This Town viewers in tears at Michelle Dockery's 'stunning' performance

Steven Knight's new show This Town has viewers "hooked" from the get-go, but they were most impressed with Michelle Dockery's performance in the show's second episode.

The BBC drama is airing two episodes each week after debuting during the Easter bank holiday weekend, and the show has already impressed viewers with its gripping story of how a group of teens try to escape their circumstances through music.

Read more: Everything you need to know about Steven Knight's This Town

Set against the backdrop of violent protests in the Midlands in the 1980s, the series explores the formation of a band in spite of it. Dockery plays Estella, the mother of band member Bardon Quinn (Ben Rose), who struggles with addiction and feels lost after being cut off from her community, and the show's second episode saw the actor give a moving rendition of Over the Rainbow at a funeral.

It was this moment that most touched viewers' hearts, with several taking to social media to share their reactions to the scene. Many heaped praise on the Downton Abbey star's moving performance.

One person said: "Wasn't quite sure after the first episode but tonight's #ThisTown was brilliant. Probably gonna have to binge watch it now. The character building is immense and Michelle Dockery incredible tonight."

Another viewer said the song "was a stunning version of Over the Rainbow", while one person similarly said: "Michelle's singing was brilliant loved it"

Sharing how moved they were by the performance, one viewer wrote: "That was f**king sensational from Michelle Dockery. Had a tear in my eye. Bravo!!!!"

Another said: "Michelle Dockery singing “Over the Rainbow” in #ThisTown was beautiful [crying emoji]", while another viewer concurred with the sentiment as they simply wrote: "Somewhere over the rainbow.... tears shed."

Dockery's character Estella struggles with addiction and has a strained relationship with her son, this stems from her being cut off from her community after her husband Eamonn was recruited by the IRA. The actor reflected on how Estella and Bardon are brought together through the power of music, saying: "Estella misses her son very much because she doesn't spend much time with him, but across the series the music actually brings them together.

"It’s really beautiful because Estella is a singer and she used to sing in clubs around the town, but due to her problems with addiction she is no longer doing that. The band reignites that artistic and creative side of Estella which also helps with her addiction, and she tries to tackle that."

Elsewhere, viewers also praised the series which many said had them "hooked" from the first two episodes, one person said: "Thoroughly enjoying #ThisTown from the BBC… 2 episodes in and I’m hooked. Filled with nostalgia, a catchy soundtrack and enthralling acting performances."

Another person said: "2 episodes in and hooked! .. as I knew I would be!", while one wrote: "Just watched the first two episodes of #ThisTown Totally brilliant!"

There was also a viewer who wrote: "Really enjoyed, as I do most of Steven Knight's creations and writing. Poetic, violent and darkly beautiful depiction of the early #80s in the West Midlands with some classic songs and fun new ones."

While one said: "Superb, moving drama from BBC. interweaving together so many strands of what was going on in the 1980s. Clever, well structured plotting draws you in & a 'bridge'hanger. Nothing formulaic or predictable! Style reminiscent of the great films of Terence Davies."

Encouraging other people to give the show a chance, one person said: "You have to watch #thistown best thing on tele, absolutely brilliant, the music, the story, the acting, all of it, WATCH IT."

This Town continues on BBC One on Sunday, 7 April at 9pm, and all the episodes are also available to binge on BBC iPlayer.

Watch the trailer for This Town: