Channel 4's new crime drama Patience stars Laura Fraser and Ella Maisy Purvis

You may not have heard of Ella Maisy Purvis yet, but 2025 looks set to be a big year for her.

Having previously made fleeting appearances in Heartstopper and Malpractice, the London-born actor is set to appear in romantic comedy film CC: Emily and the reboot of classic 1980s drama Bergerac.

But before those arrive, Purvis takes the title role in Patience, a six-part crime drama inspired by the French series Astrid et Raphaelle.

Set in York, it has at its heart Patience Evans, a young autistic woman who attends a regular support group for autistic adults, and we’ll see its members discussing the ways in which they navigate a neuro-typical world. What marks the drama out is the fact that all the neurodivergent characters are being played by neuro-diverse actors.

“We are proud to be making a mainstream crime series built around an exceptional neurodivergent protagonist called Patience,” says Jo McGrath, the Chief Creative Officer at production company Eagle Eye Drama. “The character is beautifully brought to life by Ella Maisy Purvis, a compelling young actress who will captivate audiences.

“We’re delighted to be working with Channel 4, a broadcaster whose championing of diversity in all its forms has always been at the very heart of its DNA.”

“I’m incredibly honoured to bring Patience Evans to life in this ground-breaking drama,” adds Purvis. “Audiences can look forward to an authentic representation of a young autistic woman that is written with nuance and detail, but also that challenges the norms of the neuro-typical world. Patience is a character full of depth, intelligence, and an unwavering passion for justice, and I can’t wait for viewers to join her on this thrilling journey.”

Patience works in Yorkshire Police’s criminal records department, where her role cataloguing and filing evidence from major cases gives her the routine, order and solitude she craves. But due to her good instincts and a passion for problem-solving, it’s clear that she could be of even more use to her colleagues.

One person who notices that is Detective Bea Metcalf, played by Laura Fraser, the veteran star of Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Casanova and Crime.

She says of the production: “Patience is full of intriguing mysteries and unusual crimes, but also looks at Bea Metcalf’s working relationship with a young woman who experiences life in a different way to her own, and also the friendship that develops between them.”

Soon Patience is assisting Bea as she investigates the death of a man who seemingly set himself alight in a local car park; she’s already spotted a link between this grisly event and others from the past. However, her involvement will come at a huge personal cost, as the truth about her difficult past begins to come to light.

The second episode, showing on Thursday, continues the story, and reveals how Bea feels responsible for her new friend, while their investigation starts to gather pace – and may even take them to South America.

Deepak Verma, Mark Benton and Adrian Rawlins are among the supporting cast.