This Is Going To Hurt Trailer: Ben Whishaw Delivers Heartfelt Laughs And A Lot Of Babies

Ben Whishaw may be known for playing Q in three of the Daniel Craig "James Bond" installments, but more importantly, he is also the voice of Paddington f****** Bear, the loveliest protagonist ever put to film. In a brand new series from AMC+, Whishaw brings that wonderful energy to "This Is Going To Hurt," a medical comedy-drama set in the gynecology and obstetrics ward of a British hospital. The series is inspired by creator Adam Kay's memoir of the same name, exploring the hilarity, heartache, and heartwarming moments that can only take place in the "brats and twats" section of the hospital, as Whishaw's Dr. Kay calls it.

This announcement may be old news for some of our non-American readers, as "This Is Going to Hurt" originated on BBC One back in February, with season 1 coming to a close at the end of March. The series was extremely well received by critics and audiences alike, currently boasting a 94% critic score and a perfect 100% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. That said, there has also been a lot of discourse surrounding the show and its portrayal of childbirth, and the fact that Whishaw as the lead paints the show through the male lens. Co-star Ambika Mod has spoken out many times in opposition to these criticisms, noting that the series "showed childbirth as it actually is — because it is brutal, it is messy, and it is gory, and that's not something we've seen on television before." 

It's safe to assume there will be a new wave of debate once the series drops in the States.

Based on the trailer, "This Is Going to Hurt" seems like a nuanced look at the sometimes harsh yet beautiful realities of working in the gynecology and obstetrics ward, as well as the outside-of-work conflicts doctors still have to endure as human beings existing in the world. Sprinkled between moments of delivery and hospital hijinks are scenes of Dr. Kay struggling with his mother who refuses to accept he's gay, and Ambika Mod's character Shruti trying to deal with the hospital administrator whose acting less than affirming of her stressors.

Pregnancy and childbirth are still weirdly difficult subjects to talk about, and "This Is Going to Hurt" should be commended for being willing to tackle the aspects of it that people don't like to talk about ... like the fact that pooping during delivery is extremely common, for one example. Whishaw and Mod are joined by Michele Austin, Alex Jennings, Kadiff Kirwan, Ashley McGuire, Dame Harriet Walter, Rory Fleck Byrne, and Tom Durant-Pritchard, with Adam Kay executive producing. Lucy Forbes directed the first four episodes of the series with Tom Kingsley rounding out the final three.

"This Is Going to Hurt" will premiere on June 2, 2022.