The Case (TV series)
The Case is a five-part British television legal drama series, written and created by David Allison, that broadcast over five consecutive days from 31 October 2011 on BBC One.[1] The series stars Dean Andrews as Tony Powell, a defendant accused of the murder of his terminally-ill partner Saskia Stanley (Caroline Langrishe), whose life Tony helped to end. Saskia's family suspect Tony may have an ulterior motive for helping Saskia end her life, but it falls to barrister Sol Ridley (Tristan Gemmill), defending his first murder case, to expose the truth.[2]
| The Case | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Legal drama |
| Written by |
|
| Directed by |
|
| Starring | |
| Composer(s) | James Warburton |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 5 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
|
| Producer(s) | Sean Glynn |
| Cinematography | Andrew Cooper |
| Editor(s) |
|
| Running time | 45 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Lime Pictures |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC1 |
| Picture format | 16:9 (1080p) |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | 31 October – 4 November 2011 |
Episodes were broadcast at 14:15 daily as part of the channel's daytime schedule.[2] The Case remains David Allison's second and final original production for television, following his debut with the Sky Living series Bedlam earlier the same year.[1]
Production
The series was filmed between Liverpool and Manchester.[3] During production, Dean Andrews asked not to know the outcome of the final episode, instead choosing to "play the truth that was on the page at that moment", in order to prevent the resolution from influencing his performance.[3]
Shortly prior to the broadcast of the first episode, the Radio Times published an article questioning if a story focusing on assisted suicide was suitable for daytime television.[4] Actor Tristan Gemmill defended the programme, stating; “I had initial reservations about how you tackle such an emotive, delicate and topical issue in daytime, but what David [Allison] has done is walk through the minefield and create some fascinating, strong characters. Seeing the case from multiple angles really emphasises how the ripples affect everyone involved."[4]
Cast
- Dean Andrews as Tony Powell; defendant
- Caroline Langrishe as Saskia Stanley; victim
- Tristan Gemmill as Sol Ridley; defence barrister
- Chanel Cresswell as Julie Prior; pupil barrister
- Ruthie Henshall as Valerie Mornay; defence barrister
- John McArdle as Gordon McAllister; senior clerk
- Sean Chapman as Mark Metzler; prosecution barrister
- Connor McIntyre as Neil Stanley; Saskia's ex-husband
- Karl Davies as Dan Stanley; Saskia and Neil's son
- Michelle Tate as Jess Stanley; Saskia and Neil's daughter
- Russell Dixon as Judge Hopwood; presiding judge
- Dominic Carter as Karl Rankine
- Tupele Dorgu as Nicole Jones
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Airdate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode 1" | Sean Glynn | David Allison & Carolyn Reynolds | 31 October 2011 | |
| Barrister Sol Ridley gets his first murder case, defending Tony Powell. Tony admits assisting his terminally-ill partner, Saskia, to end her life, but Saskia's family think he killed her to get his hands on her money. After the first day of the trial, a stressed Tony takes drastic action.[5] | |||||
| 2 | "Episode 2" | Sean Glynn | David Allison & Carolyn Reynolds | 1 November 2011 | |
| Sol plays a blinder in court, but then Metzler produces a new witness who gives damaging evidence against Tony. Tony is being harassed and tells Jess that he is convinced her dad is behind it. And Julie puts her foot in it with Sol, after being set up by Metzler.[5] | |||||
| 3 | "Episode 3" | Sean Glynn | David Allison & Carolyn Reynolds | 2 November 2011 | |
| Tony's big day in the witness box begins badly after a disturbing encounter outside court. Under oath and under pressure, Tony makes an unwise accusation against Neil. That evening, Julie takes a big decision, and Tony's best friend Karl makes a shocking discovery.[5] | |||||
| 4 | "Episode 4" | Paul Murphy | David Allison & Carolyn Reynolds | 3 November 2011 | |
| Karl drops a bombshell in the witness box, damaging Tony's credibility. And amidst mounting animosity, Valerie discovers something that could bring Julie down.[5] | |||||
| 5 | "Episode 5" | Paul Murphy | David Allison & Carolyn Reynolds | 4 November 2011 | |
| Jess and Dan grapple with an appalling discovery about Neil, while Julie and Sol come to a decision about their relationship. In court, Tony recalls Saskia's final moments, as the jury reach their verdict on his future.[5] | |||||
References
- "David Allison - Writer - Television". JT Management. Archived from the original on 9 December 2018. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
- "Case, The (BBC-1 2011, Dean Andrews, Caroline Langrishe)". Memorable TV. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
- "The Case: A gripping new BBC One Daytime courtroom drama". BBC. Archived from the original on 19 December 2018. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
- "The Case: is daytime TV ready for assisted suicide?". Radio Times. 31 October 2011. Archived from the original on 31 December 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
- "BBC One - The Case - Episode Guide". BBC. Archived from the original on 9 August 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
External links
- The Case at BBC Programmes
- The Case on IMDb