Maryland: ITV release date, trailer, and cast with Suranne Jones and Eve Best - will there be a Series 2?

Maryland, a new drama which stars Gentleman Jack’s Suranne Jones and House of the Dragon’s Eve Best, is coming to ITV this May.

The series follows two estranged sisters who reconnect after the sudden death of their mother Mary – and the revelation that she’d been living a double life. It was co-created by star Suranne Jones, and is one of the first series to be produced through her company TeamAkers Productions.

Here’s everything you need to know about Maryland ahead of its ITV1 release this May.

What is Maryland about?

The official ITV synopsis for Maryland explains that sisters “Becca and Rosaline have forged ahead with their lives, growing distant through time and circumstance, until the discovery of their mother’s body on the Isle of Man reunites them.”

“Arriving in a place they have never visited and with no idea why their mother was there, the sisters begin to unravel the long-held secrets of a woman they thought they knew, whilst keeping their own secrets from each other. Confined on the island and forced to face the life-changing consequences of their mother’s decisions, can Becca and Rosaline learn to love and respect one another all over again?”

It’s not to be confused with last year’s Maryland, a one-off drama starring Zawe Ashton that aired on BBC Two.

Who stars in Maryland?

Suranne Jones plays Becca, one of two estranged sisters. Suranne Jones is a prolific actor, best known for lead roles in Gentleman Jack and Coronation Street, but you’ll likely also recognise her from projects like Vigil, Save Me, and Doctor Who amongst many others.

Eve Best plays Rosaline, the other of the two sisters. Best recently received acclaim for a supporting role in House of the Dragon, where she played Rhaenys Targaryen, but you might also recognise her from medical drama Nurse Jackie or Hugo Blick’s political thriller The Honourable Woman.

Stockard Channing plays Cathy, a friend of their mother who offers them insight into her final days. Channing is perhaps still best known for playing Rizzo in Grease, but you’ll likely also recognise her as Abigail Bartlett from The West Wing and Alicia’s mother Veronica in The Good Wife. 

They’re joined by George Costigan (Happy Valley), Hugh Quarshie (Holby City, Riches), Dean Lennox Kelly (Shameless, Jamestown) and Andrew Knott (Ackley Bridge) amongst others. You can find a full breakdown of the cast, with details on where you know them from already and recommendations for what to watch them in next, right here.

Who writes and directs Maryland?

Maryland was co-created by star Suranne Jones and writer Anne-Marie O’Connor. O’Connor, who previously created the comedy series Trollied and executive produced the comedy Hullraisers, writes all three episodes of Maryland.

Sue Tully – a director who previously worked on Line of Duty, Too Close, and Strike – helms all three episodes. Maryland is also one of the first dramas that Suranne Jones has produced through her company TeamAkers Productions. 

Is there a trailer for Maryland?

Yes, there is! You can watch it right here.

When and how can I watch Maryland?

Maryland begins on ITV1 at 9pm on Monday 22 May, with new episodes airing at the same time each night on Tuesday and Wednesday. You’ll also be able to stream the full series on ITVX – which you can access here – as soon as the first episode ends on Monday evening.

How many episodes are there?

Maryland is a three-part drama, with each episode running to around 50 minutes long.

Where was Maryland filmed?

Maryland is set in and around the Isle of Man, which is where Becca and Rosaline’s mother started her new life. Notably, however, the series didn’t film there, with production instead based near Dublin in Wicklow, Ireland – Becca and Rosaline’s mother’s new home was found in Howth peninsula. You can find a full breakdown of Maryland's filming locations right here.

Will there be a Maryland Series 2?

There's been no official comment either way from anyone involved in the production so far, meaning that you can't completely rule it out for sure, but given how the series ended it seems unlikely. We'll update this piece with any and all relevant information should anything change, though - Maryland wouldn't be the first series popular enough to gain an unexpected second series, after all.

Why should I watch Maryland?

Suranne Jones is a great actor, and this seems like it'll be the sort of drama that always plays to her strengths - it'll be particularly interesting too to see her star in a show that she created.