Tense first look at BBC thriller Better from makers of Chernobyl

Lou met Col when she was struggling as a young police officer, and he was a newcomer to the Leeds underworld. The deal they struck years ago has shaped their lives ever since, allowing Lou to rise up in her career and Col to become rich and powerful.

When Lou’s family is “brought to the brink of a tragedy”, the synopsis explains, she must finally start to right the wrongs she has spent years looking away from, which ultimately includes trying to bring down Col.

In the above clip from the five-part series’ opening episode, we see the pair attempting to push the limits of their relationship when Lou makes her first move against Col, in a tense meeting at a restaurant.

Lou explains to her longtime friend that her colleagues received an “anonymous tip” about an associate named Noel, which she was unable to “kill” completely.

“Best I could do was to get ahead of it and make sure that Noel didn’t get himself shot, then I reminded him that you would be there for him,” she says.

Col appears unimpressed with her explanation, telling her: “You come to me wanting to take him, and I say no, and then the very same night I find out that you’ve nicked him at a safe house that only you and five other people know about?”

Written by Jonathan Brackley and Sam Vincent, Better was entirely shot in Leeds and was produced by SISTER, the production company behind hits like Chernobyl, This Is Going to Hurt and Gangs of London.

Peaky Blinders’ Samuel Edward-Cook, Cold Feet’s Ceallach Spellman, Wolfe’s Zak Ford-Williams and Liar’s Carolin Stoltz are also set to star, joined by Anton Lesser and Olivia Nakintu.

“Better is a brilliant fresh take on the morality tale,” Farzad said when the project was announced earlier this year.

“I am excited to have the opportunity to play Lou Slack, the vehicle through which we explore the multivalent layers of good and bad. A complex, flawed yet utterly human character.

"I feel very lucky to be a part of such a wonderful show with an incredibly talented team attached to it.”

The series is set to air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in 2023.

If you’re looking for something else to watch in the meantime, check out our TV Guide or Streaming Guide visit our dedicated Drama hub.

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