Garrow's Law
Encyclopedia
Garrow's Law is a British period
legal drama
about the 18th-century lawyer William Garrow
. The series debuted on 1 November 2009 on BBC One
and BBC HD
. A second series was announced on 7 July 2010 and aired from 14 November 2010. A third series consisting of four episodes was commissioned and began airing on 13 November 2011.
in Georgian
London
against a backdrop of corruption
and social injustice
, Garrow's Law is a legal drama inspired by the life of pioneering barrister
William Garrow
.
The series, co-created by Tony Marchant, is based on real legal cases from the late 18th century, as recorded in the Old Bailey Proceedings. Andrew Buchan
as Garrow leads a cast including Alun Armstrong
and Lyndsey Marshal
.
From rape and murder to high treason and corruption, each episode begins with the investigation of a real crime sourced from the published accounts of Old Bailey trials, available in a fully searchable edition online. In an age when defence counsel was for the minority, the youthful Garrow and his associate John Southouse , a solicitor
, work to uncover the truth or fight for justice, championing the underdog and pioneering the rigorous cross-examination of prosecution witnesses that paved the way for the modern legal system.
A gifted maverick, at times arrogant and with a burning sense of destiny, Garrow is driven to change the nature of the trial, thereby creating powerful enemies both in the corrupt underworld and among the political elite.
A major subplot running through the first series concerns Garrow's attempts to win the love of Lady Hill. The attempts appear unsuccessful but almost cost Garrow his life in episode three when Garrow challenges Silvester, his main courtroom rival, to a duel when Silvester insinuates that Garrow and Lady Hill's relationship has become intimate and then refuses to withdraw the allegation. Lady Hill's husband is Sir Arthur Hill, an important politician and member of the government. The storyline continues in the second series, when Sir Arthur accuses his wife of adultery with Garrow.
As well as William Garrow, the series also includes other non-fictional characters, most notably Sir Francis Buller
, a controversial judge of the age. However, the series is not a biographical documentary, and Garrow was not actually involved in all of the cases depicted. According to Mark Pallis, the story editor of Garrow's Law, the show "aims to give viewers a real sense of what life was like in legal London towards the end of the 18th century; to give people a chance to experience the big legal landmarks and the cases that caused a stir at the time." Garrow's relationship with Lady Sarah Hill is based on his real relationship with Sarah Dore, who had previously had a child with Arthur Hill, 2nd Marquess of Downshire
, but departs significantly from the facts, as she was never married to Hill.
on 4 January 2010 and the second on 7 February 2011.
Series Three will be released in February 2012
Costume drama
A costume drama or period drama is a period piece in which elaborate costumes, sets and properties are featured in order to capture the ambiance of a particular era.The term is usually used in the context of film and television...
legal drama
Legal drama
A legal drama is a work of dramatic fiction about crime and civil litigation. Subtypes of legal dramas include courtroom dramas and legal thrillers, and come in all forms, including novels, television shows, and films. Legal drama sometimes overlap with crime drama, most notably in the case of Law...
about the 18th-century lawyer William Garrow
William Garrow
Sir William Garrow KC, PC, FRS was a British barrister, politician and judge known for his indirect reform of the advocacy system, which helped usher in the adversarial court system used in most common law nations today...
. The series debuted on 1 November 2009 on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
and BBC HD
BBC HD
BBC HD is a high-definition television network provided by the BBC. The service was initially run as a trial from 15 May 2006 until becoming a full service on 1 December 2007...
. A second series was announced on 7 July 2010 and aired from 14 November 2010. A third series consisting of four episodes was commissioned and began airing on 13 November 2011.
Summary
Set around trials at the Old BaileyOld Bailey
The Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court...
in Georgian
Georgian era
The Georgian era is a period of British history which takes its name from, and is normally defined as spanning the reigns of, the first four Hanoverian kings of Great Britain : George I, George II, George III and George IV...
London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
against a backdrop of corruption
Corruption
Corruption usually refers to spiritual or moral impurity.Corruption may also refer to:* Corruption , an American crime film* Corruption , a British horror film...
and social injustice
Social injustice
Social injustice is a concept relating to the claimed unfairness or injustice of a society in its divisions of rewards and burdens and other incidental inequalities...
, Garrow's Law is a legal drama inspired by the life of pioneering barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
William Garrow
William Garrow
Sir William Garrow KC, PC, FRS was a British barrister, politician and judge known for his indirect reform of the advocacy system, which helped usher in the adversarial court system used in most common law nations today...
.
The series, co-created by Tony Marchant, is based on real legal cases from the late 18th century, as recorded in the Old Bailey Proceedings. Andrew Buchan
Andrew Buchan
-Early life:Buchan was born in Stockport, Greater Manchester, and brought up in the suburb of Lostock in Bolton. He attended the nearby Rivington and Blackrod High School in Horwich....
as Garrow leads a cast including Alun Armstrong
Alun Armstrong (actor)
Alun Armstrong is a prolific British character actor. Armstrong grew up in County Durham in North East England. He first became interested in acting through Shakespeare productions at his grammar school. Since his career began in the early 1970s, he has played, in his words, "the full spectrum of...
and Lyndsey Marshal
Lyndsey Marshal
Lyndsey Marshal is an English actress best known for her performance in The Hours as the recurring character Cleopatra on HBO's Rome, and as Lady Sarah Hill in BBC period drama Garrow's Law.-Biography:...
.
From rape and murder to high treason and corruption, each episode begins with the investigation of a real crime sourced from the published accounts of Old Bailey trials, available in a fully searchable edition online. In an age when defence counsel was for the minority, the youthful Garrow and his associate John Southouse , a solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
, work to uncover the truth or fight for justice, championing the underdog and pioneering the rigorous cross-examination of prosecution witnesses that paved the way for the modern legal system.
A gifted maverick, at times arrogant and with a burning sense of destiny, Garrow is driven to change the nature of the trial, thereby creating powerful enemies both in the corrupt underworld and among the political elite.
A major subplot running through the first series concerns Garrow's attempts to win the love of Lady Hill. The attempts appear unsuccessful but almost cost Garrow his life in episode three when Garrow challenges Silvester, his main courtroom rival, to a duel when Silvester insinuates that Garrow and Lady Hill's relationship has become intimate and then refuses to withdraw the allegation. Lady Hill's husband is Sir Arthur Hill, an important politician and member of the government. The storyline continues in the second series, when Sir Arthur accuses his wife of adultery with Garrow.
As well as William Garrow, the series also includes other non-fictional characters, most notably Sir Francis Buller
Sir Francis Buller, 1st Baronet
Sir Francis Buller, 1st Baronet was an English judge.-Life:Buller was born at Downes House in Devon, the son of James Buller, Member of Parliament for Cornwall, and his wife Lady Jane, daughter of Allen Bathurst, 1st Earl Bathurst. He was educated at the King's School, Ottery St Mary, and...
, a controversial judge of the age. However, the series is not a biographical documentary, and Garrow was not actually involved in all of the cases depicted. According to Mark Pallis, the story editor of Garrow's Law, the show "aims to give viewers a real sense of what life was like in legal London towards the end of the 18th century; to give people a chance to experience the big legal landmarks and the cases that caused a stir at the time." Garrow's relationship with Lady Sarah Hill is based on his real relationship with Sarah Dore, who had previously had a child with Arthur Hill, 2nd Marquess of Downshire
Arthur Hill, 2nd Marquess of Downshire
Arthur Hill, 2nd Marquess of Downshire PC, FRS , styled Viscount Kilwarlin until 1789 and Earl of Hillsborough from 1789 to 1793, was a British peer and MP.-Life:...
, but departs significantly from the facts, as she was never married to Hill.
Main
- Andrew BuchanAndrew Buchan-Early life:Buchan was born in Stockport, Greater Manchester, and brought up in the suburb of Lostock in Bolton. He attended the nearby Rivington and Blackrod High School in Horwich....
as William GarrowWilliam GarrowSir William Garrow KC, PC, FRS was a British barrister, politician and judge known for his indirect reform of the advocacy system, which helped usher in the adversarial court system used in most common law nations today... - Alun ArmstrongAlun Armstrong (actor)Alun Armstrong is a prolific British character actor. Armstrong grew up in County Durham in North East England. He first became interested in acting through Shakespeare productions at his grammar school. Since his career began in the early 1970s, he has played, in his words, "the full spectrum of...
as John Southouse - Lyndsey MarshalLyndsey MarshalLyndsey Marshal is an English actress best known for her performance in The Hours as the recurring character Cleopatra on HBO's Rome, and as Lady Sarah Hill in BBC period drama Garrow's Law.-Biography:...
as Lady Sarah Hill - Rupert GravesRupert GravesRupert Graves is an English film, television and theatre actor. He is best known for his role as DI Lestrade in the critically acclaimed television series Sherlock.-Early life:...
as Sir Arthur Hill, BtArthur Hill, 2nd Marquess of DownshireArthur Hill, 2nd Marquess of Downshire PC, FRS , styled Viscount Kilwarlin until 1789 and Earl of Hillsborough from 1789 to 1793, was a British peer and MP.-Life:... - Aidan McArdleAidan McArdleAidan McArdle is an Irish actor.McArdle was born in Dublin. He studied for an Arts degree at University College Dublin before going on to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England....
as Silvester - Michael CulkinMichael CulkinMichael Culkin is a British theatre, film, and television actor probably best known for his role as Judge Buller in the BBC drama Garrow's Law. Among his other credits include a role in the children's drama M. I. High as Millionaire Flatley, and Hugo Blandford in Doctors. He also had a role in the...
as Judge BullerSir Francis Buller, 1st BaronetSir Francis Buller, 1st Baronet was an English judge.-Life:Buller was born at Downes House in Devon, the son of James Buller, Member of Parliament for Cornwall, and his wife Lady Jane, daughter of Allen Bathurst, 1st Earl Bathurst. He was educated at the King's School, Ottery St Mary, and...
Supporting
- Anthony Bowers as Court Clerk
- Andy Linden as Mr Sibley
- Steven WaddingtonSteven WaddingtonSteven Waddington is an English actor who is probably best known for his supporting role in Michael Mann's The Last of the Mohicans. He trained at East 15 Acting School in Loughton Essex. His first film role was as the eponymous king in Derek Jarman's Edward II...
as Forrester - Jeremy Swift as William Grove
- Tristan Sturrock as Thomas Rawlings
- Frances GreyFrances Grey (actress)Frances Grey is a Scottish actress, perhaps most famous for her portrayal of D.S. Kate Beauchamp in the BBC television series Messiah...
as Mary Pace - Finlay Robertson as Peter Pace
- Julie HaleJulie HaleJulie Hale is an Irish actress. To international audiences she is probably most familiar for her role as Rachael in My Left Foot. She played Terry Deegan in award winning Irish Soap Fair City...
as Mrs Browning - Teresa Churcher as Mrs Tarling
- Tessa Nicholson as Elizabeth Jarvis
- Nicholas Day as John Julius AngersteinJohn Julius AngersteinJohn Julius Angerstein , was a London merchant, Lloyd's under-writer, and patron of the fine arts. The imminent prospect that his collection of paintings was about to be sold by his estate, in 1824, galvanized the founding of the National Gallery, London.Angerstein was born in St Petersburg, Russia...
- Cara Kelly as Agnes Williams
- Joel Gillman as Renwick Williams
- Jessica Raine as Ann Porter
- Andrew ScottAndrew Scott (actor)Andrew Scott is an Irish film, television, and stage actor. He received the 2005 Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre for the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs production of A Girl in a Car with a Man and an IFTA award for the film Dead Bodies...
as Captain Robert Jones - Richard LumsdenRichard LumsdenRichard James Lumsden is a British actor, writer, composer and musician. He played Nathan in Channel 4's drama Sugar Rush and on radio he plays Ray in Clare in the Community.-Career:...
as Surgeon Tomkins - Michael Feast as Judge Varley
- Sean BiggerstaffSean BiggerstaffSean Biggerstaff is a Scottish actor best known for playing Oliver Wood in the Harry Potter film series.-Life and career:Biggerstaff was born in Glasgow, Scotland, growing up with his parents in Maryhill...
as Tom
- Alexia Healy as Phebe
- Barbara RaffertyBarbara RaffertyBarbara Rafferty is a Scottish actress. She is best known for playing Ella Cotter in Rab C Nesbitt between 1990 and 1999, then again from 2008 when the show made a comeback. Other notable television roles include playing Agnes Meldrum the pub landlady in Hamish Macbeth and Alice MacAllister in The...
as Katherine Stanton - Joshua Jenkins as Dan
- Hal Fowler as Hervey
- Peter McCabe as Sam Steele
- Kate DickieKate DickieKate Dickie is a Scottish actress who has appeared in television series, stage plays and films. She is best-known for her portrayal as the security camera operative Jackie in her starring debut Red Road, directed by Andrea Arnold, and for which she was given several awards as best actress, among...
as Mary Hamer - Paul Hilton as Joseph Hamer
- Oliver BootOliver BootOliver Boot is an English actor. He trained at the RADA, and has appeared on both stage and screen. His theatre credits include Antony and Cleopatra, In Extremis , Three Musketeers, Hayfever, Tartuffe, Jamaica Inn and an award winning world tour of Othello with Cheek by Jowl...
as Charles Lynam - Stephen BoxerStephen BoxerStephen Boxer is an English actor who has appeared in films, on television and on stage and is best known for appearing in the BBC One daytime soap opera Doctors...
as Viscount MelvilleHenry Dundas, 1st Viscount MelvilleHenry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville PC and Baron Dunira was a Scottish lawyer and politician. He was the first Secretary of State for War and the last person to be impeached in the United Kingdom.... - Peter Symonds as Sir John Scott
- David Barrass as Magistrate
- Matthew Zajac as Dowling
- Liz White as Isabella Jasker
- Mark LetherenMark LetherenMark Letheren is an English actor possibly best known for his roles as journalist Simon Kitson in ITV1s drama The Bill, as Ben Harding in the BBC1 drama Casualty and for his recurring role as DS Kevin Geoffries in Wire in the Blood.- Career :His large screen debut was in Restoration, with Robert...
as James HadfieldJames HadfieldJames Hadfield or Hatfield attempted to assassinate George III of the United Kingdom in 1800 but was acquitted of attempted murder by reason of insanity.... - Ruaidhri ConroyRuaidhri ConroyRúaidhrí Conroy is an Irish actor.Conroy was born in Dublin, Ireland, the son of actor Brendan Conroy. One of his first castings was as 'Tito' in the film Into the West, for which he won a Young Artist Award in the Outstanding Youth Actors in a Family Foreign Film category.In 1998, Conroy received...
as Ciaran Quinn - Hugh O'ConorHugh O'ConorHugh O'Conor is an Irish actor. His first film appearance was opposite Liam Neeson in the 1985 movie Lamb. Currently, he has two upcoming projects: Finding Fate and Operation H²O.-Biography:...
as Cathal Foley - Patrick BaladiPatrick BaladiPatrick Baladi was born on 25 December 1971 and is an English actor.Baladi was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. His father is a gynaecologist from Libya, and his mother was a midwife...
as Lieutenant GeneralLieutenant GeneralLieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Sir Thomas PictonThomas PictonLieutenant General Sir Thomas Picton GCB was a Welsh British Army officer who fought in a number of campaigns for Britain, and rose to the rank of lieutenant general... - Harry MellingHarry Melling (actor)Harry Edward Melling is an English actor best known for playing Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter films.He is the grandson of Patrick Troughton, who starred as the Second Doctor in the science fiction series Doctor Who from 1966 to 1969...
as George Pinnock
Series one
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Series two
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Series three
| # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Viewing figure (millions) |
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DVD
The first series of Garrow's Law was released on DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
on 4 January 2010 and the second on 7 February 2011.
Series Three will be released in February 2012
External links
- BBC Tony Marchant on Garrow's Law
- The Old Bailey Online, 1674-1913 (a scholarly edition of the original source material)
- Garrow's Law (Blog of the Legal & Historical Consultant, and Story Editor to Garrow's Law, Mark Pallis)