This Thursday marks the arrival of the much-anticipated Channel 4 drama ‘Help‘ in which Liverpool acting royalty comes together.

Set during the COVID-19 pandemic, the one-off special sees Merseyside natives Jodie Comer and Stephen Graham collaborate for the first time since their brief yet life-changing work on the 2012 mini-series ‘Good Cop‘.

For those who weren’t previously aware, Stephen played a pivotal role in helping Jodie get her big break in the acting industry, which she acknowledged in her BAFTA-winning speech from 2019.

As a strong admirer of both actors, it only felt right for me to put together a unique top 10 list that merges five of their best television performances. For a bit of fun, I’ve also decided to colour code each individual with the colour of their favourite football team (Jodie + Stephen).

Before the list begins, I was forced to leave out some of Jodie’s performances in the likes of Law & Order: UK, Remember Me, Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Rillington Place, and controversially, Doctor Foster.

For Stephen, some of his best works ignored from the final list include Band of Brothers, The Street, Parade’s End, Taboo, White House Farm, Time and yes, even Line of Duty!

 

10#. Stephen in ACCUSED: TRACIE’S STORY

The countdown begins with a role that helped Stephen land his first BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Having previously worked with Jimmy McGovern on The Street (2009), the Kirkby star gained plaudits for his mesmerising performance as closeted homosexual Tony Baines in the ‘Accused’ entry Tracie’s Story.

Though best remembered for Sean Bean’s against-type role as transvestite Tracie, this particular episode gave Stephen the chance to play a character struggling with his inner demons despite having a job and a seemingly-happy marriage. Over the course of the hour, we saw Tony’s obsession with Tracie reach breaking point and result in a terrible crime of passion that left many viewers shocked.

Earlier this year, Stephen collaborated with Sean and Jimmy again in the BBC prison drama Time; which proved a huge hit with audiences and critics.

 

9#. Jodie – The White Princess (2017)

Jodie’s first placement on the list comes from her towering performance as Elizabeth of York in the historical mini-series The White Princess. Throughout these eight episodes, we see the young noblewoman make a remarkable transition from an intimidated girl forced into marriage to a steely monarch refusing to be taken down by those around her.

Playing a royal may have seemed a daunting prospect to Jodie, but the scouse starlet certainly held her own, especially with her riveting scenes alongside more experienced co-stars including Essie Davis and Michelle Fairley.

If you’re a fan of speech scenes, Elizabeth’s rallying call in the ‘Two Kings’ outing remains one of Jodie’s best acting moments so far.

A performance of ‘majestic’ proportions!

 

8#. Jodie – My Mad Fat Diary (2013-15)

After bit parts in various dramas and soaps, a fresh-faced Jodie landed the key role of Chloe Gemmell, the ‘fictional’ close friend (and sometimes, rival) of Rae Earl in the hit Channel 4 series My Mad Fat Diary.

Throughout the comedic drama, Sharon Rooney dominated the screen as the troubled and suicidal Rae, with Jodie happily allowing her co-star to gain the plaudits. By Series 2 though, Chloe found herself becoming involved in some hard-hitting storylines that included sexual assault and surviving a car crash.

However, there were lighter moments to savour for the character too, including an epic showdown with Rae’s nemesis Stacey that was definitely one to watch for Jodie fans.

Another stellar turn from the Liverpudlian actress who did a fine job with the Lincoln accent while getting the chance to share strong chemistry with her co-stars (as shown in the BTS clips on YouTube).

 

7#. Stephen – Boardwalk Empire (2010-14)

Playing a real-life figure like Al Capone seemed like a tough challenge to many but not to Stephen. Despite his strong scouse roots, he excelled with his brilliant portrayal of the dangerous Chicago gangster across all five series of the hit HBO crime programme Boardwalk Empire.

Having previously worked with executive producer Martin Scorsese on Gangs of New York (2002), this role helped Stephen become more of a household name in America as the series covered Capone’s rise from a young driver to one of the most revered criminals in history.

It’s no surprise to see why Scorsese brought him back for the 2019 crime epic The Irishman in which Stephen grappled with Hollywood titans including Robert De Niro and Al Pacino.

As far as this writer is concerned, his portrayal of Capone is the best on-screen one so far….sorry Bobby D!

 

6#. Jodie – Talking Heads: Her Big Chance (2020)

Last year saw Jodie tackle the lucrative role of aspiring actress Lesley in a remake of the Talking Heads monologue “Her Big Chance”.

The prospect of playing a character previously portrayed by the great Julie Walters may have seemed like a daunting experience to many, but not to Jodie. As a big Walters fan herself, she made the role of Lesley her own with a mesmerising performance that sees the character initially jubiliant about being cast in a new film.

But over the course of 45 minutes, we see Lesley slowly lose her confidence as the reality of her new role sets in. The biggest evidence of that comes from Jodie’s accent which slowly alters itself from posh to working-class and thus ends with our leading lady left tearful about her experience.

Effortless work and one of MANY great monologues that were delivered in that Talking Heads reboot!

 

5#. Stephen – Little Boy Blue (2017)

Based on the true story of Rhys Jones’s murder, Little Boy Blue proved to be a very challenging watch for so many yet deservedly gained critical acclaim upon its release.

Despite his LFC connections, Stephen was warmly embraced by the Everton community for his strong turn as D.S. Dave Kelly, a man who went to great lengths to solve the murder despite the scrutiny of his superiors.

The range shown in this performance is masterful and there are moments to savour from displaying his authority at the police station (complete with baseball bat), to his more delicate scenes shared with brilliant co-stars Sinéad Keenan and Brían F. O’Byrne.

It’s still baffling to think that BAFTA overlooked his great work here. Nevertheless, Little Boy Blue easily remains one of the greatest Liverpool-based programmes ever made.

 

4#. Jodie – Thirteen (2016)

After producing stellar work in the likes of My Mad Fat Diary and Doctor Foster, Jodie finally proved her worth as an awards-worthy actress with her BAFTA-nominated turn as Ivy Moxham in the gritty mini-series Thirteen.

Over the course of four episodes, we saw Ivy struggle to adjust to a normal life after the horrific ordeal of being locked away in captivity. But without saying much, Jodie handled the traumatising scenes very well even when there was some doubt about Ivy’s innocence towards the end of the series.

It also helped that she shared strong chemistry with those around her including fellow Liverpool actresses Natasha Little (as Ivy’s concerned mother) and Katherine Rose Morley (as Ivy’s younger sister).

A real powerhouse of a performance that set Jodie on her way towards more acclaimed work….

 

3#. Stephen – This is England 90′ (2015)

Collaborating with Shane Meadows proved to be a master-stroke for Stephen when he played the ruthless Combo in the BAFTA-winning film This is England (2006). Thankfully, Meadows was able to continue the character’s tragic story through three equally-successful spin-offs that allowed audiences to learn more about Combo as an individual.

His actions in the ’86 and ’88 outings helped us sympathise with the character more and by the time the ’90 instalment had arrived, we all found ourselves rooting for him to be rehabilitated properly. But after being released from prison, Combo’s past crimes from the film would inevitably come back to haunt him in the powerful series finale.

The café scene between Stephen and Andrew Shim’s Milky remains a heart-wrenching one to watch, and it’s still distressing to hear Combo’s screams as he’s dragged away to his doom by the National Front thugs.

It came as no surprise to see Stephen land his second BAFTA nomination for his performance, even if he’d have had a better chance of winning in the supporting actor category!

 

2#. Stephen – The Virtues (2019)

Just shy of the number one spot, Stephen pulled off his most acclaimed performance to date with his devastating turn as Joseph in another exceptional Shane Meadows production; The Virtues.

The powerful mini-series saw Stephen delve deep into the tragic role of Joseph throughout four painfully-uncomfortable episodes. It’s the first installment that really showed the character at rock bottom as he struggled between the horrific memories of his past and the imminent departure of his young son which all led to the bender of all benders at a rowdy pub.

It also helped that he was able to convey real dramatic emotion especially in his heartbreaking scenes with Joseph’s estranged sister (a mesmerising Helen Behan) as well as a tense showdown with one of his tormentors in the series finale.

It still hurts that Stephen missed out on another BAFTA especially when going up against the power of Chernobyl.

 

1#. Jodie – Killing Eve (2018-present)

In the end, it’s Jodie who takes the crown with an iconic performance that really did define the term ‘chameleon’.

A chance meeting with series creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge proved a life-changing one for Jodie as the role helped launch her career on the international stage as well as shower her with BAFTA AND Emmy recognition.

While it may seem unfair to name this role number one when there’s still one more series of the hit BBC thriller to go, there’s no denying that Villanelle has gone to become one of the most popular female characters in television history.

Throughout the previous three series, the dangerous yet eccentric Russian assassin has found her way into our hearts via a mix of memorable kills (including death by suffocation in a lift) and her sublime ability to change accents quickly.

When it comes to standout moments, there’s plenty to choose from Jodie’s incredible performance from her Emmy-winning work in the Series 2 episode “I Hope You Like Missionary” (complete with THAT accents scene and the ‘bored’ monologue) to her solo outing in the Series 3 instalment “Are You from Pinner?”

Whatever happens with V in next year’s final series, there’s no denying that Jodie will cherish everything about the character and the career path that it has deservedly set her on.

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Help airs at 9pm on Channel 4 this coming Thursday.