Better star Leila Farzad watched Happy Valley to prepare for role

Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, Leila Farzad (I Hate Suzie) revealed that in researching for her starring role in Better, she "watched a lot of female detective dramas".

She said: "All the way from Helen Mirren to Sarah Lancashire in Happy Valley. I tried to kind of absorb and then get rid of at the same time."

Her leading role in the crime thriller is as DI Lou Slack, a flawed and complex character who has to reckon with her conscience over helping place Col McHugh (Andrew Buchan) at the head of Leeds's criminal underworld.

It's a tale of redemption, family and loyalty, and follows Lou as she attempts to take down the man she's come to love like a friend and brother.

Farzad describes her character as "self reflecting, broken and trying to piece herself back together properly, but wondering if she can ever do it or if she's too far gone".

On being challenged by the role, Farzad revealed that she was apprehensive going into it, saying: “I definitely was frightened and that's a good sign because it means that it matters, in that you're challenged.

“[I was frightened] both in different ways. Trepidatious, yes, because it's a beautifully honed script, and you want to do it justice. I was playing someone not in my own accent and quite far from myself. So there's a lot of work and there's a lot of blood and sweat that goes into it. And you hope that at the end of the day, you've done it justice.”

Read more:

• Happy Valley star on how finale moment 'sets up how story will carry on’
• Happy Valley creator says Sarah Lancashire's changes improved ending

The tense first look at Better depicted a showdown between our two leads, hinting at an explosive five-part series and the ultimate question of whether Lou can ever really do better.

The new series comes from the same producers as Chernobyl and This Is Going io Hurt, and is written by Jonathan Brackley and Sam Vincent (Humans, Spooks) so it's bound to be a boxset that will be devoured in no time.

Better premieres on Monday 13th February on BBC One, with episodes airing weekly on Mondays at 9pm. The series will also be available to stream as a boxset on iPlayer.

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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