Liz Carr's documentary on assisted dying Better Off Dead? gets air date

The hour-long documentary was previously announced in August 2023, and will explore the topic of assisted dying, or euthanasia, with Carr having long been a campaigner against a change in the law of the legalisation of assisted suicide.

As per the synopsis, the documentary will follow Carr has she takes an "in-depth look at the issue, speaking to people from all sides of the debate".

It continues: "She will also travel to Canada to explore the repercussions of some of the most permissive euthanasia laws in the world. Here, she will be confronted with a law for people who are disabled, and not just the terminally ill."

Speaking of the documentary, Carr, who viewers may recognise as Clarissa Mullery in Silent Witness, said: "Too many disabled people will have had the experience of someone, often a complete stranger, telling them, 'If I was like you, I’d rather be dead.'

"Putting such low value on our lives has been reported in medical settings when disabled and older people have 'do not resuscitate' orders placed on their medical notes without their consent.

"This documentary is about challenging the assumptions behind these actions and shining a light on the many grey areas in this often one-sided debate."

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She added: "I'm pro-choice, an atheist, a rights campaigner and assisted suicide scares me. I want everyone to have a good death, and through this documentary, I hope to show why I'm unconvinced that any type of 'assisted dying' is the answer to this."

Kate Phillips, director of unscripted at the BBC, previously said: "We want to continue bringing audiences impactful new films that inspire debate and bring fresh new perspectives on important issues, and I’m really pleased that Liz Carr is presenting this new film, sharing her own unique insight into the difficult debate around assisted suicide."

Better Off Dead? will air on Tuesday 14th May at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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