Ruth Jones and Steve Speirs, longtime friends and former co-stars on the hit sitcom Stella, have started filming their latest project, Better Later, a heartfelt new Welsh comedy for the BBC. The six-part series, co-written by and starring the duo, reunites them on screen following their previous collaborations, including the documentary series Ruth and Steve: From Merthyr with Love.
Production Details
The comedy has been commissioned by BBC Cymru Wales and BBC Comedy, produced by Tidy Productions in association with BBC Studios Comedy, with support from Creative Wales. Filming is taking place across south Wales, including locations in the Brecon Beacons.
Plot Overview
Set in the fictional Welsh village of Brynfach, Better Later explores the unexpected joys of an unlikely friendship. The story centres on Clive, a 60-year-old retired teacher and widower played by Steve Speirs, and Shelley Anne, a 55-year-old environmental health officer navigating a bitter divorce, portrayed by Ruth Jones. The pair meet at a knee trauma clinic and form a bond that changes both of their lives.
Cast and Creators Reflect
Reflecting on the new project, Ruth Jones said: "In a funny way this show has been 35 years in the making, which is when I first met Steve. It's not that we're slow writers, it's just that we've been up to other things. It's fantastic to be back in front of the camera with him again."
Steve Speirs added: "Our first time acting together for quite a long time. Ruth makes me laugh more than anyone and I'm a terrible giggler. This could be a long shoot."
Origins of the Series
The origins of Better Later were revealed during a Q&A event at Hi-tide Café in Porthcawl late last year. The pair explained how the idea emerged while filming their documentary series together. "What has happened is that when we were doing the Merthyr show, we both had... we still have dodgy knees. I've got a dodgy right knee and you've got a dodgy left leg. So we were hobbling around Merthyr and we started talking," Ruth shared. "[Steve] told me about the knee trauma clinic and what [he] had to go through there, and we just sort of... we'd been saying for a while we should write something together."
"So, we came up with this idea about a divorced woman who was going through a bitter divorce and a widower who was a really lovely gentle guy, and my character would be a very bitter angry OCD person. We just thought not that it wouldn't be a romance, but it would be an unlikely friendship, and we just talked about this and we've been writing it. We just finished writing the scene by scene now for episode six, and it's been really lovely. It's been such fun to work together again on a drama because I mean, obviously, we really enjoyed doing the documentary, but it was doing the documentary that created this idea for the comedy, and we've just been loving doing it, haven't we?"
Steve added: "It's brilliant. I suppose in some ways when people talk about [the documentary] they say, 'Well is there a script?' and we say, 'Well there's not a script.' Then they ask, 'have you had any rehearsal?' I say, 'Well we've been rehearsing for thirty-four years, you know?' We've known each other that long, and so to be able to put that into a written thing now as well, because of BBC Wales and it's a network show and to have their support is terrific because you know we want to support them and they're definitely supporting us. So it's a really exciting time for both of us, yeah. It's terrific, it's terrific."
Future Announcements
Transmission details for Better Later will be announced in due course.
