''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 Leila Effat Farzad is a British actress. She is known for her role as Naomi Jones in the Sky Atlantic series ''I Hate Suzie'' (2020–2022), which earned her a British Academy Television Award nomination. Early life and education Leila Effat F ...

as DI Lou Slack *

Andrew Buchan Andrew Neil Buchan is an English actor and writer. He is known for his roles as DI James Marsh in the ITV drama '' Code of Silence'' (2025), ITV drama ''Broadchurch'' (2013–17), Scott Foster in the BBC political drama '' Party Animals'' (2 ...

as Col McHugh * Samuel Edward-Cook as Ceri Davies * Zak Ford-Williams as Owen Davies * Olivia Nakintu as DC Esther Okoye *

Cel Spellman Ceallach John Spellman ( ; born 31 August 1995) is an English actor, writer and presenter best known for playing Matthew Williams in the revival of ITV drama ''Cold Feet'', Harry Fisher in the BBC One school-based drama '' Waterloo Road'' from ...

as Donal McHugh *

Anton Lesser Anton Lesser (born 14 February 1952) is a British actor. He is known for his roles as Qyburn in the HBO series ''Game of Thrones'', Harold Macmillan in ''The Crown'', Clement Attlee in '' A United Kingdom'', Chief Superintendent Bright in '' E ...

as Vernon Marley *

Garry Cooper Garry Cooper (born 2 June 1955) is an English actor. He was born in Hull, East Yorkshire, on 2 June 1955. Garry trained at Drama Centre, London and has worked extensively in film, television and theatre. Filmography References External ...

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

Broadcast

''Better'' began broadcast on BBC One on 13 February 2023, with all five episodes available on BBC iPlayer simultaneously.

Reception

Sean O'Grady from ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'' gave the first episode four out of five stars, praising Farzad and Buchan. Rebecca Nicholson of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' awarded the first episode three stars out of five, criticising the opening but finding it gained momentum by the end. Anita Singh in ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...

'' also gave it three stars out of five, unimpressed by the plot.

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 14466190 2023 British television series debuts 2023 British television series endings 2020s British crime drama television series 2020s British television miniseries BBC crime drama television shows British English-language television shows Fiction about police corruption Television shows set in England Television shows about disability