‘Back to Life’ concludes with a final double-bill

Tuesday: Back to Life; (BBC One, 11.05pm & 11.35pm)
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A woman is released from prison after spending 18 years behind bars, and returns to her small seaside home town to a less than warm welcome from the locals.

The above sentence doesn’t sound like a great premise for a sitcom, does it? “Not many laughs there,” you might think, and yet Daisy Haggard and Laura Solon, creators of Back to Life, have managed to find plenty of them.

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The BBC first announced the show back in June 2018, saying it “follows Miranda ‘Miri’ Thomas, a woman who committed a terrible crime many years ago. It was a catastrophic mistake, one she paid for with well over a decade in prison. When we meet her, she has just returned to her family home, aged 36, with no job, no friends and no choice but to move back in with her parents.

Miri MattesonMiri Matteson
Miri Matteson

“Miri is desperate to move on, put the past behind her and get back to her life; but, in a small-town where her crime is the most dramatic thing that has ever happened, will anyone let her?”

What transpired was a dark if surprisingly warm tale which never judges its main protagonist. Instead, we got to know her and what happened – and if truth be known, it’s her supposed nearest and dearest who received the audience’s scorn rather than Miri; her ex-boyfriend had been having an affair with her mother, while her ‘best friend’ proved to be anything but and her probation officer always seemed preoccupied.

But there was light at the end of the tunnel – despite being the target of some terrible abuse by her fellow residents, Miri did find solace in a blossoming friendship with Billy, who lived next door.

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“The nimble story-telling dazzles and hooks you in right from scene one,” said Shane Allen, controller of comedy commission for the BBC. “Miri is a terrific creation as the viewer’s empathy ebbs and flows depending on our perception of what she might have done. It’s a distinctive world of intriguing characters and laced through with off-beat humour.”

Excellent reviews from viewers and critics meant it came as no surprise when a second series was announced.

Haggard, who also plays Miri, said at the time, “Laura and I are delighted we’re being given a chance to continue Miri’s story. There’s so much more to tell and we are incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to do that.”

The run has gone down just as well as its predecessor (here’s hoping there will be a third), but it’s drawing to a close with a final double-bill which begins as an anxiety-ridden Miri prepares to take her driving test. Her nerves certainly won’t be eased by a gruesome discovery.

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Later, with her digital pet still missing and no sign of Mandy anywhere, Miri faces the possibility that she may be heading back to prison. Meanwhile, after an odd night with Dom, Oscar’s clean-up campaign gathers pace, and Caroline hopes she can put her fears behind her and start being herself.

Geraldine James, Adeel Akhtar, Richard Durden and Christine Bottomless are among the supporting cast.

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