Entertainment

Identity thief

When in-trouble, badass Brit retro rocker Sarah exits a train, she hears a woman crying on the platform — then watches as the woman takes off her shoes, puts down her purse and turns around.

The woman has the exact same face as Sarah. A second later the woman leaps in front of a train and is killed.

Within seconds, the cops arrive and chaos ensues. Before she has time to think, Sarah grabs the woman’s purse and leaves.

So begins an intriguing new series, “Orphan Black,” from BBC America, which doesn’t debut until March 30.

The reason you’re reading about it now is because BBC America isn’t usually on the front burner of people’s brains — and this show is worth noting.

“Orphan Black” is another of the network’s original scripted series and, like “Copper,” it takes place in NYC — sort of.

Although Sarah (Tatiana Maslany) exits at a train stop called Huxley Station, and the PA announcer intones “Next train to New York City,” perhaps he should be announcing “Next train to Any City,” because I’ve never seen an American city like this one.

Anyway, the city has the graffiti of Manhattan circa 1985, but it looks nothing like NYC in any decade, even though the cops seem to have NYPD coffee mugs. It’s British, so maybe they think it’ll pass for Manhattan. Once you get past this confusion, what you’ll be left with is a darned good premise of a show with interesting actors.

It’s a show about identity theft — but with a twist.

Thing is, Sarah has stolen the identity of someone who is in worse trouble than she is.

But when Sarah decides to not just steal another woman’s identity, but to assume her identity, things become very confused — and very dangerous.

Sarah, now Beth, is at first thrilled with her luck. Beth has a great apartment, a Jaguar with a parking spot just for her (for sure it’s not New York!), and a handsome-if-boring boyfriend.

But Beth killed herself, and by the next day, Sarah is hauled (as Beth) into the police station.

Turns out that Beth was a cop who shot a civilian. Watching her figure out who she is supposed to be during the hearing, and managing to wriggle out of the inquisition in front of the police brass, is ingenious.

As the series unfolds, we learn that Sarah was a foster kid who now has fostered out her own child to Mrs. S. (Maria Doyle Kennedy). Sarah/Beth has a stepbrother, Felix (Jordan Gavaris), and a cop partner (Kevin Hanchard) who smells a rat.

Or maybe that’s the sweet smell of cloning in the air.