What would you do if you your estranged daughter went missing and suddenly you were accused of abducting her? That’s the unenviable situation Nelson “Nelly” Rowe (Lennie James) finds himself in Sky’s beyond brilliant crime drama Save Me. And while Lennie shines in the lead role, we’re also treated to what, in our opinion, is Stephen Graham’s best performance.
The series, which is also created by Lennie himself, takes us along on Nelly’s quest to both find his daughter and prove his innocence – an endeavour that his best friend, Melon (played by Stephen), is crucial to. But Melon also has a shady past – he’s a convicted sex offender and he wants nothing more than to show everyone, including himself, that he’s reformed.
With Save Me and the follow-up series, Save Me Too, now available to binge in full, here’s everything you need to know about the crime drama, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.
What is Save Me about?
Sky
The series, which comes from the producers of Line of Duty and is created by Lennie James, introduces us to central character Nelson “Nelly” Rowe (played by Lennie himself). When his estranged 13-year-old daughter, Jody (Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness), goes missing, he’s the first to be accused of abducting her.
Interestingly, Nelly hasn’t spoken to his daughter in 10 years and, despite fingers pointing at him, he drops everything to try and find her. Perhaps unsurprisingly, his quest to find her takes Nelly to some very dark places – but it’s also the start a journey to becoming a better man.
Sky
Over the course of the first series, we meet several others connected to both Nelly and Jody, including Nelly’s former lover, Claire (Suranne Jones), his girlfriend Martin (Kerry Godliman) and Nelly’s loyal best friend (Stephen Graham), a convicted sex offender who wants to put the past behind him. And when we say it’s Stephen’s best performance, we really do mean it.
Series one proved such a hit with viewers that a second series, Save Me Too, was released in 2020, which is set 17 months after the events of the first instalment. Less has changed than you might imagine, however, as Jody is still missing. And while Nelly has found some sense of stability thanks partly to a new relationship with Zita (Camilla Beeput), he refuses to rest until his daughter is found.
Justin Downing
Stephen Graham, who was nominated for a BAFTA for his role (he should have won but sadly didn’t!) told the Royal Television Society: “It was a no-brainer, it was such a great role. Nick [Murphy, the director] creates an atmosphere for you to play and there’s so much freedom, but you still know your dialogue because he’s a stickler for that.”
Star Lennie James told TV Guide: “In addition to being a gripping crime thriller, it’s also a character-driven portrait of a downwardly mobile London life with an immersive sense of realism. It’s the story of a man who never did anything for anyone who gets pushed to finally do something. The dialogue isn’t improvised, but it feels like it is. The series showcases James’ skill as a writer as well as an actor.”
Who’s in the cast of Save Me?
Ollie Upton
The main cast of Save Me includes:
Lennie James (Mr Loverman) as Nelson “Nelly” RoweIndeyarna Donaldson-Holness (Deep Water) as Jody, Lennie’s daughterKerry Godliman (Whitstable Pearl) as Martine “Teens” Betts, Nelly’s girlfriendStephen Graham (Little Boy Blue) as Fabio “Melon” Melonzola, Nelly’s best friendSuranne Jones (Frauds) as Claire McGory, Nelly’s former loverBarry Ward (Maze) as Barry McGory, Claire’s husbandJason Flemyng (Prime Target) as Tam, Nelly’s friend Nicholas Croucher (The French Dispatch) as Dylan Jenson, Jody’s best friendAdrian Edmondson (Bottom) as Gideon CharlesLesley Manville (Midwinter Break) as Jennifer Charles (series 2)Is Save Me any good?
Sky
Yes – it’s absolutely brilliant. When the first series was released in 2018, it became the most rapidly binged box set release on Sky, which isn’t surprising given how compelling it is. The trio of Stephen Graham, Lennie James and Suranne Jones is as good as you’d expect, and the three of them bring a gritty, sometimes challenging, story to life in a way only they know how.
How can I watch Save Me?
Save Me series one and two are available to watch now on Sky and NOW.
What other Stephen Graham dramas can I watch now?
Aidan Monaghan
One of Stephen’s most compelling roles is as mentally unstable loner, Robert Green, in A Patch of Fog. When he catches TV personality, Sandy (Conleth Hill) shoplifting, he does a deal with him: he won’t tell the police, as long as Sandy goes for a drink with him. A Patch of Fog is available to watch on Disney+. For a profoundly moving series, we’d recommend The Virtues. Stephen plays recovering alcoholic, Joseph, who relapses and subsequently decides to board a boat to Ireland and confront years of suppressed memories from his past. You can watch The Virtues now on Channel 4.