Cooper & Fry on Channel 5: Everything we know about what happened to Cooper's dad, and Fry's secret past in Leeds
'Both Ben and Diane have huge backstories'
Cooper & Fry is Channel’s new drama, which throws two chalk and cheese detectives together to investigate local crimes – but they both have mysteries at the heart of their own private lives, including the unsolved murder of Ben’s dad.
Adapted from the best-selling novels by Stephen Booth, four feature length films take us to the mystery-shrouded Peak District… There we meet mismatched detectives Ben Cooper, a local copper played by Robert James-Collier, and guarded newcomer Diane Fry, played by Mandip Gill.
The pair are, at first, reluctantly thrown together to investigate a string of mysterious deaths. However, both Cooper and Fry have their fair share of dark secrets and mysteries in their past. Not least, what happened to Ben Cooper’s dad, and what Fry was running away from in Leeds.
Here’s everything we know so far about these mysteries after watching episode 1.
***Warning: mild spoilers from episode 1 of Cooper & Fry ahead***
What happened to Ben’s dad in Cooper & Fry on Channel 5?
Ben Cooper followed in the footsteps of his dad, Detective Sergeant Joseph Cooper, a respected member of Edendale police force and “local legend”.
Joe Cooper – nicknamed “barrel” because of barrel coopers (a craftsman who makes and repairs wooden barrels) – tragically died in the line of duty. He was found beside his car by a bridge outside of town, and had been beaten to death. Worse still, they never found the killer.
Of course, because of the nature of his job, there were “too many suspects”. Basically, he’d “put too many criminals behind bars”.
Yep, that means the killer could still be walking around Edendale, which makes it hard for Ben Cooper to move on. And Ben has NOT moved on. Not at all.
In the closing scenes of Cooper & Fry episode 1, we saw Ben eating a lonely supper of cold pizza out of a takeaway box. As his grieving and alcoholic mum slept downstairs, Ben looked at a bedroom wall being used as an evidence board. The wall was covered in photos, newspaper clippings, and other evidence related to the death of his dad.
Ben Cooper is clearly still investigating his father’s death.
‘Ben is trying to find out who’s behind the murder of his dad in Cooper & Fry’
Talking about his character, Rob James-Collier called him a “genuinely nice guy” and not like the corrupt office he played in The Level. However, he is “traumatised by his grief” and his sense of failure that he hasn’t cracked the case.
He explained: “Ben has a backstory. He’s trying to find out who’s behind the horrific murder of his dad, a well-known police officer. After nearly five years researching his father’s death, he’s burnt out and has almost given up. He’s exhausted every avenue in his investigation. He’s convinced his dad was deliberately murdered and he’s been relentless in his pursuit of the truth. I like how Ben’s backstory and his investigation slowly evolves over the episodes.”
He added: “Fry’s spirit and enthusiasm leads to her picking up the mantle when the emotional toil becomes too great for Cooper. Throughout the series, we see her edging closer and closer to his dad’s killer. And then, while they’re working on another murder case, a moment of serendipity leads them to the murderer. There’s a great reveal which makes for a thrilling series finale.”
C0-creator and lead writer Ben Court explained: “We also wanted to make more of Cooper’s backstory, by having him investigate his dad’s murder throughout the series. We’ve created a returnable storyline, one which pulls all the books together.”
What is Diane’s secret in Cooper & Fry? Why did she leave Leeds?
In episode 1 of Cooper & Fry, DC Ben Cooper was tasked with investigating after a body was unearthed on a Derbyshire farm during recent renovations. He was partnered up with DC Diane Fry, newly transferred from Leeds – under mysterious circumstances.
In fact, DS Todd Eland told Ben: “Sickeningly overqualified, yet she swaps the brights lights of Leeds for Edendale.”
When asked about the reasons for the move by her nosy new colleagues, she batted off all queries, telling them: “I just fancied a change.” Later telling Ben: “It’s not an interesting story, and we have work to do. […] I like to keep my work and private life separate.”
At one point, Diane even joked: “I’ve been sent by the government to expand the gene-pool.”
As the pair worked more closely together and the icy atmosphere started to de-thaw, however, she told her new partner: “It’s tricky to get noticed in Leeds. So I thought I’d make my mark out here in the sticks.”
When Ben asked her about having any family and friends, Diane replied: “Nah, I’m fine by myself.”
Of course, this could be partly true. She is clearly an ambitious young officer. But viewers also know she is getting some rather pesky calls from a man called Dave. And she is blatantly ignoring them…
Who is Dave?
During the first two-hour feature film of Cooper & Fry, Diane received several message from a man called Dave. The first of which read: “Where did you run off to?”
The mysterious Dave later sent another message saying: “I miss you.”
In the closing moments of episode 1, the messages got a tad more sinister. As she ignored several more calls from Dave, he typed: “Where you are, I’ll find you.”
Sounds like a threat.
Of course, first assumptions are that Dave could be Diane’s ex-boyfriend. Could he have been abusive or controlling?
‘Ben and Diane have huge backstories’
Talking about Diane’s character, Rob James-Collier told us: “Both Ben and Diane have huge backstories. When I read the first episode I wanted to know why this young and successful woman has arrived in the back end of nowhere, because her move is essentially a demotion.
“Why has she arrived in Edendale? Why has she left a huge police force in Leeds for a small village at such a young age, when she was climbing the career ladder? That arouses suspicion in the station, with some thinking she’s there to spy on them.”
Meanwhile, Mandip Gill said: “When I read the script, I found Diane’s choices mysterious… You move from a rural village to a city to progress your career, not the other way round. Who would do that and why has she left the city? What’s she hiding and what’s she running away from? In the office scenes it’s evident something is off.”
Mandip also teased that “Diane is running away from her past”. She added: “When we meet her, she’s in a vulnerable position and wants to keep her head down. Regardless of whether she finds Edendale comfortable or not, moving there from the city is a necessity – the reasons why becoming clearer over time.”
Co-creator and lead writer Ben Court added: “Fry has come to Edendale to escape. Cooper senses there’s something wrong and reaches out to her. Once she trusts him she’s able to share why she’s hiding out in Edendale.”
Caroline Ip said: “We wanted Ben and Diane’s backstories to be ongoing mysteries to make an audience invested.”
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