New Street Law

New Street Law
GenreLegal drama
Written byMatthew Hall
G.F. Newman
Directed byVarious
StarringJohn Hannah
Paul Freeman
John Thomson
Lisa Faulkner
Chris Gascoyne
Penny Downie
Lee Williams
Country of origin
  • United Kingdom
Original language
  • English
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes14 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersJulie Gardner
Nicola Shindler
G. F. Newman
ProducerMatthew Bird
Production location
  • United Kingdom
Running time60 minutes
Production company
  • Red Picture Company
Original release
NetworkBBC One
Release4 May 2006 (2006-05-04) –
4 April 2007 (2007-04-04)

New Street Law is a British legal drama television series produced by Red Production Company in association with One-Eyed Dog Ltd for BBC One. The series was created by G. F. Newman and Matthew Hall, and starred an ensemble cast headed by John Hannah and Paul Freeman. Hannah and Freeman play Jack Roper and Laurence Scammel respectively, two barristers heading rival chambers in Manchester. Roper's chamber works in defence, while Scammel—Roper's one-time mentor—works for prosecution. A large supporting cast played members of Roper and Scammel's teams.

Filming on sets took place at Web Film Studios, Little Hulton, near Bolton.[1] Location work was done on the streets of Manchester,[2] Bolton and Rochdale.[1] Other interior locations included the Bolton Masonic Hall, St John Street Chambers in Manchester, and a hospital in Rochdale.[1] Although the second series did not air until February 2007, there was only a six-week gap between filming.[2]

The first series aired in May and June 2006 in a pre-watershed timeslot on BBC One. The second series was moved to 9 p.m. Low ratings saw the last two episodes moved to a 10.40 p.m. timeslot. In July 2007, the cancellation of the series was announced.[3] This left an unresolved cliffhanger from the second series, with the audience left unaware of whether Jack survived a car crash.

Acorn Media UK have released both series on DVD in Region 2. In Region 1, Entertainment One have released the entire series on DVD.[4][5]

Cast and characters

Episode list

Series 1 (2006)

Episode Title Written by Directed by Viewers
(millions) 		Original airdate
1"Tempest"Matthew HallJulian Holmes4.204 May 2006 (2006-05-04)
Jack Roper, with Joe Stevens as his junior, defends 15-year-old Katie Lewis, who is charged with arson. She is accused of purposely setting her father's house on fire after he had her boyfriend charged when he caught them in bed together. Laurence Scammel and his daughter Laura are acting for the prosecution. Katie is not very cooperative and refuses to provide instructions to her solicitor or the barristers. Jack believes she is protecting someone. Charlie Darling and Annie Quick defend Harry Jennings and Tina Bennett, who are accused of defrauding prospective investors of £40,000. The purchasers thought they were buying a flat, not shares in a property company. Charlie's tactics in the case don't sit well with Annie, however.
2"For Friends and Family"G.F. NewmanJulian HolmesUnder 3.6511 May 2006 (2006-05-11)
A cancer patient tries to sue the landfill company he used to work for and Jack and Annie represent him. Laura joins her father to defend the case, but she realises that not everyone has been telling the truth. Joe represents a woman accused of shoplifting. He gets more than he bargained for when he falls foul of her charms.
3"To the Naked Eye"Matthew HallJulian HolmesUnder 3.9218 May 2006 (2006-05-18)
Annie and Jack defend a man accused of murdering his wife, but there are problems when Laurence, the prosecutor, discovers foul play. Charlie is on the case of the suspected killers' sister, who battles her brother's in-laws for the custody of his child. A nurse's employers believe that a nurse lied to them about her qualifications. Joe is defending the nurse.
4"A Pound of Flesh"Chris BucknallDavid SkynnerUnder 3.6425 May 2006 (2006-05-25)
Charlie gets a chance to show his skills when he represents a TV presenter in a high profile libel case. A man has been accused of physically abusing his son, but Jack is not happy about representing him and Honor resigns from prosecuting. However, it's discovered that there is more to the case than meets the eye.
5"Shock to the System"G.F. NewmanDavid SkynnerUnder 3.551 June 2006 (2006-06-01)
Charlie and Jack represent two police officers who are accused of torturing a terrorist suspect in custody. It is a highly emotive case as this incident has put the reputation of the police on the line. Joe has his own demons to overcome when he represents a patient seeking release from a psychiatric unit. However, his expert witness has a few surprises of his own.
6"Quality of Life"Michael EatonDavid SkynnerUnder 3.618 June 2006 (2006-06-08)
A woman seeks compensation after the botched delivery of her baby and Charlie and Annie are there to represent her. Laurence's friendship with the accused surgeon compromises the case and Laura is not happy at all. Jack has to use all of his expertise to help a Robbie Williams impersonator who has been accused of benefit fraud.
7"High Risk, High Profit"Matthew HallEmma BodgerUnder 3.7015 June 2006 (2006-06-15)
Jack represents a gang member who has been accused of shooting a police officer. It is his belief that his client has been framed, but he has trouble finding anyone with the courage to speak out against the leader of the gang. Joe is determined to prove himself in his first jury trial, but he takes huge risks with his clients liberty and it looks like he's pushed the law too far.
8"Only the Young"Matthew HallEmma BodgerUnder 4.1521 June 2006 (2006-06-21)
A young woman is accused of hiding evidence when her husband murdered a young boy and Jack is there to defend her. Annie and Charlie represent parties in a custody battle. Joe is not too happy, because he represents Sammy Dean, a serial shoplifter for the second time.

Series 2 (2007)

Episode Title Written by Directed by Viewers
(millions) 		Original airdate
1"A Case of Morality"David SkynnerMatthew Hall3.6[6]21 February 2007 (2007-02-21)
Jack is arrested for perverting the course of justice, and he is granted bail. Although he is guilty of the offence, he has stopped an innocent woman going to prison and so argues his moral innocence. Jack is convinced by the team to be represented by Frank Halcroft and Frank thinks up a plan to get Jack out of prison. Frank convinces Honor to use her contacts in the case, but all doesn't go according to plan when Laura is attacked. In the end, Jack receives a suspended sentence after an honest and moving speech in court. A female football agent is represented by Charlie and Joe. Annie breaks off her affair with Charlie in an attempt to save her marriage. Steve, Al's partner is sacked and Al asks for advice on whether he has a case for unfair dismissal.
2"Lines Drawn"David SkynnerJames McIntyreUnder 3.8928 February 2007 (2007-02-28)
Jimmy McGregor, a gangster, asks Jack for help to defend him in a case for possession of heroin. However, McGregor has a violent past and Jack remembers when McGregor wasn't convicted for murder when he should have been. The key defence witness is McGregor's loyal wife, but Jack uncovers some revealing evidence. Afterwards, Jack is worried for McGregor's wife's safety and he isn't shocked when a body is found. Annie and Laura represent two opposite sides in the same case. Tommy claims that an angel told him to give £40,000 to charity, and Laura represents him. Annie represents his wife Claudia who has another idea why he did it. Laura spends the night with Jack, but she is unhappy when at the chambers dinner, he backs off and reverts to type.
3"Holiday Playground"Clara GlynnChris Bucknall3.00[7]7 March 2007 (2007-03-07)
Two girls are accused of murdering a class mate, so Jack and Frank represent them. The chances of winning are high, but they must decide whether to take their client's advice and trust them. Rebecca, a high-class hooker sues a plastic surgeon for loss of earnings after a bodged collagen injection left her with a "trout pout". Rebecca is represented by Charlie.
4"Tomorrow's Fiction"Clara GlynnMatthew HallUnder 4.1114 March 2007 (2007-03-14)
Jack and Laura represent a man who has been accused of rape 10 years ago. The case is emotional. A man is suing his son's school for banning sports day and Charlie is his representative. Charlie sees an opportunity for him to make up with his son.
5"Love and Loss"Dominic KeaveyJames McIntyreUnder 3.7926 March 2007 (2007-03-26)
Al's boyfriend Steve is dead, which shocks Jack. A young boxer has Charlie and Annie defending him, but the judge wants to secure a conviction as he knows the victim.
6"The Big Fish"Dominic KeaveyMatthew HallUnder 3.644 April 2007 (2007-04-04)
The CPS are determined to label the killing of a burglar as racist, when Jack and Laura defend the accused defendant. Ray, Charlie's client, had his next door neighbour's dog bite off his testicle and he is prepared to sue.

References

  1. ^ a b c Staff writer (10 February 2006). "Stars film TV drama in Bolton", The Bolton News, Newsquest Media. Retrieved 20 October 2008.
  2. ^ a b Wylie, Ian (19 February 2007). "New Street Law returns", Manchester Evening News, M.E.N. Media. Retrieved 20 January 2008.
  3. ^ Holmwood, Leigh (11 July 2007). "BBC dramas may be axed", MediaGuardian, Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 11 July 2007.
  4. ^ "New Street Law: Season 1". Amazon. 4 December 2007.
  5. ^ "New Street Law: Season 2". Amazon. April 2008.
  6. ^ "Troy triumphs in ratings battle". The Guardian. 8 March 2007. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  7. ^ "BBC drama is midweek casualty". The Guardian. 8 March 2007. Retrieved 10 February 2016.