Unforgiven (TV series)

Unforgiven is a three-part British television drama series written by Sally Wainwright which was first broadcast on ITV and UTV in January 2009, and STV in 2012. It was made by the Red Production Company.

Suranne Jones plays a woman found guilty of murdering two police officers when she was a teenager who, upon release from prison, is determined to see her sister who was adopted.

Unforgiven won Best Drama Series or Serial at the 2009 RTS Programme Awards.

Ruth is attempting to rebuild her life and to start the search for her sister Katie after serving 15 years of a life sentence for murdering two police officers. She finds out from her probation officer that her sister was adopted and for legal reasons could not disclose where she was or her adopted name. The Belcombe's adopted daughter Lucy gets herself into a serious car accident and is in a coma in hospital. Her sister Emily reveals that Lucy was unhappy and unable to cope with the pressures of university. John and Izzie Ingram move into their new house at Upper Hanging Stones Farm which Izzie believes to be haunted. Kieran and Steve Whelan, whose father, was one of the police officers Ruth shot, find out Ruth has been released and begin plotting revenge. When Ruth visits her old home, she meets John who is a family lawyer, and he agrees to help Ruth seek out her sister. Ruth develops her first intimate relationship with a co-worker named Brad at the meat factory where she works.

Steve has tracked down his old nemesis Ruth, but his plans to exact revenge are scuttled when Ruth's neighbour shows up at her door. He develops another plan for revenge after overhearing that Ruth has a sister. Ruth confesses to Brad about her past and the next day became the target of a hate campaign at work. John finds out for Ruth that her sister Katie was adopted, living with Rachel and Michael Belcombe, and renamed Lucy. Meanwhile, Lucy wakes from her coma and begins to grapple with issues regarding her past. Michael and Rachel Belcombe find out that Ruth wants to re-establish contact with Lucy and are cold to the idea. Izzie finds out about Ruth's past, giving Ruth a frosty reception when she visits them again and Izzie is also livid to find out her youngest son was responsible for making her believe the house was haunted. With John's help, Ruth manages to meet the Belcombes but the meeting does not go well when it was found out the Belcombes never gave her letters to Katie/Lucy. Steve discovers his wife is having an affair with his brother. Emily stumbles upon Ruth's letters, and is moved by them and sends Ruth an anonymous letter telling her where to find her sister.