The inspiration behind harrowing new drama Unforgivable as it lands on BBC

Unforgivable, the new BBC2drama, has already proved to be a talking point due to its very sensitive narrative, with the whole feature drama centring around grooming and sexual abuse.

For esteemed screenwriter Jimmy McGovern, tackling the taboo subject through the harrowing drama is something he feels needed to be done. He is hoping viewers will walk away from the production with a new sense of education and perspective, that they otherwise may not have had before.

Jimmy is a firm believer that child abusers "should be held to account and also punished for their crimes", stating that to the BBC that he would personally find it "very hard to forgive" if the same harm came to his own family.

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The new 90-minute series which is set in Liverpool, follows the Mitchell family whose lives have been shattered by the devastating consequences of sexual abuse.

As a family, they are now living with the aftermath and the reality that the perpetrator, Joe, played by Bobby Schofield, is now being freed from jail with rehabilitation after serving just a two year prison sentence.

Anna Friel plays Anna Mitchell, the sister of Joe but also the desperate mother who will stop at nothing in protecting her two children, with her eldest son played by Adolescence actor Austin Hayes.

The pain spirals through the entire family with David Threlfall playing a key role of Anna's father, who is angry after realising she'd reached out to her abuser brother Joe.

Unforgivable creator, Jimmy, had one main aim to ensure that every character within the family had a voice at the table to further highlight the toll and emotional hold such an awful crime can have on everyone involved.

With the adaption being so raw and close to the bone, it really is no wonder that thoughts are turning to whether there is a deeper truth hidden within Jimmy's compelling drama.

The Cracker and Time writer opened up on what had inspired him to pen something so dark-routed, revealing there was an element of truth within his creation.

Speaking about his thought process and how the idea blossomed, he confessed: "I received a letter from a woman who works with sex offenders and wanted to speak to me.

"She spoke no holds barred about her job and working with sex abusers. She told me certain facts and figures that are quite unbelievable, so I want people to watch the film and learn things about child abuse. I felt compelled to write about it."

Jimmy has never shied away from discussing the topic of abuse and had even written past productions such as Priest and Broken, that follow in similar vein.

Addressing the link in his writing style, he explained to BBC: "I've always been quick to condemn child abusers, as we all are and as we all should be.

"This is not a film that goes easy on child abusers at all. I wanted the audience to hear a few of the things I'd learned. I think we should be ultra cautious whenever we're dealing with abusers. I’m a father and a grandfather, I would find it very hard to forgive somebody who had done that to me or my family."

The drama has landed on BBC's streaming platform this morning at 6am and will air tonight, from 9pm on BBC2, with the compelling story already proving to be a drama not to be missed.