The cutting edge of UK crime drama

VIEWERS around the world cannot get enough of murder and dead bodies in BBC TV crime drama Silent Witness.

The series is watched by fans in 235 territories from Australia and America to Singapore and the United Arab Emirates. It was originally known in Germany as Gerichtsmedizinerin Dr Samantha Ryan, which translates as pathologist Dr Samantha Ryan, and a dubbed version in France was simply called Autopsie.

Northern Irish star Amanda Burton was already a household name because of her role as Heather Huntingdon in Channel 4 soap Brookside when she was cast as lead pathologist Sam Ryan in Silent Witness.

“Sam managed to offset any gore in Silent Witness,” said Amanda, “you had this character who led you through the darkness and you felt safe with her. It’s the longest running crime show in the world and that is a remarkable achievement.”

The opening episode saw Sam heading to Cambridge and helping out the police after the body of a sixyear-old girl was discovered floating in a river. Sam’s autopsy revealed evidence of abuse including cigarette burns and broken ribs.

Ex-policeman-turned-tv writer Nigel Mccrery was inspired by reallife forensic pathologist Professor Helen Whitwell when he came to create Sam Ryan.

He was part of a BBC graduate entry scheme and knew Helen Whitwell from his former police work. He described her as one of the most powerful intellects he had ever encountered and said she made a deep impression on him. She also acted as advisor on the first eight episodes of Silent Witness.

Amanda appeared in 54 episodes before Sam hung up her scalpel in 2004 and returned home to her family in Northern Ireland after a relative was implicated in a murder.

Sam has been back for the 25th anniversary of Silent Witness and Amanada says fans have been asking for years about a possible return. “That often happens when I’m doing my weekly shop in the supermarket, and I am a bit of a captive audience... 20 bunches of bananas later! We always have a bit of a cackle about that. The fans, of course, are fantastic and keep the show on the road.”

Emilia Fox took over as pathologist Nikki Alexander in 2004 and says: “I think that on my first day of filming I was found brushing my teeth in the mortuary by Leo, played by William Gaminara.

“I have loved the crime genre since I was little. I grew up reading Agatha Christie novels and Sherlock