The cast is led by Keeley Hawes and Paapa Essiedu, alongside Rakie Ayola, Jason Watkins, Niamh Cusack, Adrian Scarborough and David Dawson.
The series premiered on 19 May 2026.
Contents
Premise
A nun falls in love with a Catholic priest. Both are deeply committed to their work in the church and in their community. Neither are expected to fall in love. But when they do, both are forced to wrestle with what it means for them, their vows, and their relationship with God.
Cast
Keeley Hawes as Anna
Eloise Little as young Anna
Paapa Essiedu as David
Rakie Ayola as Muriel
Jason Watkins as Peter
Niamh Cusack as Francesca
Adrian Scarborough as Francis
David Dawson as Phil
Susan Brown as Fiona
Sandra Voe as Gertrude
Sophie Stone as Susan
Holly Rhys as Tina
Shayde Sinclair as Bimpe
Production
The series is written by Jack Thorne and produced by The Forge. It was announced as an upcoming series for Channel 4 in February 2025.
In April 2025, Keeley Hawes and Paapa Essiedu were confirmed to be leading the cast, alongside Rakie Ayola, Jason Watkins, Niamh Cusack, Adrian Scarborough, David Dawson, Susan Brown, Sandra Voe and newcomers, Holly Rhys and Shayde Sinclair.
Filming began in April 2025, with locations include Bristol and Cardiff, Wales.
Reception
Reviews demonstrated a generally positive response from critics.
Ben Dowell at The Times awarded the series five stars, describing it as "spellbinding" and Hawes' performance as "exceptional". Vicky Jessop at Metro awarded four stars, describing the "unusual love story" as "one of 2026’s best TV surprises".
Cosmopolitan described the series as a "must-watch" and Hawes' best since Bodyguard. The Telegraph described writer Jack Thorne's script as "characteristically elegant" and Hawes' performance as "divine". Financial Times also commented on the script, noting it as having a "refreshing maturity", further describing the show as "quietly powerful" but an "old-fashioned and wordy drama", ultimately awarding it three stars. Writing for the Radio Times, Gabriel Tate called the show "thoughtful, warm, witty, complex and chock-full of the sort of intimate one-to-one conversations in which Thorne specialises," giving it four stars.
Lucy Mangan of The Guardian was less positive, awarding the series just two stars, describing it as "a swing and a miss...despite the talented actors at the helm". Jayne Manfredi of the Church Times was similarly lukewarm, describing the drama as "beautifully-shot" but offering only "surface-level observation" of the themes presented.