Viewers left in floods of tears after episode one of BBC's Mayflies
This week, the BBC is airing a brand new two-part drama, Mayflies, and it seems it's a real tear-jerker. The first episode, which aired on Wednesday evening, left plenty of viewers in "floods" of tears with its emotional storyline.
MORE: Meet the cast of BBC's new drama Mayflies
The show, which stars Martin Compston and Tony Curran, tells the story of two friends, Jimmy (Martin) and Tully (Tony) who have been close pals for over 30 years. But when Tully shares the devastating news that he has terminal cancer, their lives are changed forever.
WATCH: The official trailer for emotional new drama Mayflies
Episode one sees Tully sharing his sad diagnosis with Jimmy but, more crucially, he asks Jimmy an important question: whether Jimmy will help Tully travel to Switzerland to end his life as he says, "on my terms."
The episode also saw Tully and his partner Anna (Ashley Jensen) tie the knot while Jimmy ponders over what his best friend has asked him. Plenty of viewers were left moved by the storyline of the drama, which is based on the novel by Andrew O'Hagan.
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Episode one of Mayflies left viewers in tears
One person took to Twitter: "Just finished watching this. I'm in floods of tears, wonderful acting you should be very proud of this drama #Mayflies." A second agreed, writing: "Finished watching #Mayflies and I'm in tears. Outstanding show! Really makes you think of how precious life is."
A third stated they felt "emotionally drained" from watching the powerful show, tweeting: "Absolutely incredible stuff, utterly powerful and moving. I'm emotionally drained just from watching it, the shooting must've taken a heavy toll on you guys."
The two-part drama aired on BBC
Meanwhile a fourth wrote: "Sensitive, devastating, superb and beautiful. I knew it would be a hard one. Utterly destroyed. So glad one of my all-time fav books ever was handled with such care. Just going to weep alone for a while now."
Episode two will air on BBC One on Thursday at 9pm, but for those who can't wait, you can find it on BBC iPlayer.
If you have been affected by this story and wish to seek help, Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how you're feeling, or if you're worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org.
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