After a seriously good first season, BBC’s hit drama Showtrial is set to return for a second instalment - but this time with a very different cast.
From World Productions, who produce shows including Vigil, Line of Duty and World on Fire, the upcoming BBC one drama will star Sherwood’s Adeel Akhtar, Unforgotten star Nathalie Armin and Gallow’s Pole actor Michael Socha, and will focus on a criminal trial that divides the nation and gains explosive media attention.
While season one saw a privileged university student, Talitha Campbell, accused of murdering a fellow student, season two follows the case after a high-profile climate activist, Marcus Calderwood, is left for dead in a violent hit and run. In his dying moments, he identifies his killer - a serving policeman. The synopsis reads: "But who is this unnamed ‘Officer X’? What does his own history reveal about the nature of trauma and revenge, and was Marcus’s death a careless accident or cold-blooded murder?
© Dean Rogers"From the victim's last breath to the jury’s final verdict, Showtrial takes us into the worlds of the charismatic and cocky officer Justin Mitchell; Sam Gill, an anxious defense solicitor with a reputation for winning lost causes; and Leila Hassoun-Kenny, a rigorous CPS lawyer leading the case against the accused.
"As public outrage reaches fever-pitch, Showtrial questions what happens when a trial is dominated by contentious issues and whether the truth is ever clear cut. Is a fair trial possible when tensions are riding so high?"
© Photo: BBCSpeaking about the upcoming drama, the show’s creator Ben Richards said: "I am very grateful to the BBC for the opportunity to explore another sensational trial which I hope will be just as entertaining as our first outing. I love writing Showtrial and I’m honoured to have a cast of such high quality to deliver it."
Adeel added: "I’m a big fan of Ben’s writing and so excited to be given the opportunity to join the second series of a brilliant show," while Nathalie said: "I’m thrilled to be a part of this brilliant story. Leila is a fascinating role and I can’t wait to bring her to life."
Michael revealed that he was a fan of the original series, explaining: "Loved series one! I cannot wait to get into the shoes of a character with such depth and ambiguity."
Fans might have a while to wait for the five-part show, as it will begin filming in November in Belfast - so it might be worth catching up with the original if you haven’t already! Celine Buckens, who plays Talitha in the hit show, spoke about the show’s ambiguous approach towards her character’s guilt or innocence, telling inews: "After episode one, I personally decided she was innocent. She’s so obviously a nightmare, I thought it was too easy for her to be guilty."
