Does new Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker convince as a fake doctor in BBC One's Trust Me?

Few could've anticipated how much attention would be thrust onto BBC One's new thriller Trust Me when the series was first announced back in January. Back then, having a seasoned medic declare "F**k the NHS!" might've seemed like the only aspect that would possibly trouble the tabloids.

Now though – and like David Tennant's Casanova or Matt Smith's Moses Jones (remember that?) before it – Jodie Whittaker's first new project since accepting the keys to the TARDIS will be scrupulously picked apart by Doctor Who fans, on the lookout for clues pertaining to a different show altogether.

A four-parter from The Good Karma Hospital creator Dan Sefton, Trust Me (as in, "...I'm a Doctor") has its lead character Cath Hardacre booted from her position as an NHS nurse after publicly objecting to slipping standards and negligence in her A&E department.

But when a close friend, senior doctor Ally Sutton (Andrea Lowe), uproots to Australia, Cath decides that rather than pursue a career as a care assistant, she'll steal her absent pal's identity and pose as a qualified MD.

Spectres of her old life loom, though, and threaten to expose the truth at every turn. That's if she's not caught out watching YouTube tutorials on "How To Do Surgery" at work.

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Related: 10 Jodie Whittaker performances to watch before her Doctor Who debut this Christmas

So putting aside the fake-Doctor gags, is it possible to glean much here as to how Whittaker will fare on Doctor Who?

After a vivacious breakthrough performance in the 2006 film Venus, Jodie's been cast mostly as troubled but straight-laced characters and, while she's been uniformly terrific, there's not been a great deal in Broadchurch or Marchlands to tip us off as to how she might tackle the Doctor.

On the surface, the same might appear true of Trust Me. Her latest creation, Cath, is another formidable but flawed type, very human, very un-Time Lord. But what this opening hour does showcase is Whittaker's ability to sell, and lend huge emotional weight to, a rather outlandish premise.

From the moment Cath makes her drastic, dangerous and, let's be frank, totally bonkers decision, the universe repeatedly conspires against her to raise the dramatic stakes. Not only does she catch the eye of Emun Elliott's sensitive, inquisitive Andy, and draw the interest of Sharon Small's oh-so-understanding Brigitte, but a hungry journalist (Nathan Welsh) also has Cath in his sights.

Trust Me is a frantic, taut, but slightly ludicrous melodrama – absurd, and likely to grow more so. Dan Sefton's lean script pushes the story forward at a rate of knots, which is effective, but also means the plot is sure to weave in increasingly complex and convoluted directions over the next three weeks. (Sure enough, the 'Next Time' trailer teases the arrival an old friend of Andy's who just happens to have gone to university with the real Ally Sutton.)

Still, from a dramatic cold open that unfolds in near-silence, save the sound of Whittaker's shallow breathing, this rather daft tale has you gripped. Partly that's down to the pace, partly it's down to the eye-catching cinematography, and a pounding, anxiety-making score from Ben Onono.

But what really makes Trust Me is the sympathetic and stirring lead performance at its heart. No matter how improbable the narrative becomes, we always believe in Cath and her outrageous plight.

And that's the key. Because if Jodie Whittaker can find the truth in something heightened, can sell twist after outlandish twist, we reckon she'll do just fine with monsters from outer space and a magic Police Box.

Trust us… she's a Doctor.

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