Silk (TV series)

Last updated

Silk
Silk (TV series).jpg
Genre Drama, crime, legal
Created by Peter Moffat
Written by
Starring
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series3
No. of episodes18 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersHilary Salmon
Peter Moffat
ProducersCameron Roach (Series 1)
Richard Stokes (Series 2)
Matt Strevens (Series 3)
Running time60 minutes
Production companyBBC Productions
Original release
Network BBC One
BBC One HD
Release22 February 2011 (2011-02-22) 
31 March 2014 (2014-03-31)

Silk is a British television drama series produced by the BBC which was broadcast over three series on BBC One between 22 February 2011 and 31 March 2014. Created by Peter Moffat, the series follows the daily goings on of Shoe Lane Chambers and its members in their personal and professional lives.

Contents

Origin

The series' writer, Peter Moffat, also wrote the series Criminal Justice and North Square , as well as an episode of Kavanagh QC . Before the series started, Moffat said in an interview, "I wanted Silk to be full of politics and intrigue. From my experience at the Bar, I felt life in chambers had all of those components, with big stories and lots of courtroom drama—but I wanted to make it as much about barristers and their life in chambers as about the trials". [1]

Silk was commissioned by Jay Hunt, then-Controller of BBC One, and Ben Stephenson, BBC Controller of Drama Commissioning, and started filming in July 2010. [2] It is based on Moffat's experiences at the Bar. In an interview with The Guardian , he said "I want to tell it as it really is. The extreme pressure, the hard choices, the ethical dilemmas, the overlap between the personal and the professional, principles fought for and principles sacrificed, the Machiavellian politics, the sex, the drinking, the whole story—life at the bar is the richest possible drama territory." [3]

The series' title is a colloquial reference to someone who has attained the status of King's Counsel (QC or KC dependent on the current reigning monarch,) which entitles the person to wear a certain design of gown in court, which is usually made of silk. [4]

Overview

Silk follows barristers from a set of criminal law chambers in London. The series' focuses on Martha Costello (Maxine Peake) and her ambition to become Queen's Counsel as well as on her rival, Clive Reader (Rupert Penry-Jones). Martha achieves her ambition at the end of Series One, leaving Clive disappointed. He however becomes a QC in the opening episode of Series 3. The chambers' senior clerk, Billy Lamb (Neil Stuke), also features heavily in the series. [1] In series 3, Miranda Raison joins the show as Harriet Hammond who is a thorn in the side of Billy, as well as a confidante, supporter, and potential love interest for Clive Reader.

Silk ended with series 3 because creator Moffat and lead actress Maxine Peake were keen to end at a high point. [5] Rupert Penry-Jones commented that:

"It’s a courtroom drama so it could go on and on and there is a whole echelon of stuff we could go into but it will be interesting to see what people make of this series because the way it is left, we as a cast aren’t sure whether it’s been written as, 'This is it', or whether it’s got more to come because it feels like everyone gets blasted in different directions at the end of this series, so maybe the writer has thrown a grenade in and blown the whole show up. But it will very much depend on how people react to it".[ citation needed ]

In March 2014, it was announced there would be a radio spin-off following the lives of the clerks of Shoe Lane Chambers. [6]

It was announced that the series would be adapted by ABC for USA television. Peter Moffat was due to executive produce, with the pilot being written by Marty Scott. [7]

Cast

Episode list

SeriesEpisodesOriginally broadcastDVD release date
Series premiere Series finale Region 2 Region 1
1 622 February 201129 March 201111 April 2011 [8] 12 November 2013
2 615 May 201220 June 201225 June 2012 [9] 1 March 2016
3 624 February 201431 March 20147 April 2014

Series 1 (2011)

EpisodeTitleWritten byDirected byViewers
(millions) [10]
Original airdate
1 "The Bitter End"Peter MoffatMichael Offer6.34m22 February 2011 (2011-02-22)
Martha represents a pregnant drugs mule as well as a man charged with robbery and assault on an elderly war hero.
2 "High and Dry"Peter MoffatMichael Offer5.67m1 March 2011 (2011-03-01)
Martha is pitted against Clive in the case of a man accused of raping his ex-girlfriend; during the trial, Martha discovers that she is pregnant.
3 "Close Quarters"Peter MoffatDavid Evans5.80m8 March 2011 (2011-03-08)
Martha takes on the case of a teenage rent-boy who is charged with indecency in a public lavatory. Niamh defends a couple accused of breeding dangerous dogs.
4 "Touch and Go"Peter MoffatDavid Evans5.84m15 March 2011 (2011-03-15)
Martha defends an Asian police officer accused of uttering a racial slur to a black colleague. Billy tries to get rid of Clive by asking a senior clerk from another chambers to offer him a job.
5 "All Plain Sailing" Steve Thompson Catherine Morshead5.74m22 March 2011 (2011-03-22)
Against her better judgment, Martha -- whose strong suit is defence -- is persuaded to prosecute in the case of a teacher accused of attempting to murder a pupil who persecuted him.
6 "Three Sheets to the Wind"Peter MoffatCatherine Morshead5.72m29 March 2011 (2011-03-29)
Martha defends the young rent-boy and his girlfriend, who inadvertently killed a judge after breaking into his house with the intention of robbing him. Martha is made a QC while Clive misses out.

Series 2 (2012)

EpisodeTitleWritten byDirected byViewers
(millions) [10]
Original airdate
1 "Famous Last Words"Peter MoffatPeter Hoar6.56m15 May 2012 (2012-05-15)
Martha, now a fully fledged QC and Clive defend a thug connected to a well-known crime family who is accused of blinding a man who fell foul of his boss.
2 "The House of Ill Repute"Peter MoffatPeter Hoar6.08m22 May 2012 (2012-05-22)
Martha defends a young Captain at a court-martial. He is accused of disobeying orders, and that his disobedience led to the death of an unarmed Private.
3 "In the Family Way"Peter MoffatAlice Troughton5.56m29 May 2012 (2012-05-29)
Martha defends a youth accused of trashing a corner shop after his girlfriend was insulted. Clive prosecutes three Oxford students accused of assaulting a young waitress.
4 "Wooden Overcoat"Debbie O'MalleyAlice Troughton5.64m5 June 2012 (2012-06-05)
Martha defends a prison van driver accused of neglect and manslaughter after a claustrophobic prisoner dies while in his care.
5 "Shooting Blanks (Part 1)"Peter MoffatJeremy Webb5.33m12 June 2012 (2012-06-12)
Caroline seeks out Clive's assistance in the prosecution of Jody Farr, in exchange for a deal for one of her clients.
6 "Shooting Blanks (Part 2)"Peter MoffatJeremy Webb5.28m20 June 2012 (2012-06-20)
Martha decides to claim that Jody Farr was framed by the police as her first line of defence. Billy goes in for his operation.

Series 3 (2014)

EpisodeTitleWritten byDirected byViewers
(millions)
Original airdate
1 "The Goodbye Kid"Peter MoffatMarc Jobst6.13m24 February 2014 (2014-02-24)
Clive who has now become a QC is celebrating with friends and colleagues but the party is interrupted when Alan's son is arrested on suspicion of the murder of a policeman, while Martha hits the bottle after an Inspector lies in court to frame her client.
2 "Big Fish, Small Pond"Mick CollinsMarc Jobst5.42m3 March 2014 (2014-03-03)
Martha defends a footballer accused of attacking an opposing player during a match.
3 "Heavy Metal"Colin TeevanMichael Keillor5.16m10 March 2014 (2014-03-10)
Martha is approached by a euthanasia campaigner to defend a friend, who helped her paraplegic daughter to take her own life.
4 "Mother Country"Christian SpurrierMichael Keillor5.10m17 March 2014 (2014-03-17)
Martha is asked to help a solicitor whose nephew is wanted for extradition by the American authorities in relation to a bomb attack at an Arizona university.
5 "The Real McCoy (Part 1)"Peter MoffatCilla Ware5.06m24 March 2014 (2014-03-24)
Martha goes into prison to visit an ex-lover who is accused of shooting dead gang leader Jimmy Monk, who demanded protection money for him to open a night club.
6 "The Real McCoy (Part 2)"Peter MoffatCilla Ware5.33m31 March 2014 (2014-03-31)
Clive is forced to withdraw from the case, convinced of Sean McBride's guilt. Billy tries to help Martha by convincing Micky Joy to give evidence on police corruption. Harriet and Clive consummate their relationship.

Home media

DVD TitleSeasonEpisodesAspect RatioRunning timeYear
Season One1616:9360 minutes12 November 2013
Season Two2616:9352 minutes1 March 2016
Season Three3616:9300 minutes

In other media

Radio

BBC Radio 4 featured a spin-off "Silk: The Clerks Room" that lasted for two seasons from 2014 to 2015, featuring Theo Barklem-Biggs as Jake, Neil Stuke as Billy, and Jessica Henwick as Amy. [11]

Critical reception

Writing in The Daily Telegraph , barrister Sarah Palin praised Silk, saying that "the opening episodes do a good job of capturing the relentless pressure of the criminal Bar" and that "the competition for silk, while a useful plot device, also accurately reflects the fiercely competitive nature of the Bar", but added "the characters featured are a little more youthful than their real-life counterparts" and that the storyline in which one of the pupil barristers shoplifts his wig and gown struck "an absurd note". [1] The Telegraph's television reviewer, James Walton, compared the series to Moffat's previous production, North Square, but said that Silk was "more viewer-friendly" and the characters "far easier to divide into heroes and villains". He concluded that the first episode was "a perfectly OK hour of telly—marred only by the fact that we've come to expect a bit more than that from Moffat." [12] Alex Aldridge of The Guardian , meanwhile, called the series "underwhelming" and stated that it implied that cocaine use was "rife" among criminal barristers. [13] Also writing in The Guardian, Lucy Mangan implied that the series was predictable and called it "a rare misfire by Peter Moffat [...] and aggravated by the squandering of Peake, whose usually overflowing talents seem to have been dammed here rather than encouraged to irrigate an oddly bloodless role." [14]

The first series averaged 5.85 million viewers. The second series averaged 5.74 million viewers. The third series averaged 5.37 million viewers. [15]

Related Research Articles

<i>Rumpole of the Bailey</i> British television drama series (1978–1992)

Rumpole of the Bailey is a British television series created and written by the British writer and barrister John Mortimer. It starred Leo McKern as Horace Rumpole, a middle-aged London barrister who defended a broad variety of clients, often underdogs. The popularity of the TV series led to the stories being presented in other media, including books and radio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rupert Penry-Jones</span> British actor

Rupert William Penry-Jones is a British actor, known for his performances as Adam Carter in Spooks, Clive Reader in Silk, DI Joseph Chandler in Whitechapel, and Mr. Quinlan in the American horror series The Strain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maxine Peake</span> British actress (born 1974)

Maxine Peake is an English actress and narrator. She is known for her roles as Twinkle in dinnerladies, a sitcom on BBC One (1998–2000), as Veronica Ball in Shameless, the comedy drama from Channel 4 (2004–2007), Martha Costello in the BBC One legal drama Silk (2011–2014), and Grace Middleton in the BBC One drama series The Village (2013–2014). In 2017, she starred in the Black Mirror episode "Metalhead". She has also played the title role in Hamlet, as well as the notorious serial killer Myra Hindley in See No Evil: The Moors Murders, the critically acclaimed 2006 dramatisation by ITV of the Moors murders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barristers in England and Wales</span> One of the two main categories of lawyer in England and Wales

Barristers in England and Wales are one of the two main categories of lawyer in England and Wales, the other being solicitors. Barristers have traditionally had the role of handling cases for representation in court, both defence and prosecution.

Neil Robert Stuke is an English actor best known for his role of Matthew in the TV sitcom Game On and more recently for playing Billy Lamb in the BBC legal drama Silk.

<i>North Square</i> British TV series or programme

North Square is a British television drama series written and created by Peter Moffat, and broadcast by Channel 4 from 18 October to 20 December 2000. Starring an ensemble cast, including Phil Davis, Rupert Penry-Jones, Helen McCrory and Kevin McKidd, the programme is set around the practice of a barristers' chambers in Leeds. The series was filmed in and around the real life Park Square, Leeds. This is the area in the city where the majority of barristers' chambers are concentrated.

Alexander Peter Moffat is a British playwright and screenwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaun Evans</span> British actor

Shaun Evans is an English actor. He is best known for playing a young Endeavour Morse in the ITV drama series Endeavour and Coxswain Elliot Glover in Vigil.

<i>Criminal Justice</i> (British TV series) British television series

Criminal Justice is a British television drama series produced by the BBC and first shown in 2008. Written by Peter Moffat, each five-episode series follows the journey of an individual through the justice system and was first broadcast over five successive nights on BBC One. The first series, first shown in 2008, starred Ben Whishaw as Ben Coulter, a young man who is accused of murder after a drunken and drug-filled night out, though is unable to remember committing the crime. It was directed by Otto Bathurst and Luke Watson. In 2009, the second series featured Maxine Peake as troubled housewife Juliet Miller whose husband was stabbed in their bed. Yann Demange and Marc Jobst directed the second series. The first series won two British Academy Television Awards for Best Drama Serial and Best Writer, three Royal Television Society Awards and an International Emmy. The first season has been re-made into an HBO miniseries The Night Of, starring John Turturro and Riz Ahmed.

Edmund James Lawson, QC was a prominent English barrister who worked on high-profile cases.

One Essex Court is a set of barristers' chambers in London, specialising in commercial litigation, which was founded in 1966. It is distinct from 1 Essex Court and Essex Court Chambers.

Alex Bailin KC is an English barrister specialising in criminal and international law, together with human rights and media law at Matrix Chambers. Bailin is also a legal writer for The Guardian, The Times and The Lawyer, among others.

Edward Hamilton Fitzgerald is a British barrister who specialises in criminal law, public law, and international human rights law. His work against the death penalty has led him to represent criminals such as: Myra Hindley, Mary Bell, Maxine Carr, various IRA prisoners, and Abu Hamza. Fitzgerald is currently the joint head of Doughty Street Chambers.

<i>The Village</i> (2013 TV series) British TV series or programme

The Village is a BBC television series written by Peter Moffat. The drama is set in a Derbyshire village in the early 20th century. The first series of what Moffat hoped would become a 42-hour televised drama following an extended family through the 20th century, was broadcast in spring 2013 and covered the years 1914 to 1920. A second series was broadcast in autumn 2014, and continued the story into the 1920s. The programme did not return after the second series.

Clive Coleman is an English barrister turned journalist, who, from 2010 to 2020, has been the BBC News Legal Correspondent. He is also a playwright, film and sitcom writer.

<i>Undercover</i> (2016 TV series) British TV series or programme

Undercover is a six-part BBC television drama series co-produced with BBC America which was first broadcast beginning 3 April 2016. The series premiered in the United States as a six-hour miniseries on 16 and 17 November 2016 on BBC America; it began its run on the CBC in Canada in August and on Canal + in France since January 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">QEB Hollis Whiteman (chambers)</span> Barristers Chambers based in London

QEB Hollis Whiteman is a leading set of barristers' chambers specialising in criminal, financial, and regulatory law, located in the City of London. Established in the 1980s, it employs 70 barristers, including 21 King's Counsel, four Treasury Counsel and one Standing Counsel to the RCPO. The current Heads of Chambers are Selva Ramasamy KC and Adrian Darbishire KC and the Chief Clerk is Chris Emmings.

Kirsty Brimelow is a barrister of England and Wales and KC practising from Doughty Street Chambers. She practises in the national and international courts and tribunals in international human rights, criminal law and public law. She is a Bencher of Gray's Inn and elected member of its management committee. She was International Pro Bono Barrister of the Year in 2018 and was Chair of the Bar Human Rights Committee (2012–2018). She obtained an LLB Hons from Birmingham University and then studied at the Inns of Court School of Law to be called to the Bar in 1991. She was a pupil at Littleton Chambers in 1993. She was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2011. In 2021 she was appointed trustee of WWF UK. In 2021, she was elected Vice-Chair of the Criminal Bar Association of England and Wales. She was Chair of the Criminal Bar Association from 1 September 2022- 1 September 2023.

Sir Benjamin Clive Freedman, commonly called The Honourable Mr Justice Freedman is a British barrister and High Court judge.

Dame Naomi Lisa Ellenbogen, Mrs Barklem is a British High Court Judge.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Palin, Sarah (22 February 2011). "Silk, BBC One: a lawyer's verdict". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 7 March 2011.
  2. Maxine Peake and Rupert Penry-Jones called to the bar in new BBC legal drama Silk BBC Press Office, 13 July 2010
  3. Deans, Jason (13 July 2010). "Maxine Peake to star in BBC1 legal drama Silk". The Guardian . Retrieved 1 March 2011.
  4. "Why is law such a fertile ground for drama?". BBC News. 22 February 2011. Retrieved 7 March 2011.
  5. "BBC legal drama Silk to end with series three". Radio Times.
  6. "TV drama Silk in radio spin-off". BBC News. 20 March 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  7. Morgan Jeffery. "BBC One's Silk to be remade for US television by ABC". Digital Spy.
  8. "Silk – Series 1 [DVD]". Amazon UK. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  9. "Silk – Series 2 [DVD]". Amazon UK. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  10. 1 2 "Weekly top 30 programmes - BARB".
  11. "Silk: The Clerks' Room, Drama - BBC Radio 4 Extra". BBC.
  12. Walton, James (22 February 2011). "Silk, BBC One, review". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 7 March 2011.
  13. Aldridge, Alex (3 March 2011). "Alex Aldridge: Is there a cocaine culture at the criminal bar?". The Guardian . Retrieved 7 March 2011.
  14. Mangan, Lucy (23 February 2011). "TV review: Silk, Heston's Mission Impossible". The Guardian . Retrieved 7 March 2011.
  15. "Viewing data". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board . Retrieved 24 April 2018.