Doctor Foster is a British psychological thriller television series inspired by the ancient Greek myth of Medea which debuted on BBC One on 9 September 2015. Created and written by Mike Bartlett, it stars Suranne Jones as Gemma Foster, a doctor who suspects her husband Simon (Bertie Carvel) is having an affair.
The second series started on 5 September 2017 and concluded on 3 October 2017. Both series were critical and ratings successes, and the programme was remade in multiple countries. A spin-off, Life, featuring the character of Anna Baker, aired in 2020. A potential third series remained uncertain for years: Jones initially citied incompatibility of schedules. Bartlett said while there is more to explore with Gemma Foster's story, he would bring the show back only if there were a vital story to be told. On 25 February 2026, it was finally confirmed that the show would be returning for a third and final series.
Cast Series one Suranne Jones as Dr. Gemma Foster, a 37-year-old general practitioner in the town of "Parminster", who begins to suspect her husband, Simon, is having an affair. She is the series' main protagonist and is analogous to Medea. Bertie Carvel as Simon Foster, a 40-year-old property developer, Gemma's husband and the series' main antagonist. The character is analogous to Jason. Clare-Hope Ashitey as Carly Williams, a patient of Gemma's, who helps support Gemma, due to her suspicions of Simon. Cheryl Campbell as Helen Foster (episodes 1–3) Jodie Comer as Kate Parks, a 23-year-old university student who has been secretly having a two-year affair with Simon Foster. The character is analogous to Glauce. Navin Chowdhry as Anwar (episodes 2–3, 5) Victoria Hamilton as Anna Baker (episodes 1–3, 5) Tom Taylor as Tom Foster, Gemma and Simon's 13-year-old son. The character is compositely analogous to Medea's sons: Mermerus, Pheres, and Medus. Martha Howe-Douglas as Becky Hughes Adam James as Neil Baker (episodes 1–3, 5) Thusitha Jayasundera as Ros Mahendra Sara Stewart as Susie Parks (episodes 1–2, 4–5), Kate's mother. Neil Stuke as Chris Parks (episodes 1–2, 4–5), Kate's father. The character is analogous to King Creon. Robert Pugh as Jack Reynolds (episodes 1–2, 4) Ricky Nixon as Daniel Spencer (episodes 1, 4) Daniel Cerqueira as Gordon Ward, a hypochondriac who regularly visits Gemma at the medical practice Megan Roberts as Isobel, a friend of Tom's
Series two Suranne Jones as Gemma Foster Bertie Carvel as Simon Foster Tom Taylor as Tom Foster Jodie Comer as Kate Parks (episodes 1–4) Victoria Hamilton as Anna Baker (episodes 1–4) Adam James as Neil Baker (episodes 1–3) Prasanna Puwanarajah as James, Gemma's new love interest (episodes 1–3, 5). The character is analogous to King Aegeus. Siân Brooke as Siân Lambert, a new Doctor at Gemma's surgery with mysterious links to Simon (episodes 1–2, 4–5) Hope Lloyd as Isobel (episodes 1, 3) Frank Kauer as Max, Tom's best friend (episodes 1–3) Thusitha Jayasundera as Ros Mahendra (episodes 1–3, 5) Joanie Kent as Amelie Foster, Simon and Kate's daughter (episodes 1–4) Daniel Cerqueira as Gordon Ward (episodes 1–2) Helena Lymbery as Mrs Walters, Tom's headteacher (episodes 2–3) Martha Howe-Douglas as Becky Hughes (episode 1) Sara Stewart as Susie Parks (episodes 1, 4) Neil Stuke as Chris Parks (episodes 1, 4) Clare-Hope Ashitey as Carly Williams (episode 4) Philip Wright as Connor, Ros' fiancé and then husband (episodes 1, 3, 5)
Episodes
Series 1 (2015)
Series 2 (2017)
Production
The series was commissioned by Charlotte Moore and Ben Stephenson. The executive producers are Roanna Benn, Greg Brenman, Jude Liknaitzky, and Matthew Read. Filming took place in Green Lane, Croxley Green, Hertfordshire, Copse Wood Way, Northwood, London, Enfield and the Market Square in Hitchin in Hertfordshire. The surgery location shoot was at the Chess Medical Centre, in Chesham in Bucks, renamed Parminster Medical Centre for the show. The railway station featured in the show was Enfield Chase station. The scene that features Tom playing football was filmed at the Southgate Hockey Centre, Enfield.
It was announced at the end of Series 1 that the show would return for a second series, with both Suranne Jones and Bertie Carvel. At the 21st National Television Awards Jones announced that the new series began filming in September 2016.
The second series started on 5 September 2017 and concluded on 3 October 2017.
Reception In general, the show has received acclaim. The opening episode received generally positive reviews from critics, with Lucy Mangan from The Guardian calling it a "gripping portrait of a marriage slowly being poisoned," although Mangan expressed fears of the show descending into "melodrama in the not too distant future". In a review for The Daily Telegraph, Michael Hogan gave the drama four stars out of five, describing it as "an edgy nail-biter" that was "sparkily written by Olivier Award-winner Mike Bartlett", despite a soundtrack that was "overbearing".
Less enthusiastically, Victoria Segal of The Sunday Times wrote of the fourth episode that it "clattered unsteadily to its denouement ...this episode is as desperately uneven as the rest of the series, thrashing about between high melodrama and muted misery." Catherine Blythe of The Telegraph bemoaned its "absurd plot" and the lack of "emotional logic" in a series of "melodramatic contortions that required a character who was supposed to be brainy to act like an utter fool".
Accolades Year Association Category Nominated work Result 2016 National Television Awards New Drama Doctor Foster Drama Performance Suranne Jones Broadcasting Press Guild Awards Best Drama Doctor Foster Best Actress Suranne Jones Best Writer Mike Bartlett Royal Television Society Awards Best Actress Suranne Jones British Academy Television Awards Best Mini-Series Doctor Foster Best Actress Suranne Jones 2018 National Television Awards Drama Performance Suranne Jones Drama Doctor Foster
Broadcast Internationally, the series premiered in Australia on 17 November 2015 on BBC First, in New Zealand on 17 January 2016 on TV One, in France on 15 June 2016 on C8, in Poland on 3 August 2016 on Ale Kino+, in Sweden on 15 August 2016 on SVT1, and in Finland on 28. February 2018 on Yle TV1. The series aired in the US on Lifetime in April 2016 as Doctor Foster: A Woman Scorned and began streaming on Netflix in October 2016. In Spain, the series' first instalment was first broadcast on Nova in June 2018, and will air again on Antena 3 with two episodes per week as of 5 September and 6 September, respectively. and Brazil for SBT
In South Korea, Doctor Foster aired on KBS 1TV from 25 January 2016 to 9 January 2018. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the immense popularity of its local adaptation The World of the Married which aired on JTBC, the latter will re-air Doctor Foster following the end of Married. Graceful Friends, the drama that was supposed to air after the local adaptation, was pushed back to July 2020.JTBC, '부부의 세계' 끝나면 원작 '닥터 포스터' 내보낸다. JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean).
Adaptations Since 2019, the series has been remade across Europe, Asia and South America. Currently airing franchise Country Local title Network Original releaseƏlvida XoşbəxtlikATV18 September 2024 – 2 July 2025 Al Kha'en الخائن MBC Group 5 November 2023 – 8 March 2024 Engañada RCN Televisión 2025 Infidèle TF1 7 January – November 2019 Ein Schritt zum Abgrund Das Erste 23 March 2023 – Παιχνίδια Εκδίκησης ANT1 TV 2024–2025 Out of LoveJioHotstar 22 November 2019 – 14 May 2021 MenduaDisney+ 17 December 2022 – 4 February 2023夫婦が壊れるとき NNN (Nippon TV) 8 April 2023 – 30 June 2023 The Broken Marriage Vow Kapamilya Channel 24 January – 24 June 2022 Скажи правду Russia-1 11–14 March 2019 TBA TBA 부부의 세계The World of the Married JTBC 27 March – 16 May 2020 Zrada Markíza 5 February 2024 – 16 April 2024 เกมรักทรยศ Channel 3 23 August – 12 October 2023 Sadakatsiz Kanal D 7 October 2020 – 25 May 2022
Spin-off In 2020, BBC One broadcast the spin-off series Life, similarly written by Mike Bartlett and with Victoria Hamilton reprising her role as the character of Anna Baker, now known as "Belle Stone", living in a converted house in Manchester, England. The series also featured Anna's ex-husband Neil Baker (played again by Adam James).
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