BBC One’s latest thriller Showtrial is officially underway to add some drama to our Sunday nights, telling the story of a murder case that becomes the subject of intense press and public interest.
Celine Buckens leads the Showtrial cast as privileged university student Talitha Campbell, the daughter of a powerful property developer, who is a prime suspect in the death of one of her fellow pupils.
A flash-forward in the first episode revealed that she will eventually be put on a joint trial with friend Dhillon Harwood (Joseph Payne), the son of a senior Westminster politician.
This inevitably prompts a media storm that solicitor Cleo Roberts (Tracy Ifeachor) will have to carefully navigate if she has any hope of clearing her client of these very serious charges.
You can read our Showtrial review right now – or read on to learn more about the inspiration behind the series.
Is Showtrial based on a true story?
No, BBC One’s Showtrial is not based on a true story, but it is inspired by issues facing society today, particularly maintaining objectivity in criminal proceedings despite increasing influence from personal prejudices and the media.
Series creator Ben Richards (COBRA) explained: “The right to a fair trial and the idea of reasonable doubt lie at the heart of a civilised society.
“Showtrial explores how they can be distorted by other factors, in a world where concepts such as fairness, doubt and reason are afforded such diminishing value.”
A real-life example of when truth has been undermined would be the case of Christopher Jefferies, a retired teacher who was briefly considered a suspect in the 2010 murder of Joanna Yates, and was vilified by the press as a result.
In reality, he was completely innocent and won damages in libel cases against eight publications, while the tabloid papers who’d targeted him were found guilty of contempt of court, producing coverage that could very well prejudice a trial.
His story was dramatised in ITV’s The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies, which starred Jason Watkins in the lead role and won two BAFTA Television Awards.
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While Showtrial is not a factual drama in that vein, star Tracy Ifeachor did go to great lengths to make her portrayal of Cleo Roberts accurate, meeting with solicitor advocate Cecilia Goodwin to prepare for the role.
“It was really important to me to meet with somebody who looked like Cleo Roberts, who was the same age as Cleo Roberts, and who was doing this job, because their experiences were going to be so different,” she told RadioTimes.com and other press.
“It’s so interesting because so many of the stories that she told were so similar to my experiences and we’re in completely different professions, so that was amazing.”
In addition, Ifeachor attended public trials and heard some “pretty harrowing stories”, all the while studying the physical movements of solicitors and the demeanour in which they cross examine those on the stand.
Ifeachor added: “It is supposed to be innocent until proven guilty and you examine things according to the facts, not according to opinion, according to the facts.
“Whether that’s a science or a witness who is reliable… it is innocent until proven guilty and I hope that it will throw up some questions for us all to ask ourselves and to answer.”
Showtrial airs Sunday nights at 9pm on BBC One. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.