Better (British TV series)
| Better | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Crime Drama |
| Created by | Jonathan Brackley and Sam Vincent |
| Written by | Jonathan Brackley and Sam Vincent |
| Directed by | Jonathan Brough |
| Starring | |
| Composer | Samuel Sim |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 5 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | James Dean |
| Running time | 59 minutes |
| Production company | Sister |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC One |
| Release | 13 February – 13 March 2023 |
Better is a British crime drama television drama series, created and written by Jonathan Brackley and Sam Vincent, about a corrupt police officer who attempts to turn her life around, only for it to get much worse. The series began broadcast on BBC One on 13 February 2023, with all five episodes available on BBC iPlayer simultaneously.
Plot
After her son Owen almost dies, corrupt police detective Lou Slack attempts to make amends for her sins and escape Col McHugh, the powerful criminal she has been working for.
Cast
Main
- Leila Farzad as DI Lou Slack
- Andrew Buchan as Col McHugh
- Samuel Edward-Cook as Ceri Davies
- Zak Ford-Williams as Owen Davies
- Olivia Nakintu as DC Esther Okoye
- Cel Spellman as Donal McHugh
- Anton Lesser as Vernon Marley
- Garry Cooper as Peter "Bulgey" Donovan
Recurring
- Carolin Stoltz as Alma McHugh
- Lucy Black as DCI Sandy Mosby
- Moe Bar-El as Artem
- Mark Monero as Curtis "Lord" Roy
- Junade Khan as DS Pritam Khan
- Joseph Steyne as Joleon
- Tillie Amartey as Jade Wilkes
- Gavin Spokes as DI Phil Cowper
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode 1" | Jonathan Brough | Jonathan Brackley and Sam Vincent | 13 February 2023 | 4.69 | |
|
Lou Slack recovers a firearm from a gangland shooting on behalf of businessman Col McHugh. A few days later she attends a party at McHugh's house, during which time her son Owen contracts meningitis and her husband Ceri takes him to hospital.[1] | ||||||
| 2 | "Episode 2" | Jonathan Brough | Jonathan Brackley and Sam Vincent | 20 February 2023 | 3.75 | |
|
Owen is using a wheelchair and attends a support group, which McHugh sends his son Donal to infiltrate. Slack tracks down retired officer Vernon Marley who has experience of the West Yorkshire organised crime world. | ||||||
| 3 | "Episode 3" | Jonathan Brough | Jonathan Brackley and Sam Vincent | 27 February 2023 | 3.61 | |
|
During a vehicle stop on the Malik gang, Slack plants drugs in their car which DC Esther Okoye notices. | ||||||
| 4 | "Episode 4" | Pier Wilkie | Nick Ahad, Jonathan Brackley and Sam Vincent | 6 March 2023 | 3.49 | |
|
To keep Okoye on her side, Slack sets up McHugh for an arrest but Okoye finds nothing incriminating on his person. Slack and McHugh have a showdown but he agrees to let her go. Later at Marley's house, McHugh's associate Bulgey tries to kill her but Marley shoots him first. | ||||||
| 5 | "Episode 5" | Jonathan Brough | Jonathan Brackley and Sam Vincent | 13 March 2023 | 3.75 | |
|
Marley is killed in prison by one of McHugh's associates. Slack and McHugh agree to hand themselves in to the Police. | ||||||
Broadcast
Better began broadcast on BBC One on 13 February 2023, with all five episodes available on BBC iPlayer simultaneously.[2][3]
Reception
Sean O'Grady from The Independent gave the first episode four out of five stars, praising Farzad and Buchan.[4] Rebecca Nicholson of The Guardian awarded the first episode three stars out of five, criticising the opening but finding it gained momentum by the end.[5] Anita Singh in The Telegraph also gave it three stars out of five, unimpressed by the plot.[6]
References
- ^ Episode one recap (Stylist)
- ^ "Better cast – who stars in the BBC thriller?". Radio Times.
- ^ Cormack, Morgan (22 April 2022). "BBC One's Better: everything you need to know about the new drama". Stylist.
- ^ "In Better, Leila Farzad brings flawed humanity to a bent copper – review". The Independent. 13 February 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
- ^ Nicholson, Rebecca (13 February 2023). "Better review – this moreish bent copper show gets stronger and stronger". The Guardian.
- ^ Singh, Anita (13 February 2023). "Better, review: the BBC brings back bent coppers – but this is no Line of Duty". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 3 March 2023.