| Better | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Crime Drama |
| Created by | Jonathan Brackley and Sam Vincent |
| Written by | Jonathan Brackley and Sam Vincent |
| Directed by |
|
| Starring | |
| Composer | Samuel Sim |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 5 |
| 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.
This is the first on-screen drama where a disabled actor showed that by masking their own condition and then revealing it they could portray a progressive condition.
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.
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release 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. | ||||||
Better began broadcast on BBC One on 13 February 2023, with all five episodes available on BBC iPlayer simultaneously. [2] [3]
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 Daily Telegraph also gave it three stars out of five, unimpressed by the plot. [6]