If you think you’ve seen the the queen of television, Sheridan Smith, in every role imaginable, we’ve uncovered a hidden gem that might have passed you by. She’s been everything, from a casino robber in The Cage to an off-the-rails educator in The Teacher, but we’ve found a new sensational performance of hers. In The 7.39, a hugely underappreciated drama, she takes on a much more relatable role as as a commuter who’s feeling a little lost (figuratively, not literally) and, as always, delivers a fantastic performance, which you can watch tonight.
The drama introduces us to Sally Thorn (Sheridan Smith), who races to catch the same 7.39 train to London every morning, after leaving the city for a quiet life in the suburbs. Most of us feel too groggy to strike up conversation in the early hours, but a scramble for a seat with Carl Matthews (David Morrissey) leads to a meet-cute that threatens to pull each of their lives apart at the seams…
With the drama available to watch now on Prime Video, here’s everything you need to know about The 7.39, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.
What is The 7.39 about?
Written by David Nicholls, the mastermind behind One Day, the two-part series, which first aired on the BBC in 2014, introduces us to Sally Thorn (Sheridan Smith) who is somewhat stuck. She’s unsure about her new suburban life after moving out of London with her husband, Ryan (Sean Maguire), a handsome personal trainer. She still works as the manager at a city health club, so finds herself running to catch the 7.39 train each morning. But the early-morning commute isn’t the only thing she’s struggling with – Ryan is desperate to settle down and start a family, and she must grapple with doubts she’s having about him and their future.
Fellow passenger Carl Matthews (David Morrissey) is equally stuck in a rut. He’s 45 and gets the same 7.39 train to Waterloo every day, surrounded by the same blank faces – that is, until one day a fight for a seat leads him to Sally. They soon start talking and the mundane morning routine is made a lot more interesting – they quickly grow fond of each other, leading to a full-blown affair. But will things last with Sally or will Carl prioritise his marriage to his best friend from college, Maggie (Olivia Colman), with whom he shares two teenage children?
Who’s in the cast of The 7.39?
The cast of The 7.39 includes:
- David Morrissey (Cape Wrath, Sherwood, Thorne) as Carl Matthews
- Sheridan Smith (Cleaning Up, The Moorside) as Sally Thorn
- Olivia Colman (Rev, Flowers) as Maggie
- Sean Maguire (Meet The Spartans, V For Vengeance) as Ryan
Is The 7.39 any good?
Yes – Sheridan Smith’s performance in this relatable and touching romance is nothing short of stunning and, coupled with Olivia Colman (pictured above) as the supporting scorned wife, it’s TV perfection. David Nicholls has written a beautiful tale of adultery, rather than a black-and-white moralistic take, weaving in all the human messiness and anguish felt by both the cheated and the cheats.
How can I watch The 7.39?
You can watch The 7.39 now on Prime Video.
What other Sheridan Smith dramas can I watch now?
If you want a pacier Sheridan Smith drama, we’d point you towards Cleaning Up where Sheridan plays Sam, a struggle single mother and former gambling addict who takes a job cleaning in London finance offices. She’s quickly enticed by the stock market and realises she could make life-changing money through illegal insider trading. But how far is she willing to go and will she get caught? You can watch Cleaning Up now on Prime Video. For a more poignant watch, we’d recommend The Moorside, which is a two-part drama unravelling the fake kidnapping plot of Shannon Matthews, a nine-year-old who was reported missing in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, in 2008. Shannon and her mother lived on the Moorside estate, where Sheridan stars as Julie Bushby, the community’s matriarch, who campaigns tirelessly to find Shannon. You can watch The Moorside now on ITVX.
