It’s no coincidence, the role of Janet was written specifically for Haggard. Having previously collaborated with Haggard on Back To Life, screenwriters and producers Harry and Jack Williams know that exhibiting a variety of emotions is where she likes to be.
“They kind of thought ‘we'll give Daisy what she's comfortable doing’, which quite often is going - [Haggard contorts her face to show a range of emotions]."
Steve Coogan stars in this sequel to the landmark 1999 drama, The Murder of Stephen Lawrence, which picks up the case in 2006.
Co-created by and starring Daisy Haggard, the first series of Back To Life follows Miri Matterson as she returned to her quiet seaside town after a lengthy spell in prison.
Having entered prison during her formative years as a young adult, the series comically traverses her naïve attempts to fit into the modern world that has changed significantly in the 18 years she has spent away from it.
Over the course of the six-part series, her community’s refusal to accept her catalyses the reveal of the truth behind her crime.
Comedy, the late, great Tony Hancock would often tell his dinner guests, was simply “frustration, misery, boredom, worry – all the things people suffer from”.
This may go some way to explaining the success of a crop of deceptively simple, single-camera comedy-dramas that have all but replaced our more traditional idea of the sitcom in the television schedules.
