Child in Time: What to expect from the one-off BBC drama starring Benedict Cumberbatch

Based on the Ian McEwan novel of the same name, Child In Time tells the story of a family torn apart after a child goes missing and stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the father of the lost girl.

Here’s everything you need to know about the one-off BBC drama.

What’s it about?

Child In Time follows Stephen Lewis, a father whose four-year-old daughter goes missing while the pair are out shopping in a supermarket.

Haunted by the loss of their only child, Stephen and his wife Julie drift as they begin to cope with their grief in different ways.

The drama is based on Ian McEwan’s 1987 novel of the same name, which won him the Whitbread Prize and much critical acclaim.

The author, who has also turned his hand to screenwriting in the past, is no stranger to having his work adapted.

His heart-rending tales Enduring Love and Atonement have both been turned into major movies, while McEwan recently adapted his novel On Chesil Beach which is set for release next year.

Who’s in the cast?

Cumberbatch is joined by actress Kelly Macdonald who plays his onscreen wife. MacDonald is best known for playing Renton’s underage love-interest Diane in the 1996 film Trainspotting.

The pair are supported by Stephen Campbell Moore (The History Boys) and Saskie Reeves (Wolf Hall) who play friends of Stephen and Julie’s.

When’s it on?

Child In Time airs on Sunday, September 24 at 9pm on BBC One.