Silent Witness star Liz Carr opens up about new TV project
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Note: This article discusses sensitive subject matter such as assisted dying.
Silent Witness star Liz Carr has opened up about her latest television project, Better Off Dead?.
The documentary sees the actor travel to Canada to look at the subject of assisted dying, with the logline reading: "In a society where disabled people are often told they're 'better off dead' than disabled, Liz asks: 'Should we really be giving more power to end that group of people's lives?’”
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Ahead of the show's premiere, Carr spoke with RadioTimes about the subject matter and her travels, which included a country with "some of the most permissive assisted suicide laws in the world."
"I'm not even sure it's a passion project," she said. "It's always felt more urgent. That suggests pleasure. Like, I wish I hadn't had to make the film. But as we do, and as I think we've needed this voice out there.
"I think in 2011, after the Terry Pratchett documentary... This has been there since then. Then I made a radio documentary, on the [BBC] World Service back in 2012, and then I did the assisted dying musical. I sort of had been trying to put this view out there on behalf of a lot of us."
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Carr, who played Clarissa Mullery on Silent Witness, also spoke about the title of the series and its challenge to the audience, explaining: "Better Off Dead? – it was obviously a provocation to consider.
"I want you to open the show and go, 'If we see one group of people, so negatively, it's not safe to legalise assisted suicide, because people already think that we almost deserve it, as a good thing, as a compassionate thing."
Better Off Dead? airs on BBC One at 9pm on 14 May.
We encourage anyone who identifies with the topics raised in this article to reach out. Information about how to access support is available via the NHS, and organisations who can offer help include Samaritans on 116 123 or Mind on 0300 123 3393.
Readers in the US are encouraged to visit mentalhealth.gov or the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
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