{"id":47755,"date":"2024-03-14T10:00:14","date_gmt":"2024-03-14T09:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=2008686"},"modified":"2024-03-14T10:57:42","modified_gmt":"2024-03-14T09:57:42","slug":"christopher-eccleston-examines-wrongful-convictions-in-his-first-documentary","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/christopher-eccleston-examines-wrongful-convictions-in-his-first-documentary\/","title":{"rendered":"Christopher Eccleston examines wrongful convictions in his first documentary"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Doctor Who star will explore two highly controversial cases. <\/p>

By Morgan Cormack\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 14 March 2024 at 09:00 AM<\/p>

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Christopher Eccleston is set to front new documentary The Guilty Innocent, in what will be his first ever presenting role.<\/p>\n

The new two-part documentary series is certainly lining up to be an enthralling one, as Eccleston<\/a> will examine two cases of controversial convictions here in the UK, both of which captured public attention at the time \u2013 and continue to intrigue many to this day.<\/p>\n

The series will premiere this May on Sky History and explore the cases of both George Davis and James Hanratty, with the Doctor Who<\/a> star set to dig deep into the evidence in both trials \u2013 with each going on to spark serious campaigns for social change.<\/p>\n

Speaking on the announcement of the new series, Eccleston said: \u201cThe pursuit of justice is a subject matter which has peppered my career with dramas that remain special to me, and have, in their own way, swayed public opinion.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Guilty Innocent is another project which pursues justice, or the lack of it, through a new medium, which has allowed me to explore another means of storytelling.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Christopher\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Christopher Eccleston at the launch event for True Detective: Night Country.<\/span><\/figcaption> Monica Schipper\/Getty Images<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

The cases in question will likely be well-known to any true crime fans.<\/p>\n

The first instalment marks the 50-year anniversary of the raid on the London Electricity Board in Ilford, London, which saw minicab driver George Davis arrested and jailed for armed payroll robbery \u2013 a conviction that was quashed decades later.<\/p>\n

According to the synopsis, Eccleston will talk to those who campaigned for Davis\u2019s release and from Davis himself on his long-running battle to clear his name.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a TV exclusive, Davis will break his 50-year silence with his first ever long-form TV interview,\u201d the synopsis reads.<\/p>

The second case of James Hanratty is another highly controversial one, as Hanratty was one of the last men to be hanged in Britain. He was convicted for the murder of Michael Gregsten and attempted murder of Valerie Storie in August 1961.<\/p>\n

\u201cEccleston retraces the extraordinary twists and turns of this notorious case, and the evidence which put Hanratty\u2019s neck in the hangman\u2019s noose on 4th April 1962, sparking a concerted campaign to end capital punishment in the UK, once and for all,\u201d the synopsis continues.<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n