| The Case | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Legal drama |
| Written by |
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| Directed by |
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| Starring | |
| Composer | James Warburton |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 5 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producer | Sean Glynn |
| Cinematography | Andrew Cooper |
| Editors |
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| Running time | 45 minutes |
| Production company | Lime Pictures |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC1 |
| Release | 31 October – 4 November 2011 |
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]
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]
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]
| 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] | |||||
