Real-life inspiration behind Best Interests - BBC's new tear-jerking drama
The highly anticipated new BBC drama Best Interests airs tonight - telling the heartbreaking story of two parents who are fighting to keep their seriously ill teenage daughter alive against medical advice.
Veteran actors Michael Sheen and Sharon Horgan take the lead roles, however the pair have admitted that they won't be tuning in to watch the four-part series, as it was "hard enough doing it on the day".
The pair have warned viewers it will be a "difficult watch" and although the story is a work of fiction, it borrows from reality, with the story mirroring some recent events - including the tragic tales of Charlie Gard and Archie Battersbee.
BAFTA-winning writer Jack Thorne said: "Our country has a very troubled relationship with disability and these cases put a spotlight on that.
"But our drama is first and foremost a love story and it needs incredible actors to bring it to life. Sharon Horgan and Michael Sheen lead a company of ridiculous talents that pull you into the most interesting of places.
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“As a parent of a three-year-old, I've looked at the cases in the media about 'best interests' with some fascination and a little dread."
Here, we take a look at the inspiration behind the new BBC One drama...
Best Interests is said to be a 'difficult watch', but is it a true story? (BBC/Chapter One)Are you watching Best Interests? Let us know in the comments...
Charlie Gard
Charlie was born at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, in 2016, with a rare condition that causes progressive brain damage and muscle failure.
His parents, Connie Yates and Chris Gard, raised £1.3million for treatment in the US, but doctors planned to withdraw his life support so he could die with dignity – and judges in five court cases agreed.
Britain's courts refused permission on the grounds it would prolong his suffering without any realistic prospect of it helping, and little 11-month-old Charlie Gard lost his fight for life when his life support was switched off.
Charlie had been diagnosed with a rare genetic condition mitochondrial depletion, which is almost always fatal in babies and young children, although some sufferers have made it into their teenage years.
It is caused by a gene mutation and symptoms develop before a baby is one-year-old.
Charlie's parents, Connie Yates and Chris Gard, took the case to court (PA)Charlie was born on August 4, 2016, and was a healthy weight and a "perfectly healthy baby".
But just a month after his birth, Charlie's parents noticed he was struggling to lift his head and couldn't support himself as well as other babies around the same age.
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Medics at Great Ormond Street diagnosed him with the inherited condition, infantile onset encephalomyopathy mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome (MDDS).
The devastating diagnosis meant Charlie suffered from muscle weakness and brain damage.
It can also lead to the slowing down of thoughts and a reduction in physical movement, hearing impairment and seizures.
Other symptoms include problems with blood glucose levels, persistent vomiting and a failure to thrive when babies are in their first year of life.
There is no known cure for the syndrome.
Charlie's parents, Connie Yates and Chris Gard, took the case to court (Rex Features)Charlie's parents then fought to be allowed to take their baby home to die, but a judge ruled on July 27 that hospice care for the baby's final days was in Charlie's best interests.
In an emotional statement put out after Charlie passed away, mum Connie said: "We love Charlie very much. Our son is a warrior. His legacy will never die. His spirit will live on for eternity."
Charlie's dad Chris added: "Put simply, this is about a sweet, gorgeous, innocent little boy who was born with a rare disease who had a real, genuine chance at life and a family who loved him so very dearly - and that's why we fought so hard for him.
"Sweet dreams baby. Sleep tight our beautiful little boy. Charlie Matthew William Gard. Our hero."
Charlie died a week before his first birthday. Since then his parents have moved from London to Scotland and have a two-year-old, Oliver.
They now have a second son, Oliver (Daily Star, Daily Mirror, Daily Express)Now they are urging other families who have disputes over care to contact them to give evidence in the 10-month independent review, ordered by the Department of Health and Social Care.
Chris said: "Sadly, these cases happen all the time, we just don't hear about it. We have spent years trying to get change."
Connie added: "No one should end up in court, not grieving families, not hard-working doctors, there needs to be better processes in place to make sure decisions are made more fairly."
To learn more, please visit thecharliegardfoundation.org.
Archie Battersbee
Archie Battersbee was hospitalised after it is believed he attempted a dangerous TikTok challenge that left him in a coma.
On April 7, 2022, Archie's mum, Hollie Dance, found him unconscious with a ligature over his head.
As a result, the 12-year-old suffered a brain injury, which his mother believed is due to an online TikTok challenge, known as the Blackout Challenge, which encourages people to hold their breath until they pass out.
The schoolboy never regained consciousness and was sent to the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London.
Doctors thought that he was "brain-stem dead", and concluded that continuing life-support treatment was not in his best interests.
His grieving family fought to keep his life support running, but doctors made the decision to stop providing treatment.
This led to the family filing a lawsuit against the doctors, with a High Court battle following suit as the family continued to fight for Archie - seeking to discuss the ramifications of his case to the UK's health secretary.
Hollie Dance battled to keep life support on for her son, Archie Battersbee (PA)
Archie sadly died (PA)The Barts Health NHS Trust, which runs the Royal London Hospital, asked a High Court judge to make a decision on what medical treatment would be best for Archie.
The case was initially considered by Ms Justice Arbuthnot, but in the end, it was concluded that the school pupil was dead.
It was then upheld by the Court of Appeal judges, along with Archie's parents, saying that the evidence should be reviewed by a different High Court judge.
After another hearing, Mr Justice Hayden then ruled that ending treatment was in Archie's best interests.
After this, the family requested Archie be moved to a hospice so they could say their goodbyes, but this bid was turned down.
Hollie wrote to the then-health secretary, Steve Barclay, to discuss the implications of the case.
He replied saying he would discuss it with her, but he was no longer the health secretary following Liz Truss becoming the new Prime Minister and shaking up the cabinet.
Senior Coroner for Essex, Lincoln Brookes, set a date for the full inquest into Archie's death which took place on February 7 the following year.
Hollie Dance spoke out following Archie's death (PA)Speaking in court, he said the inquest would look into the death and how his tragic end came about, with "no one being on trial" during proceedings.
He added: "I also want to take the opportunity to say that Archie's death is a tragedy that so many people, especially his family on a personal level.
"I would like to extend my deepest condolences [to Archie's family] on behalf of myself and my officers."
During the inquest, coroner's officer Paul Donaghy said a provisional cause of death was identified as catastrophic hypoxic-ischemic brain injury secondary to strangulation.
He explained: "Paramedics attended and they reported a Glasgow Coma Scale of only three and confirmed a cardiac arrest. CPR continued and Archie was transported to Southend Hospital.
"Archie was thereafter transferred to the Royal London Hospital and Great Ormand Street Hospital who were both in agreement that surgical intervention would not help Archie. He was reviewed by the Paediatric Neurology team during his admission.
"Second opinions were also provided by multiple professionals from the Royal London, Queen's and Great Ormond Street Hospitals who agreed that Archie had suffered severe irreversible brain injury.
Hollie Dance at a vigil at Priory Park in Southend-on-Sea, in memory of her son Archie Battersbee (PA)"The High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court were involved in applications to determine the direction of care and the best interests of Archie.
"With the authority of final court order, life-sustaining treatment was withdrawn on August 6, 2022, in a side room on the intensive care unit and Archie died surrounded by his family and friends.
"Death confirmed by a hospital consultant."
Archie died on August 6, 2022.
Best Interests stars Michael Sheen as Andrew and Sharon Horgan as Nicci, and shows their legal battle with the NHS over the treatment of their daughter, Marnie.
But the two stars said the show was hard to work on, and Michael said he was "nervous" about how it would be received.
In an interview with The Guardian, he said: "I'm more nervous than usual. I know it's going to be a difficult watch."
And Sharon said she wouldn't be watching it, as she added: "It was hard enough doing it on the day.
"I was really nervous about how much this was going to f**k me up. We spent a lot of time in terrible pain. You have to go to some really awful places to get yourself into that mindset and stay there.
"Sometimes you come home and go: 'What kind of a weird job is this'?"
Best Interests is on tonight, Monday, June 12, at 9pm on BBC One and a new episode will be released tomorrow at the same time, and the final two episodes will be released next week.
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