Dorothy Atkinson

In television, she has appeared as Zoe Parrish on ITV drama London's Burning, Jane Sutton in the BBC One drama Call the Midwife, Pauline in the BBC Two sitcom Mum, Florence Scanwell in the ITV Encore drama Harlots, and Mary Pennyworth in the Epix/HBO Max drama Pennyworth. An April 2021 announcement stated that Atkinson would be joining the cast of the second series of All Creatures Great and Small as Diana Brompton.

• Name — Dorothy Atkinson • Birth Name — Dorothy Caroline Atkinson • Born — 1966 • Birthplace — Mansfield, England, U.K. • Years Active — 1988–present • Occupation — Actress • Spouse — Martin Savage • Children — 1

Atkinson is from Mansfield in Nottinghamshire, England. Her father was a bursar for a school in Nottinghamshire and she has one sister. Her nickname is "Dot". She is married to actor Martin Savage and they have one son. In July 2026, she was awarded an honorary doctorate by Nottingham Trent University.

• Year — Title — Role — Network — Notes • 1991–1993 — London's Burning — Zoe Parrish — ITV — Series regular • 1994 — Peak Practice — Woman Driver — Episode: "Long Weekend" • Heartbeat — Connie Gibson — Episode: "Nice Girls Don't" • 2001 — Murder in Mind — Julie — BBC One — Episode: "Vigilante" • 2003 — Holby City — Trudi Halliday — Episode: "End of the Line" • 2004 — Life Begins — Female Organiser — ITV — Episode: "Maggie & Helen" • Murder City — Gill Grieves — Episode: "Mr. Right" • 2005 — No Angels — Caroline — Channel 4 — Episode: #2.7 • Bodies — Sarah Tankard — BBC Three — 2 episodes • 2006 — Heartbeat — Carol Parsons — ITV — Episode: "The Dying of the Light" • The Innocence Project — Fiona Kinsella — BBC One — Episode: #1.3 • 2007 — Skins — Receptionist — E4 — Episode: "Effy" • Peep Show — Therapist — Channel 4 — Episode: "Holiday" • 2008 — Sunshine — Jennifer — BBC One — Mini-series, episode: #1.2 • 2009 — Casualty 1909 — Nurse Granger — Episode: #1.1 • 2010 — PhoneShop — Sue — E4 — Episode: "Soldier, Swinger, Shelley, Shelley" • 2011 — Midsomer Murders — Angela Lawrence — ITV — Episode: "Not in My Back Yard" • 2012 — Coronation Street — Yvonne Perry — 2 episodes • The Town — Ann — Mini-series, 2 episodes • 2013 — Call the Midwife — Jane Sutton — BBC One — Series regular • 2015 — Code of a Killer — Barbara Ashworth — ITV — Mini-series, 2 episodes • 2016 — Vera — Shirley Hewarth — Episode: "The Moth Catcher" • 2016–2019 — Mum — Pauline — BBC Two — Series regular • 2017 — Maigret — Claire Grandjean — ITV — Episode: "Night at the Crossroads" • Comedy Playhouse — Teresa Smith — BBC One — Episode: "Mister Winner" • Strike — Kathryn Kent — Episode: "The Silkworm" • 2017–2018 — Harlots — Florence Scanwell — ITV Encore — Series regular • 2018 — Next of Kin — Annabel Ghillies — ITV — Mini-series, 3 episodes • 2019 — Hanna — Therapist — Amazon Prime Video — 2 episodes: "Town" & "Mother" • 2019–2022 — Pennyworth — Mrs. Pennyworth — Epix — Series regular • 2020–present — Secrets of the Museum — Narrator — BBC Two — Documentary series • 2021 — All Creatures Great and Small — Diana Brompton — Channel 5 — 3 episodes • 2022 — Magpie Murders — Lady Pye — BBC One — 5 episodes • Pistol — Sylvia Cook — FX — Mini-series, 4 episodes • Without Sin — Jessie Cole — ITV 1 — Mini-series, 4 episodes • 2023 — Stonehouse — Betty Boothroyd — 3 episodes • The Gold — Jeannie Savage — BBC One — 4 episodes • The Long Shadow — Betty Hoban — ITV 1 — Mini-series, 3 episodes • 2024 — Inside No. 9 — Sheila — BBC One — Series 9, episode 3: "Mulberry Close" • Ludwig — DCS Carol Shaw — Series regular • Joan — Mrs. May — ITV 1 — Mini-series, 5 episodes • 2026 — Agatha Christie's Seven Dials — Lady Maria Coote — Netflix — Mini-series

Atkinson has performed many shows at the Stephen Joseph Theatre with Alan Ayckbourn, including The Boy Who Fell Into a Book, in which she originated the role of the Queen in 1998. In 2002, she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Eden End as Lillian, by the Barclays Theatre Awards, an award recognising regional British theatre. In 2003, she played Marie in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Beauty and the Beast by Laurence Boswell. In 2006, Atkinson played Nora in Epitaph for George Dillon at the Comedy Theatre, and in 2007 the Woman in A Matter of Life and Death at the National Theatre. In 2009, she played Vera in Just Between Ourselves by Alan Ayckbourn at Northampton's Royal & Derngate Theatre. Atkinson made her Broadway debut in the 2010 production of Brief Encounter, playing three roles (Dolly/Hermione/Beryl). This production was conceived originally with the Kneehigh Theatre Company (of which she is a member) and she stayed with the show when it moved to New York. In 2026, she played Fiona Foster in a production of How the Other Half Loves by Alan Ayckbourn at The Old Vic.