Jodie Comer and Stephen Graham lining up for COVID drama set in care home

Jodie Comer and Stephen Graham are being lined up for a forthcoming drama series set in a care home amid the coronavirus outbreak.

According to Deadline, the stars of Killing Eve and The Irishman will be made by the producers of 2016 Channel 4 drama series National Treasure.

Like National Treasure, it will be penned by Jack Thorne, the award-winning writer behind shows like This Is England 88 and 90, the stage play of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and the recent adaptation of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials for the BBC.

Set to direct is Marc Munden, who recently helmed The Third Day for Sky, starring Jude Law and Naomie Harris.

Comer and Graham, who are both from Liverpool, previously starred together in the 2012 BBC series The Good Cop, and went on to share the same agent.

Watch: Jodie Comer has an emotional moment at the BAFTAs

She even thanked Graham specifically after picking up the BAFTA for her role in Killing Eve, saying: “If I didn’t owe you a pint before then, I do now. Thank you for the generosity you showed me all those years ago.”

According to the Office For National Statistics, there were 19,394 deaths in UK care homes from March to June this year related to COVID-19.

Thorne himself received treatment for coronavirus in April, tweeting: “Seem to have Covid, which is not reacting great with my asthma. Amazing treatment from my GP over the phone, taking the time to give me all sorts of tests THEN consulting with a colleague before prescribing. Feel like I’ve been run over by an elephant but in total awe of the NHS.”

He also drawn attention to the plight of care homes around the same time as his treatment.

“This is such devastating news,” he wrote, following news of 15 residents dying at a care home in Luton.

“And it’s not about hand sanitation or social distancing, it’s about the fact that care homes for elderly or disabled people seem to be the lowest priority right now. Limited PPE, no proper support. Surely every life matters.”