Keeley Hawes and Paapa Essiedu's unusual love story is one of 2026's best TV surprises. With all the projects Jack Thorne has going on right now, what a miracle that he's managed to carve out the space to write Falling. This tender, very sweet drama, which centres a nun and a priest as its protagonists, because why not, is a slow burner, but fear not. By the end of episode one, I was hooked.
In the show's opening moments, Anna (Keeley Hawes) and David (Paapa Essiedu) meet in the kitchen of a convent. They have a conversation about eggs and cabbages; she burns her hand making him breakfast. And in that moment, the first moments of a rather unusual love story start to unfold. Anna has been living in a convent for the last 26 years, while David spends his time ministering to the Church's ever-shrinking flock in Bristol. When he's not leading services, he's advocating for introducing needle banks and trying to save his congregation's most vulnerable members from their torrid home lives.
But soon enough, things are changing faster than either of them can keep up: Anna leaves the convent, and David finds himself struggling to deal with the demands of the job, as well as the now ex-nun who says she loves him (something that understandably goes around the diocese like a forest fire, and which he at first is horrified by). Together, they share a sort of chaste, restrained chemistry. While this isn't a raunchy show by any means – the opposite, in fact, and any kisses become in between much agonising about whether it's the right thing to do – there's certainly enough to make you want to root for them.
Key Details of Falling
- Showrunner: Jack Thorne
- Cast: Keeley Hawes, Paapa Essiedu, Rakie Ayola, Jason Watkins, Niamh Cusack, Adrian Scarborough, David Dawson
- Episodes: 6 episodes
- Where to watch: Channel 4
- Release date: May 19
In fact, to say that Hawes and Essiedu are good is an understatement. In earlier episodes, we see Anna hyperventilating in a changing room, unable to cope with the shock of a life in which she doesn't have a bank account and is expected to show her hair in public. Essiedu, meanwhile, manages to communicate a whole world of hurt and confusion with just a flicker of his eyes. The scenes he has with his sister (Sophie Stone, excellent), which take place predominantly in sign language, make up some of the show's most low-key, gorgeously tender moments – as are the moments in which he attempts to minister to troubled teen Tina (Holly Rhys), whose abusive father rules her household with an iron fist.
Fortunately, Thorne manages to balance out all the emotions with levity, too. 'I have never saved my armpits,' Anna tells a friend at one point. 'I have also never shaved my legs. I am profoundly hairy.' Maybe there are some perks to being a nun after all.
While Falling's love story is undeniably compelling, what's equally fascinating is how the show addresses the question of religion – or more accurately, what it means to have faith in this day and age. David spends most of his time performing last rites for his parishioners, taking confession for his ageing congregation or trying to encourage new people to join the fold. For him, having faith means helping others (among other things, this is some excellent image rehabilitation for the Catholic church).
Anna, meanwhile, is wrestling with the question of what happens when, as she puts it, 'God's path for me has changed' – even though, as her mother says, 'you just walked out of a job for a man who won't look at you.' There aren't any easy answers here, including for the romance at the show's centre, which is maybe the point. As the show rolls on, the nuance deepens and the relationship between Anna and David becomes ever more compelling. It's one of the most thoughtful things you're likely to watch this year – and even if the specifics of their lives are unusual, falling in love is universal. Thank god for Jack Thorne.
Falling is available to watch now on Channel 4.
