'Masterpiece' BBC drama based on best-selling novel streaming for free

The multi-million-copy bestseller, This Is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor by Adam Kay, was adapted into a drama series in 2022 and is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. The BBC adaptation is simply titled This Is Going To Hurt, and it stars actor Ben Whishaw, who portrays Adam in the series. In the medical drama, Adam is a junior doctor struggling to balance his hectic role in the labour ward with his life outside the hospital.

It explores Adam and his colleague's exhaustion in a clever series full of pain, laughs and lessons. This Is Going To Hurt has a 96% rating on the review website Rotten Tomatoes and has been highly praised by viewers. One person penned: "Witty, funny and honest. A perfect blend of humour and tragedy, it shows us life, honestly, as it is - so sad that it's funny, as we try to pick up the pieces and put it together."

A second added, "This show takes everything from the book that I loved and puts it into a very well-done series. I cannot recommend it enough!"

"Absolutely stunning," another said. "Ben Wishaw surprised me as the lead in this amazing show. This is an absolute gem, and though it's been marketed as a limited series, I sincerely hope the producers consider giving us a second series."

Someone else noted: "Truly a love letter to the NHS. As a medic, it struck close to heart with its realistic exploration of the strains a doctor is put under to keep the NHS afloat."

"Hilarious, shocking, joyful, irreverent, fearless and tragically heartbreaking," another said. "This series is completely magnificent."

A sixth shared: "As a former resident in a hospital, working 100 hours per week, I can relate."

The series went on to win a coveted BAFTA, while the book was a prestigious Sunday Times best-seller.

This Is Going To Hurt is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.