'Masterpiece' BBC drama starring Jodie Comer returns to iPlayer

The harrowing drama Thirteen has returned to BBC iPlayer, with 28 Years Later star Jodie Comer playing the protagonist, Ivy Moxam. The five-part series follows Ivy as she tries to rebuild her life after being held captive for 13 years. However, piecing together a version of her life which existed before being kidnapped proves to be a difficult task for the young woman.

The first episode aired in February 2016, and it delves into Ivy's experience after breaking free from her captor and the police investigation that follows.

Thirteen was dropped just two years before the award-winning BBC drama Killing Eve was released on the BBC. While many people know Jodie for her Hollywood roles and for playing the cold-blooded yet witty killer Villanelle in Killing Eve alongside Sandra Oh, who portrayed Eve Polastri, Thirteen has also received reviews, with fans branding it a "masterpiece".

One Rotten Tomatoes user said of the series: "[It's] Creepy, measured, and mesmerising, this drama takes a cliched premise and makes it fresh and absorbing with finely drawn characters played by magnetic actors."

Another critic shared: "Comer's performance - as a 26-year-old stunted as a 13-year-old - is beautiful. She can be endearing, mystifying and aggravating, sometimes in the same moment. She'll keep you coming back to a mystery that grows darker with every revelation."

A fourth penned: "The premise for BBC3's first big online drama release is simple: kidnapped girl miraculously escapes her captor after years living in fear. But the story that unfolds is much more complicated."

Jodie, who has also been in Doctor Foster, told Digital Spy about the role in recent years: "I just thought, 'God, I'm going to have to really push myself to my limits' - which I did, but that's good. That's definitely what you want from a role."

Thirteen was written by Marnie Dickens, who considers Ivy to be "the most challenging character" she'd ever written.

She told the publication: "I suppose typically people might be interested in what happened whilst someone was in captivity, but I was drawn to the idea of what happens after that. How could a person return to their life, and what would've happened in the interim years?" The series was taken off iPlayer, but it has returned to the platform for viewers to enjoy.

All episodes of Thirteen are now available to stream on BBC iPlayer.