The BBC has established itself as the platform to go for gritty police dramas, with Line of Duty really cementing its status. Fans are currently waiting for the show’s seventh season, but if you need to fill the void, then there’s another show perfect for that itch.
Released back in 2023, Better is a five-part drama that follows a corrupt police officer, played by Leila Farzad, who attempts to turn her life around, but finds that her past isn’t easy to escape… With its focus on corrupt officers, while also providing a human look at its central characters, the show is easily comparable to the long-running drama that has won over audiences and critics alike.
A synopsis for the show, which is still available to stream on iPlayer, reads: “A corrupt police detective has a painful moral awakening and decides to put right 20 years of wrongdoing.”
However, there wasn’t just drama on-screen, as away from the gritty police drama, the show’s lead stars, Leila Farzad and Andrew Buchan, ended up together, with the pair leaving their respective partners for their new relationship.
Who stars in Better?
The show is led by I Hate Suzie’s Leila Farzad, who plays corrupt officer DI Lou Slack, while Andrew Buchan (Broadchurch), plays Col McHugh, a long-time prisoner who she has secretly been working with for several years.
© CREDIT LINE:BBC/Sister Pictures/Ross FergusanAlso joining the cast are Samuel Edward-Cook (The Listeners), Zak Ford-Williams (Bridgerton), Olivia Nakintu (Vera), Cel Spellman (Waterloo Road), Anton Lesser (The Crown) and Garry Cooper (House of the Dragon).
Completing the show’s cast is Carolin Stoltz (The Inbetweeners Movie), Lucy Black (The Durrells), Moe Bar-El (Alien: Earth), Mark Monero (Dempsey and Makepeace), Junade Khan (Game of Thrones), Joseph Steyne (The Capture), Tillie Amartey (The Teacher) and Gavin Spokes (Slow Horses).
Better’s reception
Better was mostly positively received, although The Guardian’s Rebecca Nicholson noted that it has a slow start. “Information is drip-fed to give the story more depth, particularly when it comes to family ties, who is related to who, and who has lost what,” she wrote. “It is very moreish and does get better,” before adding that the show gets “stronger and stronger”.
One viewer commented: “The first 4 episodes were excellent, great production and acting all round. It wasn’t anything new that hasn’t been on before, hints of Line of Duty & Happy Valley storylines being woven in,” while a second posted: “All in all, entertaining and worth a watch as long as you don’t overthink it. I’d say that Anton Lesser is the best actor in this.”
© BBCA third wrote: “Leila Farzad is astonishing, like she is in everything, but this is a brilliantly written game of chess that has you emotionally invested in all the pieces on the board. You haven’t seen this character arc in a cop show, and you haven’t seen this story in a drama before,” while a fourth noted: “I started watching it live, and didn’t stick with it, I found episode one hard to get into, I took the advice of a friend of mine and gave it another go, I’m glad I did.”
However, this praise wasn’t universal, as one fan complained: “The overall concept of the series is fine, but the execution is mediocre and a bit lukewarm. The acting often seems forced, and the husband and wife are totally unbelievable as a couple.”
