Every episode of Before We Die is a rollercoaster

Christian and HannahChristian and Hannah
Christian and Hannah
Wednesday: Before We Die; (Channel 4, 9pm)

When it comes to broadcasting continental crime thrillers, few do it better (or as often) as BBC Four.

Its Saturday evening is usually given over to a double-bill of something tasty from France, Italy or, more commonly, Scandinavia. But Channel 4 doesn’t do too badly either.

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Many of its European shows can be seen on its streaming service All 4 via the Walter Presents strand, but in 2018, Swedish series Before We Die (or, to give it its original name, Innan vi dor) premiered on Channel 4 itself. It must have impressed somebody at the station because, three years on, the tale has been dusted down and given a British spin.

Taking the lead role of DI Hannah Laing is veteran star Lesley Sharp, who is no stranger to the crime genre – she spent five years playing DC Janet Scott in much-missed ITV series Scott & Bailey.

Hannah is, however, a different kettle of fish altogether. For a start, she’s older but not necessarily wiser. When we first meet her, she’s caught between a rock and a hard place, resulting in her being forced into making a terrible decision that could ruin her relationship with her troubled son Christian forever.

Christian has been working for the mysterious and tight-knit Mimica family. Originally from Croatia, they’re now settled in Bristol where they run a successful restaurant, a front for their more lucrative criminal enterprises. However, ruthless eldest son Davor isn’t satisfied; he’s ambitious and wants to expand the business – and he will take risks that put his relationships under intense pressure to get what he wants.

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Hannah, meanwhile, is distracted from her own family issues by the disappearance of her married lover, fellow police officer Sean Hardacre. She persuades her superiors to launch a manhunt and locates one of Sean’s confidential sources who may have valuable information regarding his whereabouts – if she hasn’t been silenced in the meantime.

“Every episode of Before We Die is a rollercoaster of excitement – and I’m so delighted to have Lesley Sharp bring her trademark gravitas and charisma to Channel 4,” says the broadcaster’s head of drama, Caroline Rollick, who commissioned the series. “It’s a privilege to be part of this truly inspiring European collaboration.

Executive producer Jo McGrath adds: “Before We Die is a powerful and original series which uses the grammar and architecture of a nail-biting crime thriller to tell the compelling emotional story of a mother and son’s dysfunctional relationship, beautifully juxtaposed against the close-knit ties of the crime family they are trying to bring to justice. Before We Die stands out as truly distinctive crime drama and I can think of no better actress than Lesley Sharp to bring this complex lead character to life.”

Sharp is reunited with one of her Scott & Bailey co-stars Vincent Regan, who has a supporting role here, appearing alongside Patrick Gibson, Bill Ward and Tony Gojanovic.

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