Tom Georgeson

A tale of family, politics and power. The films tell the rise and fall of three Kings and how their destiny shaped our history.

The Suspicions of Mr Whicher is based on Kate Summerscale's account of a Victorian murder case that shocked the whole country. Detective Inspector Jack Whicher finds himself traveling to a remote country house where he investigates the murder of a young child. He soon manages to discover a web of lies and concealment amid the family living there, which he thinks vindicates the police's chief suspect in the murder case.

Filmed and set in Liverpool, the court is not a normal court. While the judge can still send people to prison, he has a range of other options at his disposal, such as community projects, educational workshops and drug rehabilitation programmes. Rather than a formal court, it is more like an open-plan office where the police, Crown Prosecution Service, probation service and youth offending team sit next to drug, alcohol, housing and debt advisors. Among them is probation officer Joe Gateacre (played by Gary Mavers) who has to work hard to get the local community to trust the new judge. The established judicial system opposes the centre and the judge also faces problems from journalist Louise Scanlon (played by Gillian Kearney) and criminal Jake Little (played by Jake Abraham).

Liverpool 1 focused on Detective Constable Isobel De Pauli (Samantha Janus), a successful Metropolitan Police detective. Her partner's career move to Liverpool in turn sees De Pauli transferred there. Upon arrival she is partnered with introverted DC Mark Callaghan (Mark Womack), a no-nonsense officer brought up on the streets of the city he now polices; the opening sequence of the first episode culminates in Callaghan throwing a suspect from an apartment window. The earlier episodes centre around the dual themes of the personality clash between De Pauli and Callaghan, coupled with the ongoing saga of the squad's pursuit of local gangster John Sullivan (played by Paul Usher). Callaghan's relationship with Sullivan - who is his cousin - and the interconnectedness of the city, are themes throughout the series.

This high quality police drama from the BBC concerned on the activities of the Complaints Investigation Bureau (CIB), investigating allegations of corruption at all levels of the police force, challenging the public's perception of the police force as the bastions of law, order and justice.