In episode one, Miriam checks into Wren Hall, a dementia care home, to see what getting old might actually look like. With average life expectancy for women in the UK at 82, Miriam, 77, knows statistically she hasn't got long left, and the chances are, like most of us, she will end up in a home. She meets Geoff, who visits his wife June every day following her stroke six years ago. June's condition means she can only repeat a few phrases, and Miriam sees the love in their relationship hasn't died but wonders if there are any other real alternatives to facing the inevitable decline.

In the concluding episode of Miriam's Dead Good Adventure, Miriam wants to know if we can ever be ready to meet death. Miriam is keen to meet people who talk openly and frankly about the reality of dying. Miriam meets Tracy, who is living with terminal ovarian cancer. Miriam helps Tracy plan her wake and learns that knowing when you are going to die allows time to prepare for death.