We all got to know and love Celia Imrie from her stint on The Celebrity Traitors, where she was crowned a national treasure. She has also wowed us in the political thriller The Diplomat and touched us in The Thursday Murder Club – so we’re delighted she’s returning to our living rooms in the hidden-gem British drama Trying.
The comedy follows couple Nikki (Esther Smith) and Jason (Rafe Spall) as they struggle with fertility issues and go on a rollercoaster of an adoption journey. It’s heartwarmingly hilarious, with Celia set to play a rather unconventional character for its return, which you can watch this week.
With new cast members and a new plot line for series 5 of Trying, here’s everything you need to know about the latest series ahead of its release.
What is Trying about?
The comedy series, a co-production between Apple TV and BBC that premiered in 2020, introduces us to Nikki (Esther Smith) and Jason (Rafe Spall), a London couple who are desperate to have children but struggling to conceive. After attempting fertility treatment, they decide they want to adopt – and the first three series take us on a rollercoaster ride through the trials and tribulations of the process. Joining them along the way is their dysfunctional network of friends and family, who must weather their own crises, including housing woes, drastic employment changes and infidelity – to name just a few!
For a taster of the hilarious drama, in series 1 and 2 The Crown’s Imelda Staunton stars as Penny, an adoption agent whose mouth is as big as her heart. When Nikki and Jason go out to celebrate their friend Freddy’s (Oliver Chris) birthday, they wake up hungover, forgetting about Penny’s home visit. They attempt to pull the wool over her eyes, but she is privy to the last-ditch makeover attempt…
Despite lots of setbacks, they eventually start their adoption journey with brother and sister Princess (Scarlett Rayner) and Tyler (Cooper Turner) – cue all the joys and challenges of new parenthood. Series 4, which first aired in 2024, fast-forwards six years and Princess is determined to find her birth mum.
What happens in Trying series 5?
After a bombshell season 4 ending, the drama kicks off straight away, with Princess and Tyler’s biological mum, Kat (Charlotte Riley), showing up on the family’s doorstep. The eight episodes of series 5 will show Nikki (Esther Smith) and Jason (Rafe Spall) dealing with the repercussions of the whirlwind of chaos she brings upon the formerly settled family.
The Thursday Murder Club’s Celia Imrie stars as Harriet, a well-to-do hoarder Jason meets in a new job. Joining the brilliant cast too is Gbemisola Ikumelo as Chrissy, a stressed social worker, and Colin Morgan (The Adventures Of Merlin) as Nikki’s charismatic co-worker Kerry.
Who’s in the cast of Trying?
The cast for Trying includes:
- Esther Smith (Cuckoo) as Nikki Newman
- Rafe Spall (I Give It A Year) as Jason Ross
- Sian Brooke (Blue Lights) as Karen
- Darren Boyd (The Outlaws) as Scott
- Ophelia Lovibond (Minx) as Erica
- Oliver Chris (White Widow) as Freddy
- Imelda Staunton (Downton Abbey, The Crown) as Penny
- Charlotte Riley (Peaky Blinders, London Has Fallen) as Kat
Series 5's new cast members include:
- Celia Imrie (The Thursday Murder Club) as Harriet
- Gbemisola Ikumelo (Black Ops) as Chrissy
- Colin Morgan (The Adventures Of Merlin) as Kerry
Is there a trailer for Trying?
Yes - you can watch the full trailer for Trying series 5 here.
Is Trying any good?
Yes – if you love a sitcom that’s comforting, heartbreaking and hysterical all in equal measures, you’re going to want to tune into Trying. In true British comedy fashion, the series manages to take the emotional and testing process that is adoption and turn it into a touching masterpiece that’ll make you both laugh and cry. And we can’t wait to see what Celia Imrie brings to the new role – we have no doubt she’ll be mesmerising.
How can I watch Trying?
You can watch the first 4 series of Trying now on Apple TV and the first three series are available on BBC iPlayer, too. Series 5 will premiere with its first episode on Apple TV on Wednesday 8 July, followed by one episode weekly until Wednesday 26 August.
What other Celia Imrie dramas can I watch now?
If you can’t wait for your Celia Imrie fix, we have you covered. First up, we have the 2025 adaptation of Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club, where she plays Joyce Meadowcroft, a former nurse who is part of a feisty retirement home quartet solving a thrilling whodunnit. You can watch The Thursday Murder Club on Netflix. If you fancy something a little darker, she stars in the tense political thriller The Diplomat, where Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) juggles her high-profile job as a UK ambassador and turbulent marriage to a political star. Celia Imrie stars as Meg Royin, the Prime Minister’s cunning advisor. You can watch The Diplomat now on Netflix.
