Showtrial

Another British crime drama - as we know, these sorts of shows are a dime a dozen across U. K television, from the good, the bad to the ugly. For me, this was definitely in the 'good' bracket and sits on the higher end in terms of quality - it had me invested and engaged throughout.

To garner my attention, there has to be good characters, good writing, good shots and eye-catching scenery - this show ticked all the boxes. The main character (one of the accused) played by Celine Buckens was absolutely fascinating in her role - portraying the full spectrum of traits from nasty, to annoying, to funny, to vulnerable, to frail. She definitely takes you on a journey as a viewer. The main lawyer, played by Tracy Ifeachor, was also good in her role too and was very convincing.

As this is a BBC production that was made in 2021, I was expecting to have lots of political cringe moments thrown in but this show is 'mostly' free of them - I say mostly, as there are tiny bits now and again but it's marginal and definitely not overbearing. The other thing I liked, which I was quite surprised about, is that there wasn't a romantic subplot. Time and time again, most shows, of all genres, seem to 'have to' include the cheesy love plot angle amongst the drama for balance - not in this show. Very refreshing to see a crime drama that is brave enough to just stick to the topic at hand, which was the crime and case, without having to veer off into other directions.

My only criticism is that maybe some of what happens could be deemed a bit far fetched, in terms of the way a case is built and run - some of the court scenes seemed a bit dramatised for effect but it didn't bother me at all. This was entertainment and I wasn't looking to pick it apart in that manner (although I'm sure others might).

The ending for me was satisfactory, with the result I wanted and I had no regrets about investing the time to get there - which is why this gets a high (and generous) score of an 8/10 from me.

As other reviewers have mentioned, the acting and plot are at a high standard, making for a believable and gripping drama series. There are interesting side stories, often red herrings to the main plot - but you don't know that at the time. My only reservation is that this being a BBC drama, it wasn't too hard to guess the trajectory of the case and who the culprits might be. The Beebs 'usual suspects'. That slightly devalued the twists and turns in the plot for me.

Very well made and superbly acted. Held my attention from start to finish. OK the story sometimes seemed a bit too complex and lacking credibility but I was easily able to suspend disbelief. All the lead characters were on top form, and the flash backs were handled well. I felt that five episodes was just about right.

Recommended viewing.

I really enjoyed the 5 episodes of this mini series. With the glut of these series currently deluging tv this stood out from the dross.

I won't say however that it was perfect and was somewhat disappointed with the ending (don't worry, no spoilers).

Worth a watch.

Very clever writing and superb acting gets you rooting for the most unlikeable character by the end. A smirk has rarely been so annoying! Tracy Ilfeachor is absolutely mesmerising as the solicitor. Loved it!