Amanda returns to scene of the crimes
TV PICK OF THE WEEK
BBC One’s popular drama Silent Witness celebrates its 25th series with the return of the actress who steered it through the first eight years.
Amanda Burton first appeared in the lead role of pathologist Sam Ryan in 1996, starring in 54 episodes before leaving in 2004.
The longest-running crime drama currently airing on TV is back with six new episodes, opening in Liverpool with an assassination attempt and Sam Ryan calling on the team with a plea for help 17 years after leaving.
Sam seeks to usher in democratic health care, but the shooting of the
Health Secretary and Sam’s husband pulls Dr Nikki Alexander (Emilia Fox), Jack Hodgson (David Caves) and Simone Tyler (Genesis Lynea) into a world of duplicity, intrigue and betrayal.
Amanda Burton says she is pleased to reprise her role as Sam Ryan.
“It’s wonderful to be very surprised sometimes. Genuinely, these things don’t often come one’s way. I just thought, ‘What a great idea! How brilliant that they’re thinking of doing that!’ I thought the storyline was quite bold and I really liked that. After meeting the producers, I just loved what they were thinking for Sam, I was very much on their wavelength. It was such an attractive idea and I would have been absolutely mad not to do it!
“It proved to be everything that I hoped it would be. It was very, very joyful It was just gorgeous. I mean, it’s ridiculous –
I get paid for this.”