There is something about an underdog story that always connects with people. When ordinary people take a stand against something much bigger than them, it inspires others. The new Netflix series Toxic Town brings such a story to life.
Written by Jack Thorne (His Dark Materials) and directed by Minkie Spiro, this drama features a talented cast, including Jodie Whittaker, Aimee Lou Wood, Claudia Jessie from Bridgerton, Robert Carlyle, and Rory Kinnear.
The series follows three women and a lawyer who work together to sue a local steel factory. They believe that the factory caused birth defects in dozens of children born in Corby, England, between 1985 and 1997.
This series is based on a real case that had tragic consequences but also led to an incredible victory. A group of working-class women took on a major British company and held it accountable for its actions. Their determination made a difference, and the case set a new legal precedent.
Jodie Whittaker Leads a Strong Cast
Jodie Whittaker gives a powerful performance as the leader of the group of women fighting for justice. Aimee Lou Wood, who is also part of The White Lotus Season 3, plays a very different role in this series. Her character is not the carefree, cheerful personality she portrays in The White Lotus—here, she plays a woman determined to fight against powerful forces.
The case itself has often been compared to Erin Brockovich, the famous American lawsuit against a large corporation. Like that case, Toxic Town tells the story of strong women facing impossible challenges. Their fight was not just about getting justice for their children—it was about making sure something like this never happened again.
The case was groundbreaking because it was the first time a company was held responsible for spreading toxic pollution through airborne dust. This ruling changed how environmental pollution cases were handled in the UK.
What is Toxic Town About?
Corby is a town in England with about 75,000 residents. It is located an hour east of Birmingham and north of London. Most of the people in Corby have Scottish heritage, and many of the women in the story come from this background.
During the 1980s and 1990s, the Corby Borough Council was responsible for removing and disposing of toxic waste from the Corby Steelworks. However, their methods of handling the waste were unsafe. They transported and dumped hazardous materials in ways that allowed toxic particles to spread through the air and water.
As a result, more than two dozen children in Corby were born with serious birth defects. Many had missing fingers, toes, or other deformities in their limbs.
One of the women affected, Susan McIntyre, gave birth to a son with a deformed right hand. She and other mothers who had children with similar conditions decided to take legal action against the Corby Borough Council.
The case took years to fight. The mothers were ignored and dismissed many times. Their children faced bullying and discrimination because of their disabilities. However, they refused to give up. Finally, in 2009, the court ruled in their favor. The women of Corby won the case and were awarded 14.3 million pounds.
Life in Corby During the Crisis
People who lived in Corby at the time remember how dangerous and polluted the town was. Time Magazine reported that residents spoke about strange “muddy lagoons” that smelled like hospital disinfectant. Children played near large puddles of liquid that fizzed when stones were thrown in. It was clear that the area was highly contaminated.
Tracy Taylor, one of the first mothers affected by the toxic waste, described how the pollution was everywhere. She said that a fine dust covered everything in her home.
She compared it to a desert storm, where dust would settle as soon as you cleaned a surface. The air quality was terrible. She carried an inhaler with her at all times and avoided going outside in the evenings because the air would burn her throat.
Taylor’s child died just a few days after birth, so she was not part of the financial settlement. However, she played a crucial role in gathering other mothers and speaking out. Her testimony in court was strong and helped bring justice to the case.
A Story That Needed to Be Told
Brendan Coyle, who is best known for his role in Downton Abbey, plays Roy Thomas, a fictional council member in Toxic Town. His character represents the officials who ignored the dangers of the steel factory and failed to protect the residents.
Coyle was born in Corby, so he has a personal connection to the story. He told the BBC that he was happy the story was finally being told. He mentioned that one of the real-life mothers contacted him, expressing excitement about the series. Many people in Corby still talk about the case, and for those affected, seeing their fight for justice on screen is important.
Even though Coyle grew up in Corby, he admitted that he had not known much about the case before working on the series. This shows how much the story had been buried or forgotten over time. The women who fought this battle were ignored for years, and their struggle was not widely recognized until much later.
Where Are Susan McIntyre and Tanya Taylor Now?
Netflix and Elle Magazine published a piece showing Susan McIntyre and Jodie Whittaker meeting for the first time. Tanya Taylor and Aimee Lou Wood also met, and they all shared their thoughts on the show.
McIntyre recalled how difficult it was to go to court and relive everything. She spoke about the fear she felt, but also about the pride she had in standing up for the truth. She described her emotions when they won the case, saying, “It was just like wow, we’ve actually won… My pride was the way we fought it. We fought it to the end.”
McIntyre is now in her mid-50s and has two sons. She continues to speak about her experience and raise awareness about environmental pollution.
Jodie Whittaker, who plays McIntyre in Toxic Town, said that being part of the series was an incredible honor. She spoke about how emotional it was to film scenes in hospitals and imagine what it was like for real-life mothers who went through this pain. She also shared her frustration that these women had to fight so hard just to have their suffering acknowledged.
A Must-Watch Series About Strength and Justice
Toxic Town tells a powerful story about resilience and justice. It sheds light on an environmental disaster that affected many families and highlights the strength of ordinary people who stood up to a powerful company.
This series is not just about a legal case—it is about mothers fighting for their children, a town demanding answers, and a victory that changed history. Toxic Town is now available for streaming on Netflix in the U.S.
