Black Work

'Black Work' is the story of Jo Gillespie, a woman who's husband is shot dead in the line of action, in his job as a undercover cop. Jo, a police officer herself soon has to confront issues in her marriage and family life in order to discover who really killed her husband.

Black Work (2015) is a British three-episode crime miniseries created by Tom Mullens for ITV1. Sheridan Smith plays Jo Gillespie, a police officer whose husband, an undercover cop, is shot dead in the line of duty. Matthew McNulty plays DC Jack Clark, a colleague drawn into the search, while Douglas Henshall plays DCS Hepburn, whose authority shapes the official inquiry. Geraldine James appears as Chief Constable Carolyn Jarecki, and Kenny Doughty plays DS Ryan Gillespie, adding pressure from within the force. Jo must pull apart her own family life and her marriage, asking uncomfortable questions about what her husband was hiding even as her colleagues and superiors start to look like suspects. The engine of the story is a grieving investigator trying to reach a killer while the people around her keep their own secrets. Each of the three 46-minute episodes tightens the net, moving from a shocking death to a hunt that exposes uncomfortable truths about loyalty. Set in present-day Britain, the drama has a tense, grounded and emotionally raw register, with the atmosphere of a british police thriller. Fans of Line of Duty, Happy Valley and The Killing will find resonance in its blend of domestic strain and procedural suspense.

• Line of Dutyshared british crime thriller tone, police family drama, undercover police intrigue
• Happy Valleyshared british police procedural with personal stakes and grief-driven investigation
• The Killingshared domestic drama entangled with a murder investigation and police secrets

Created by

Tom Mullens

Release Date

2015-06-21

Episode runtime

46 min

Rating

6.7 / 10 (33)

What is Black Work about?

A police officer must investigate the shooting death of her undercover husband while her own marriage and family unravel around her.

What is Black Work like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Black Work as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is Black Work violent?

Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Black Work as moderate.

Which shows are like Black Work?

Shows with a similar feel include Line of Duty, Happy Valley, and The Killing.

How long is Black Work?

Black Work: 1 season, 3 episodes.

Is Black Work still running?

No, Black Work has ended.

Where can I watch Black Work?

In United States, Black Work streams on Britbox Apple TV channel, BritBox, BritBox Amazon Channel.