Inside view of court in new drama
THE sheer number of police procedurals and court dramas on TV is all the evidence we need that we can’t get enough of whodunnits, whether fact or fiction.
Now Channel 4 is set to merge the two in a groundbreaking five-part series called The Trial: A Murder In The Family, described by the channel as a “thrilling hybrid of drama and documentary”.
Screened over five days, the fictional trial will focus on the murder of a woman found strangled, and the defendant - her estranged husband.
The deceased, who’s shown in flashbacks, as well as the accused and some of the witnesses, are actors, but everyone else is the real deal, including the judge, prosecution, defence, 12 jury members, forensic experts, police officers and eyewitnesses.
“We were looking for ways to get back in the court,” says director Nick Holt, who won his second Bafta in 2014 for the documentary The Murder Trial, and co-directs this with Kath Mattock.
“But the issues around consent and access meant it was going to be extremely difficult to do it again, and there were always certain doors that would remain closed to us, such as the jury room and the conferences between a lawyer and their client. We wondered whether there was a way we could do it again but without sidelining those.”
Mattock, who won a Bafta in 2013 for the BBC2 drama Murder, adds: “I’d sat in the Old Bailey a lot during my research for Murder, but I was interested in exploring whether the two worlds of documentary and drama offered something different: could they enhance each other?”
The trial lasted a fortnight and was shot on location in a decommissioned Crown Court in Newbury, with no directorial interference during court proceedings.
The legal professionals were chosen “because they offered different flavours”, says Holt.
These are Max Hill QC, the senior barrister for the prosecution who is aided by junior barrister Michelle Nelson; John Ryder QC, the senior barrister for the defence and his junior barrister Lucy Organ; and Judge Brian Barker CBE QC, formerly the most senior judge at the Old Bailey.
“The minute we went into that courtroom, we were running a live story,” says Smith.
“There was an unspoken but functional bond with the barristers. They’re brilliant at what they do, and we just stood back and let them go.”
The series will also examine what’s required of jurors as cameras follow the 12 jury members into the deliberation room to consider their verdict.
“I don’t know anyone who’s done jury service and I’d never really understood how it works in the UK, so I applied,” says Brendan, a juror who hails from Australia.
Natalie, another juror, admits the experience wasn’t always as exciting as she’d anticipated.
“I thought it would be easier speaking with the other jurors. That was an eye-opener,” says the teacher.
Once the jurors have given their verdict, viewers will be able to see what actually happened in a dramatised insert, indicating whether the jury came to the correct decision.
“It shows professionals doing their job very well.
“The prosecution acts fairly, thoroughly and rigorously, and the defence is as robust as it needs to be,” says Holt.
he Trial: Murder In The Family begins tomorrow and runs until Thursday.