'Back To Life': Release date, plot, cast, trailer and everything you need to know about Showtime's comedy-drama starring Daisy Haggard

Dubbed as a dark comedy drama, the series traces the life of Miri (Daisy Haggard) as she returns home after serving an 18-year sentence in prison for a terrible crime

'Back To Life' is an upcoming comedy and slice-of-life drama produced by BBC. The drama is about a woman who is getting used to life outside prison after serving a long sentence for a wicked crime. The series will premiere in the US on Showtime and here's what we know about the series so far:

Release date

'Back To Life' will air on Showtime on October 6, 2019.

Plot

Dubbed as a dark comedy drama, the series traces the life of Miri (Daisy Haggard) returning home after serving an 18-year sentence in prison for a terrible crime. Over the course of the series, she is shown to often fail in her attempts to lead a normal life. She tries her best to rekindle old relationships, make new friends, and adjust to a life outside prison hoping she can get over the crime she committed. 

The show's synopsis reads: "Miri Matteson has just returned home to Hythe, Kent, after serving an 18-year jail sentence. As Miri attempts to rebuild her life, she forms a friendship with Billy, who cares for the elderly woman next door."

Cast

Daisy Haggard

Haggard plays Miri in 'Back to Life' (Getty Images)

Daisy Haggard ('Hang-Ups') stars as Miri. Award-winning actress Geraldine James ('Sherlock Holmes') plays Miri’s sexually frustrated mother Caroline, and Richard Durden ('The Last Days of Lehman Brothers') essays the role of her recycling-obsessed father Oscar. Adeel Akhtar ('Murdered by My Father') stars as next-door neighbor Billy.

Jo Martin, Jamie Michie, Christine Bottomley, and Liam Williams round up the rest of the cast. 

Writer/Director

Harry and Jack Williams serve as the executive producers for 'Back to Life' along with Sarah Hammond. They also previously produced the BBC show 'Fleabag'. 

Trailer



 

The trailer opens with Miri being released from prison. The rest of the clip follows her as she tries adjusting to life outside prison, catching up with old friends, and making new ones. The trailer also shows how Miri has to struggle to be accepted as a normal person.

News

Talking to Radio Times about Miri, Haggard said, "I am the worst person to write a show with spoilers because I just go really red and look anxious because I’m a compulsive truth-teller".

"I’m not going to say what she's done but you do find out. You don't have to wait until the end of the series to find out. You find out quite soon and then the story goes on beyond that. You'll be satisfied soon. If one does the maths, 18 years in prison is quite a long time. But there are many versions of the truth so you do find out a few versions of the truth throughout the series."

If you like this, you'll love these:

'Smilf'

'Fleabag'

'Shameless'

'White Famous'

'Black Monday'

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Ben Whishaw‘s character Sam faces deadly ultimatums, dangerous debts, and major life decisions in the ‘Black Doves’ Season 2 finale
2026-11-06T06:49:21.000Z
David Boreanaz will play Jim Rockford, a private investigator who is now on parole after being wrongfully imprisoned
2026-11-06T05:10:15.000Z
‘Black Doves’ creator Joe Barton shares an update on potential Season 3 plans as the Netflix thriller ends Season 2 on a cliffhanger
2026-11-06T04:39:35.000Z
Chris Pratt will return in 'Savage Son,' which is Jack Carr’s third novel in the book series
2026-11-06T04:02:47.000Z
The upcoming season of 'Reacher' adapts Lee Child's 20th novel titled 'Make Me'
2026-11-06T03:30:07.000Z
Paul Bettany joins Steven Yeun in Netflix’s supernatural drama ‘Pagans’, taking on the role of a mysterious stranger in the upcoming series.
2026-11-06T03:00:03.000Z
Charlie Hunnam leads 'Criminal,' a crime series based on Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips' graphic novels. Two friends raised in crime confront trouble.
2026-11-05T18:19:29.000Z
‘Off Campus’ is heading back to Briar, with a new romance taking shape and familiar faces returning for the next chapter.
2026-11-05T17:00:04.000Z
‘Taken: Natalee Holloway’ revisits decades-long search, raising questions about Joran van der Sloot’s life.
2026-11-05T14:42:40.000Z
A dangerous former client targets top divorce attorney Allura Grant with a series of escalating attacks before holding her hostage at gunpoint
2026-11-05T08:27:49.000Z