Channel 4’s award-winning strand, On The Edge returns for a fourth series supporting new film-making talent

Limited to those who have “no more than two hours of broadcast credits” it was hoped 4Stories’ resulting drama anthology On The Edge could be a launchpad for emerging talent around the UK.

The first three series were a resounding success, receiving multiple Bafta nominations, and winning a Bafta Cymru Award for Best Breakthrough and two Edinburgh New Voice Awards.

The programme returns for its fourth run tonight, as more up-and-coming storytellers serve up a raw slice of real life in contemporary Britain.

This year’s theme is care and caring, with all three of the 30 minute-long dramas touching on its importance in today’s society.

Caroline Hollick, Channel 4’s Head of Drama, says: “On The Edge is the epitome of unearthing extraordinary talent from all walks of life.

“This year’s anthology feels timely, indicative and relative as these films encompass their perception of care in three incredibly unique and distinctive ways.”

The first short film, Wet Look, tells the story of young couple Gwynn (Tanya Reynolds) and Rob (Iwan Rheon) as they navigate the highs and lows of their burgeoning relationship.

But there’s a twist: while Rob is a human millennial, Gwynn is a mermaid who’s struggling to adjust to life on dry land.

We meet Gwynn at a low point, unable to grow back her tail and feeling disconnected from a body that doesn’t function like it once did. Her floundering boyfriend Rob wants to help but isn’t sure how.

Using the prism of mermaid mythology, writer Toby Parker Rees and director B Welby explore their feelings about being disabled and how they relate to their physical selves in this beautiful and unique tale about love, grief and otherness.

Next is Letting Go, a deeply moving story exploring the power of attachment and the difficulty of separation, and written from personal experience by Beru Tessema.

Beautifully directed by Mitch Kalisa, it tells the story of Gabriel (Anthony Welsh), a foster father who can’t bear to let go of Faith (Luna Mwezi), the teenage girl who has been in his care for years.

When the authorities decide that Faith’s birth mother is well enough to take her back, Gabriel struggles to process this massive change.

Last but not least, The Final Countdown, written by Natalie Burt and directed by James Doherty follows Ray (Paul Copley), a septuagenarian with a wicked sense of fun and a fondness for a pint. He is the devoted husband of Dora (Eileen Davies), who has dementia.

Their stoic grandson Terry (Joseph Payne) has become Dora’s primary caregiver while Ray buries his head in the sand.

Can Terry persuade Ray that Dora needs to go into residential care before something terrible happens?

Half an hour doesn’t seem like a lot of time to tell a punchy story on a low budget, but On the Edge is a great opportunity for the writers and directors involved and a good test of their mettle.

Initial impressions suggest that this year’s storytellers are all deserving of further commissions.

And while their three films make for exceptional viewing in their own right, shown together, they add up to an unmissable 90 minutes of superb drama.