A Mother’s Son: The Two-Part ITV Crime Drama Now Streaming On Netflix

A teenage girl is found murdered in a quiet coastal town, and the investigation soon forces one mother to confront a possibility she never imagined: her own son may know more about the killing than he is willing to admit.

Originally broadcast on ITV in September 2012, A Mother’s Son is a two-part psychological crime drama created by Chris Lang, the writer behind Unforgotten. The series stars Hermione Norris, Martin Clunes, Nicola Walker and Paul McGann, and is now available to stream on Netflix.

A Murder That Changes Everything

The story begins when teenage schoolgirl Lorraine Mullary is found dead in the close-knit coastal community.

For Rosie, a local shopkeeper and mother, the tragedy becomes deeply personal when she discovers evidence that appears to connect her teenage son Jamie to the murder.

Jamie has been behaving strangely and is unable to give a convincing account of his movements on the night Lorraine died. Then Rosie discovers a pair of blood-stained trainers hidden away by her son.

Suddenly, the question is no longer simply who killed Lorraine. Rosie has to decide what she is willing to do if the evidence really does point toward her own child.

A Mother Caught Between Love And The Truth

Rosie faces an agonising choice: take her suspicions to the police or protect her son while trying to understand what actually happened.

Her dilemma begins to put enormous pressure on the family. Rather than immediately handing Jamie over, Rosie turns to his father, David, for help. Together, they begin watching the teenager more closely.

Their concerns grow when Jamie’s connection to Sean Christie, an older dropout who has previously been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault, comes to light.

Meanwhile, Detective Constable Sue Upton, played by Nicola Walker, is investigating Lorraine’s murder as the police attempt to determine who was responsible.

The investigation gradually pulls the family in different directions, testing relationships and making it increasingly difficult for Rosie to separate her instincts as a mother from the evidence in front of her.

A Familiar ITV Crime-Drama Cast

Hermione Norris leads the cast as Rosie, with Martin Clunes playing her husband Ben and Paul McGann as David. Alexander Arnold portrays Jamie, while Nicola Walker takes on the role of DC Sue Upton.

The cast also includes Annabelle Apsion, Antonia Clarke, Jake Davies, Ellie Bamber, Josef Altin and Charles Daish.

For Clunes, the project offered a notably darker role than the lighter comedy work for which he had become widely recognised. ITV News reported during filming that the actor was pleased to take on a more serious part.

From The Creator Of Unforgotten

One of the show’s notable connections is behind the camera.

A Mother’s Son was created and written by Chris Lang, who would later become widely known for Unforgotten. The connection is particularly significant for fans of Nicola Walker, who went on to become closely associated with the role of DCI Cassie Stuart in the long-running ITV crime drama.

Here, Walker plays a very different character as DC Sue Upton, the detective investigating Lorraine’s death.

The series was directed by Ed Bazalgette and produced by Colin Wratten. It consists of just two episodes, making the entire story roughly 90 minutes long.

The Broadchurch Comparisons

Viewers have drawn comparisons between A Mother’s Son and Broadchurch, particularly because both stories place a murder at the centre of a seemingly close-knit coastal community.

Audience reactions have also highlighted the show’s focus on family relationships rather than treating the murder investigation as a straightforward police procedural.

Some viewers have described the drama as gripping and praised its twists, performances and family conflict. Others have noted the similarities to Broadchurch while seeing A Mother’s Son as a more straightforward story.

The series has also been described as a tense psychological thriller, with its central mystery built around the increasingly painful possibility that a parent may be protecting the wrong person. Contemporary reviews similarly highlighted its tense and absorbing qualities.

A Story You Can Finish In One Sitting

With only two episodes, A Mother’s Son is a particularly compact crime drama. Each episode runs for roughly 45 minutes, allowing the entire story to be watched in around an hour and a half.

The short format also keeps the central dilemma focused: as the police search for Lorraine’s killer, Rosie must confront increasingly troubling evidence about Jamie while trying to protect her family from falling apart.

The series was filmed in and around Southwold and Walberswick in Suffolk, with the coastal setting providing the backdrop for the fictional community at the centre of the story.

A Mother’s Son Is Streaming On Netflix

First released on ITV in 2012, A Mother’s Son remains a tightly contained British crime thriller built around murder, family loyalty and the devastating uncertainty of not knowing whether you can trust the person closest to you.

With Hermione Norris, Martin Clunes, Nicola Walker and Paul McGann at the centre of the cast, the two-part drama offers a quick watch for viewers drawn to British mysteries and psychologically driven family dramas.

Both episodes of A Mother’s Son are currently listed on Netflix.