9 best Vicky McClure dramas ranked as Trigger Point returns to screens
Emily Stedman | 12:01am Sun 26 OctVicky McClure is a leading lady with an impressive back catalogue you want to check out, but what are her best roles ranked?
Be it her hard-hitting role in Shane Meadows’ This is England series or her endearing camaraderie with her AC-12 colleagues in Line of Duty, Vicky McClure has successfully made her way into the hearts of audiences through characters that make us laugh, cry and, ultimately, care.
As Trigger Point season 3 arrives on screens we’ve shared thje topother Vicky McClure-led shows that are worth a watch after.
9 best Vicky McClure dramas ranked
9. Without Sin is one of Vicky McClure’s best roles
Vicky brought to life every mother’s worst nightmare in ITV drama Without Sin. She played a grieving mum taking justice into her own hands to uncover her daughter’s real killer.
Set in McClure’s native Nottingham, she played Stella Tomlinson, a bereft mother convinced she’d found the man responsible for the murder of her 14-year-old daughter Maisy. However, growing uncertainty led Stella to befriend the killer, in order to piece together the events of that fateful night. And his recollections raised more questions than answers…
Without Sin is a four-parter that makes for morose viewing. It exploring grief, guilt and regret in unimaginable circumstances.
8. Insomnia
Last year, Vicky had another leading role in thriller series Insomnia. While the title of the show is a bit of a giveaway, this isn’t your usual bout of temporary sleeplessness.
Vicky portrayed successful lawyer Emma Averill, who appeared to have it all. However, as her 40th birthday approached, she suddenly found herself unable to sleep. The incident drew parallels with the experience of her own mother who suffered a violent psychotic breakdown on the night of her own 40th birthday. Was Emma fated to follow in her mother’s footsteps?
The supporting cast saw The Gold actor Tom Cullen play her husband Richard, while Leanne Best portrayed her sister Phoebe. The six-part series was based on Sarah Pinborough’s novel of the same name.
7. The Replacement
She seemed too good to be true – and low and behold she was. Vicky appeared as the unhinged Paula in The Replacement, which first aired on BBC in 2017. It is now being rediscovered following its recent addition to Netflix.
Pregnant architect Ellen (Morven Christie) thought she’d found a suitable candidate for her maternity cover at work. But as time passed, it wasn’t just Ellen’s job that Paula wanted… She went to great lengths to take over all aspects of her life, too.
Vicky McClure proved she could play a villain, just as well as a good guy in the twisty thriller. The Replacement will appeal to Doctor Foster fans, delivering equally addictive if not absurd dramatic moments.
6. The Secret Agent
Proving her chops in a period drama role, Vicky played the downtrodden, younger wife of Toby Jones’ Verloc in this adaptation of the Joseph Conrad classic novel. Her husband is a Soho-based shopkeeper and secret spy. He is ordered to bomb a famous London landmark to encourage government action against the anarchists.
The Secret Agent provided a reunion for This is England co-stars Vicky and Stephen Graham. The latter stole the show as the loyal Chief Inspector Heat. It’s a dark, satiric story that’s a perfect weekend binge, comprising of four hour-long episodes.
5. Trigger Point
Season one of Trigger Point exploded onto screens in 2022, giving Vicky McClure her first well-deserved leading TV role. The show saw her team up again with Line of Duty boss Jed Mercurio, this time as producer to Daniel Brierley’s action-packed script.
Vicky played no-nonsense bomb disposal expert Lana Washington, who headed up the EXPO team. Their job? They were responsible for attending to bomb threats across the Capital. It’s a dangerous line of work that infiltrated her personal life at times, leaving Lana more vulnerable and traumatised as the body count crept up.
Trigger Point has spanned two series so far, with season 3 arriving on screens on Sunday, October 26, 2025. Expect more heartbreak, red herrings and edge-of-your-seat viewing.
4. Broadchurch marks one of Vicky McClure’s best roles
A water cooler moment in time, Broadchurch had the nation gripped. It centred on the case of Danny Latimer, an 11-year-old boy found murdered on the beach of a seemingly safe seaside town. The cast was the creme de la creme of British acting talent, led by cops Olivia Colman and David Tennant. Featuring a powerhouse performance from Jodie Whittaker and a young Jonathan Bailey, also amongst the line-up was a younger Vicky McClure as journalist Karen White.
Karen was a stereotypically pushy reporter for the Daily Herald who set up camp in Broadchurch to cover the developing story. But her interest went deeper than just the boy’s murder, having previously reported on the Sandbrook case that was headed up by DI Alec Hardy (Tennant).
Broadchurch went on to span three seasons, so there’s plenty of drama to sink your teeth into, with Colman and Tennant reprising their roles for all three. Undoubtedly one of the best detective dramas of the decade.
3. I Am Nicola
I Am Nicola was a Channel 4 anthology series that showcased Vicky McClure at her best. Expect a nuanced female performance tackling a hard-hitting issue that’ll linger with you long after the credits roll.
Vicky played Nicola, a hairdresser in a seemingly run-of-the-mill long-term relationship. Except something more sinister was at play. Boyfriend Adam (Perry Fitzpatrick) was emotionally abuse and manipulative. He delivered demands and catty comments that slowly chipped away at Nicola and bullied her into submission.
It’s a one-off hour episode that foregoes plot and favours attention to the everyday to deliver real impact.
2. Line of Duty
Up there as one of the best BBC dramas of all time, Line of Duty made Vicky a household name and rightly so. The guest star cast alone is enough to persuade a watch, including British heavyweights Lennie James, Keeley Hawes, Stephen Graham, Thandie Newton and Anna Maxwell Martin. But it was the central relationship between the AC-12 three that kept viewers coming back for six thrilling seasons.
Vicky played Detective Inspector Kate Fleming who worked in a specialised police department known as Anti-Corruption Unit 12. There she investigated “bent coppers” for misconduct, and the mishandling of cases. The unit was headed up by “the Gaffer” Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar) who relied heavily on Kate and Martin Compston’s DI Steve Arnott to see justice served.
Audiences loved Kate for being flawed but likeable, and unflappable under pressure. She was incredibly dedicated to the job, which had a noticeable impact on her personal life. You couldn’t help but sympathise with her.
Line of Duty ended with a sixth season in 2021, but there’s rumblings that a seventh season could be happening in the not too distant future.
1. This is England is Vicky McClure’s best ever role
It all began with the 2006 film This is England, Vicky’s breakout and arguably still best role. It put her on the map as a serious dramatic actress. The brilliant Shane Meadows movie subsequently got three TV spin-offs, also starring Vicky. These were This is England ’86, ’88 and ’90.
This is England was set in 80s Britain and followed young northern lad Shaun who was befriended by a group of older skinheads. Amongst them were Lorraine ‘Lol’ Jenkins (McClure), the girlfriend of member Woody (Brassic’s Joe Gilgun).
Lol was a single mum-of-two who navigated years of depression, poor mental health and abuse. Vicky’s raw and heartbreaking portrayal led to her deservedly scooping a Best Actress BAFTA win in 2011.
You can watch all episodes of This is England ’86, ’88 and ’90 on Channel 4 for free, while the movie This is England is available on Netflix.
Read more: Trigger Point series 4: ITV confirms explosive Vicky McClure drama will be back for more episodes
