A new original drama is coming to Channel 5 over the next week and will star The Catch's Jason Watkins as the lead character.

The short series will see Simon (Jason Watkins), a devoted family man, who finds himself at breaking point as his neighbourhood falls victim to the terrorising antics of a group of teenagers, led by the menacing Jordan Franklin (rising star Joe Barber).

Simon and his wife, Beth, played by Claire Skinner from Outnumbered and Jason’s McDonald & Dodds co-star, are desperate to move their young daughter to a safer area away from the threatening atmosphere.

When Simon's frustration reaches its peak and he confronts Jordan outside his own home, a split-second decision changes everything.

With an explosive plot that challenges the boundaries of right and wrong, Coma explores the price of a single moment's lapse in judgment and the unforeseen repercussions that can cascade into a life-altering nightmare.     

Channel 5 Coma cast – full list

Doctor Who and Harry Potter favourite David Bradley will play the role of Simon's neighbour Harry – see the full cast list for Coma below:

  • Jason Watkins as Simon
  • Claire Skinner as Beth
  • David Bradley as Harry
  • Kayla Meikle as DS Kelly Evans
  • David Mumeni as Jimmy
  • Joe Barber as Jordan Franklin
  • Jonas Armstrong as Paul
  • Matilda Firth as Sophie Bamford
  • Adrienn Reti as Anna Franklin

Speaking to Radio Times and other press, Jason said his character Simon and the problems he faces in the series, have many “parallels with real world issues.”

He explained: "Of course, you scratch the surface and they’ve had difficulty conceiving, they’re slightly vulnerable in terms of money and, so, we’re on a slight knife edge.

"I’m not saying there’s a crime epidemic but because of the cost of living crisis, crime is up.

“Those really petty little crimes – scratching your car, turning the bins over and little stuff, it’s just really annoying, I think, and when you’re stressed from other things, those things get magnified."

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When is Coma on Channel 5 in the UK?

The four-part series will be coming to Channel 5 and My5 on Monday, March 18 at 9pm.

Each remaining episode of Coma will air on consecutive nights throughout the week.

Paul Testar, commissioning editor for Channel 5 and Paramount Plus, said: "Coma is a provocative thriller that asks the audience: What would I do?

"It's the story of a good man who does one bad thing that causes his life to spiral out of control.

“We are excited to be working with Roughcut and CBS Studios to bring this intense and gripping tale to Channel 5 viewers, and are thrilled to have the fantastic Jason Watkins leading the cast."