Netflix is bringing a long-buried true story to light with its new drama, Toxic Town, a series based on the real-life battle of families in Corby, Northamptonshire. The show explores the tragic consequences of toxic pollution from the town’s demolished steelworks, which allegedly led to birth defects in children during the 1980s and 90s.
For many of the cast members, the scandal was previously unknown, but they hope the Netflix adaptation will raise awareness. Actor Brendan Coyle, who was born in Corby, admitted he had never heard of the case but said the town is eager to see the story finally told. “One of the mothers reached out… It’s the talk of the town. People are excited,” he said. “For them, for the mothers and these children, to have their story told—it’s amazing. It’s something that’s been buried for a long time.”
Coyle plays Roy Thomas, a fictional Corby borough councillor, and has a personal connection to the town’s history. His family, like many others, moved from Scotland to work at Corby Steelworks, which employed around 10,000 people before its closure in 1979. The town’s strong Scottish influence even shaped its unique accent, which Coyle describes as a “diluted” Scottish tone. “I can recognize it anywhere. I’ve been on a tube before and thought, ‘Are you from Corby?’ There’s nothing like it,” he said.
Executive producer Annabel Jones first learned about the Corby case during lockdown, when a friend from the town told her about it. Shocked that such a significant story had remained largely unknown, she became determined to bring it to public attention. “I was absolutely gobsmacked that I had never heard of this story,” she said. “This really needs to be pulled into the public consciousness so things like this don’t happen again.” To ensure accuracy, she spoke with as many people involved in the case as possible.
The show captures not only the tragic aspects of the case but also the resilience and humor of Corby’s people. Jones emphasized the importance of reflecting the town’s warmth. “Corby is known for its sense of humor, its spirit. I wanted to make sure that comes across because I want it to feel true,” she said. “I didn’t want it to feel like people had no hope.”
Accents were a key focus during production, with dialect coaches helping the cast perfect the distinct Corby sound. Jodie Whittaker, who stars in the series, worked especially hard on mastering it, initially feeling nervous about getting it right. When she met with Susan, the real-life mother she portrays, she was reassured that her efforts had paid off.
Some actors had the opportunity to meet the real people they played, but for Robert Carlyle, this wasn’t possible. The man he portrays, Corby borough councillor Sam Hagen, passed away in 2022. Instead, Carlyle studied hours of footage to capture his essence. “He had this straight, slightly higher-pitched Glasgow voice,” Carlyle said. “I thought… ‘That just sounds like my dad.’ There were elements of my dad in Sam, and that was my way in.”
Carlyle described Hagen as “a hero with a small h,” someone dedicated to Corby’s success. “He wanted to make the best of his life down there, to regenerate the town,” he said. “He’s the kind of man who made sure the traffic lights worked and the zebra crossings were in the right place. He just does the right thing. A lot of my characters aren’t like that—it’s nice to play someone inherently good.”
Rory Kinnear, who plays solicitor Des Collins, noted that the series avoids making judgments about its characters. “Everyone believes they’re doing the right thing,” he said. “It allows the audience to decide whether they think those people acted appropriately.” Though Kinnear never met the real Collins, the lawyer later admitted the portrayal was uncannily accurate. “He got me down to a tee,” Collins said. “There were moments where I thought, ‘I wish I had said that’—then I realized it wasn’t me, it was Rory playing me.”
Kinnear hopes Toxic Town will spark important discussions, especially about the challenges faced by disabled individuals. “As the sibling of a disabled person, I know they’re not always at the forefront of public interest,” he said. “What excites me is that Netflix is doing this. You could imagine this airing late on BBC Two or Channel 4 and being watched by 250,000 people, but it wouldn’t have an impact. Netflix wants to make sure this is something everyone sees, talks about, and remembers.”
With its gripping story, strong performances, and an ambition to expose an overlooked injustice, Toxic Town is set to shine a light on a chapter of history that should never be forgotten.
