This is Going to Hurt: When is the BBC drama based on Adam Kay's book on TV and what is the cast?

This is Going to Hurt is a screen adaptation of the book by the same name, which chronicles writer Adam Kay’s life working as an acting consultant on a gynaecology and obstetrics ward.

The award-winning book has sold more than 2.5 million copies to date and has been translated into 37 languages, as readers enjoy ‘laugh-out-loud highs’ and ‘gut-wrenching lows’ while reading about his time in the NHS.

The medical drama, which has been created, written and executive produced by Kay himself, will be broadcast on BBC One and available to watch on iPlayer.

But when does it start, what is it about and who is in it? This is everything you need to know.

When does This is Going to Hurt start on BBC?

The series will begin tonight, Tuesday, February 8 at 9pm on BBC One. It will also be available on iPlayer as a full boxset immediately afterwards.

The first episode will last 45 minutes and episodes will be aired weekly for those who don’t want to binge-watch.

There are set to be seven episodes in the series.

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What is This is Going to Hurt about?

Kay’s diaries, scribbled in secret after endless days, sleepless nights and missed weekends, tell the ‘unvarnished truth’ of life as a doctor working in obstetrics and gynaecology.

The series will follow his time as an acting consultant on the ward back in 2006 and explore some of the challenges he faced – including an operation that didn’t go the way he had planned and the guilt he wrestled with afterwards, as well as working 97-hour weeks.

The BBC says the programme is a ‘stark reminder of the vital role played by the NHS’.

Adam Kay said: “I’d like to think that no one has made a medical show that’s quite as real before - and not just in terms of the clinical details. I remember watching an episode of Doctor Foster (which I adored) - there was a scene in a surgery and my husband asked me if it was accurate. It was spot on medically, but it didn’t quite explain how a GP had time to have all these dinner parties, let alone run a vigilante detective outfit.

“I’ve often thought that medical programmes don’t tend to paint the life of a doctor in three full dimensions, and I think that’s something we’ve achieved really well. I realise I drove Lucy and Tom, our brilliant directors, absolutely bananas with my insistence on keeping things as real as possible - from the font on the hospital posters to the exact model of car that Adam drives - sorry! Also, I’m pretty sure no one has made a medical show that’s quite as disgusting before.”

He describes the series as a ‘comedy-drama’.

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What is the cast for This is Going to Hurt?

Ben Whishaw, who is best known for his roles in A Very British Scandal and Skyfall, stars as Dr Adam Kay in the series.

The BBC says his character is ‘a doctor who we find wending his way through the ranks of hospital hierarchy, junior enough to suffer the crippling hours, but senior enough to face a constant barrage of terrifying responsibilities’.

Whishaw is joined by newcomer Ambika Mod as Shruti, a young junior doctor just starting in obstetrics and gynaecology. Naturally bright, diligent and caring, she has everything it takes to be a great doctor, but the job still finds ways to throw her into chaos and doubt.

Michele Austin plays Tracy, a confident, sharp-witted senior midwife and Bafta-nominated Alex Jennings, from The Crown, plays Mr Lockhart, a consultant and Adam’s domineering boss.

Kadiff Kirwan, from Chewing Gum, plays Julian, Adam’s colleague and professional rival and Ashley McGuire, from This Country, plays Miss Houghton, a formidable and forthright consultant who spots potential in Shruti.

Emmy-nominated Dame Harriet Walter, who starred in Killing Eve, plays Veronique, Adam’s mother. Rory Fleck Byrne plays Adam’s boyfriend Harry, and Tom Durant-Pritchard plays Adam’s best friend Greg; his two closest relationships and the ones which feel the brunt of the pressures he faces at work.

Is there a trailer for This is Going to Hurt?

The BBC originally released a short teaser trailer for the series, which shows Whishaw in character as Adam and all the daily dramas he has to deal with.

A full length ‘first look’ trailer is now available to watch on Youtube.

It shows how fast-paced life on the ward can be and introduces some of the main characters in both the series and the book.