Zeit bites: The anti-Broadchurch
In British comedy a woman in her late 30s struggles to come to terms with life on the outside after 18 years in jail. It’s not clear at first if Miri (Daisy Haggard) has really committed the crime she lost a chunk of her life to. From the start, when she walks out of jail and tilts her peaceful, beaming face into the sun, it’s clear she’s not going to have much in common with the bitter, hard-boiled ex-cons we usually meet on TV.
In fact, Miri is a sunny, quirky delight, albeit a confused, slightly-out-of-date one. She doesn’t own a phone, have a driver’s licence or even really know what Google is, but she’s keen to find out.
The nicest thing about Back to Life, which is the most gentle of social commentaries from the producers of the similar-but-darker Fleabag, is the way it deftly but subtly lambasts the gruelling crime dramas British TV is well known for.
It makes for a kind of anti-Broadchurch, complete with sweeping views of ominous cliffs and complex B-stories, which isn’t so much about cops and victims under pressure and uncovering crime, as it is about an ex-con exploring her past for a path to the future, navigating a vicious and narrow-minded community, and embracing the kind of adult freedom she’d only glimpsed before she went to jail.
Haggard delivers the script’s clever one-liners with a charming, very British awkwardness, and often quite moving pathos. Much like Phoebe WallerBridge in Fleabag, she’s the glowing heart of the show, as compelling as she is awkward and odd.
It’s impossible not to root for her as she makes peace with her parents (deftly portrayed by Richard Durden and Geraldine James), her self-centred best friend (a luminous Christine Bottomley) and her ex (Jamie Michie).
As Miri’s relationship with her sweet-yet-oblivious neighbour (the ever wonderful Adeel Akhtar) blossoms, and the truth about her horrible, heartbreaking crime unfolds, you find yourself wishing the snappy half-hour episodes were longer, so you could spend a little more time with her.
Back to Life is streaming on TVNZ On Demand.