The Twelve

Kate Lawson stands trial for the murder of Claire, her niece, despite having no body, The Crown make a convincing case for the prosecution, A Jury of twelve have to decide whether she is guilty or innocent.

Overall, it's good, but one thing I have to point out, it's taken me four months to go from start to finish, and there's something in that. Some episodes are truly excellent, some are agonising.

What would have made a huge difference, is if had been over six episodes, at ten, it's just way too long, it drags on far too long.

ITV clearly got frustrated with it, and I imagine so did the viewers, which is why it ended up being shown at random, late times, I get why people got frustrated with it.

I would have liked more focus on the Kate story itself, too much filler when it came to the jurors, some stories were interesting, some weren't.

Interesting to see how the system works, and how day to say stresses can have a big impact on a Jury, it can be a tough thing to do.

Of course Sam Neill is wonderful, when isn't he, but he's in some good company here, I have to highlight Brooke Satchwell, I think she's excellent as the tormented mother, walking on eggshells. Standout for me, Kate Mulvany, with that hair and those lips, she's packing charisma, I really rate her.

7/10.

Sam Neil is excellent in this and appears to do the heavy lifting carrying the show with Frances O'Connor but it is not really the truth. While I would be very sad if he left the show honestly I would still watch and enjoy the show without him or Frances O'Connor. The jury and accused's cast and plots are more interesting in season 1 then season 2 but I think this show could run for many years and there will some great seasons and some not so great but the format is excellent and I love it. I hope it gets renewed over and over and the audience can grow.

I just wish they wouldn't drip feed the episodes so I can finish season 2 already!

This 10 part miniseries about a murder trial where there is no body and a suppressed backstory is really more about the lives of the jurors, how the trial (and other jurors) impact them and how it informs their thoughts about the case.

There are many characters with concurrent and intersecting stories on each, as well as the trial itself. Some are more convincing than others and especially in the first 4-5 episodes, it was a little slow going at times and I wondered if some of the scenes were even relevant. Perhaps it needed a bit of trimming to maybe 8 episodes to tighten it up a little.

The script is decent and occasionally brilliant, especially in the second half of the series. The acting is variable - Brooke Satchwell shines as juror Georgina, who portrays wrestling with her personal circumstances perfectly - although generally the standard is at least competent. Sam Neil is his usual urbane excellent self as the defence attorney although interestingly there is no personal story attached to either prosecutor or defence.

The ultimate trial outcomes may be the epitome of injustice when taken on face value, but on reflection maybe the right results were achieved, even if the methods to get there were highly flawed. If this was intentional, then it's worth an extra star!

One thing though - if all juries are like these people, best not to come before one!

My Rating. 6/10

Streaming on Foxtel

I stuck with this overlong drawn out 10 part series that in my view fails on a number of counts that don't thankfully include the performances of some of Australia's finest actors .

The Twelve is based on a Belgian series of the same name De Twaalf, it will be interesting if I can track the Belgian version down to compare with this Australian version as I wasn't overly impressed by this effort.

The first issue for me is the story plot or " plotlets " subplots if you prefer as there are in my opinion far too many holes which I cant write about as it would include spoilers except to say they are not resolved satisfactorily in the long awaited final tenth instalment.

The focus is more on the stories of the members of the jury and their dysfunctional and rather uninteresting lives than the more interesting characters actually involver in the crime that they are being asked to deliver a verdict on .

Kate Lawson a contemporary Artist played by Kate Mulvany is on trial for the murder of her niece Claire who she obviously loved dearly be it in a bizarre and possesive fashion.

Teenage Clair is a willing subject for her Aunts erotic themed art photography gradually becoming Aunt Kate's muse .

One fateful night Clair disappears with no trace or any body being found prompting suspicion and eventually leading to her Aunt with very minimal evidence becoming the prime suspect in her niece's disappearance and being charged with murder.

Questions to be answered are has Clair really been murdered or did she just run away after a confrontation with her Aunt ? More importantly did her Aunt Kate commit the crime ? That is the question for "The Twelve " members of this jury to answer ?

I'll say one thing if I ever found myself on trial for any crime I would hate to have this 12 dysfunctional group of misfits on my case .

The jury selection process involved in choosing this lot must have malfunctioned that day .

I think that's one of the problems with the script it's far more involved with the carry on of the 12 jurors as they commit every conceivable breech of behaviour possible that would have them thrown our of the Court room.

They are not interesting enough characters to warrant ten long episodes . The Twelve turns into more of a soap opera than a courtroom drama .

I did enjoy the performances though of most of the cast to many to mention but include Sam Neil as Brett Colby QC the Defence Attorney, Marta Düsseldorp as Lucy Bloom QC the Prosecutor, and good supporting actors including Jenni Baird as Diane Lawson , Claire's very odd mother .

The Twelve is entertaining but it's a big time investment over produced and over Directed with 4 Directors and a team of 8 writers that seem to have forgotten to stick to a cohesive script that flows to a satisfactory climax .

I'm reminded of the classic 1957 movie 12 Angry Men starring Henry Fonda about the similar story of a jury in a New York City murder trial that is frustrated by a single member whose skeptical caution forces them to more carefully consider the evidence before jumping to a hasty verdict.

In 96 drama packed minutes that film with one Director Sidney Lumet and one screenplay writer Reginald Rose managed to achieve what this series The Twelve doesn't come anywhere near to in over 430 minutes..

Well it was a long and painful wait, with some cringeworthy bits but overall the outcome was worth it. Quite satisfying on a few accounts. Would not like to be on a murder trial after watching this!