The Accused is a drama television series that aired on BBC UK starting in 2010.
The show introduces us to six different incriminated individuals that have been accused of a crime but not yet convicted.
The intro to each episode shows one or more guards going to a holding cell to escort an accused to the courtroom where they will stay until they receive the verdict. Once the felon is placed in the defendance box flashbacks are presented to the viewers so they will know what lead up to each of their convictions.
The first accused, a family and businessman, Willy Houlihan (Christopher Eccleston, Doctor Who), who is forced to use unmarked bills, that he found in a taxi cab, to recover from a financial loss. He places a bet at a local gambling hall and doubles his winnings. He was not aware of the legitimacy of the bills and is arrested at his daughter’s wedding. Will he be acquitted or face six years in prison?
The second accused, a British soldier, Frankie Nash (Benjamin Smith) is pressured into bullying his best friend, Peter McShane, Jr. (Ben Batt), who is also a soldier but is having great difficulty engaging in gunfire against the Afghans. Peter commits suicide, which causes Frankie to spiral out of control and murder Corporal Alan Buckley (MacKenzie Crook). He is faced with a life sentence if he does not tell the jury what really happened in Afghanistan. What will be his fate?
The third accused, Helen Ryland (Juliet Stevenson) is struggling with her son’s, Rob (Joseph Phillips), death, which occurred on his first day of work, by a forklift accident. She begins to question if his death was an accident and begins to do what every mother would to find the truth. She fails miserably in her attempt but decides to take matters into her own hands. Will she spend time in prison for her crimes or will the jury find her actions as justifiable?
The fourth accused, an out of control gambler, Liam Black (Andy Serkis) is in a marriage that he is forced to stay in because his wife is debilitated with multiple sclerosis. His profession, taxi driver, does not provide him with enough money to provide for his family and keep up with his addiction. He becomes obsessed with the beautiful Emma Croft (Jodie Whittaker). Will his obsession spiral out of control and force him to spend life in prison and loose his family or will the jury find his actions a self defense?
The fifth accused, Kenny Armstrong (Marc Warren) works at a funeral home to provide for his wife and kids. His youngest daughter is sexually molested and his two buddies force Kenny to take part in beating the perpetrator. Kenny’s guilty conscious forces him to tell the truth but there is only one thing that stands in his way, his buddies are brothers. Will Kenny and his friends be charged with a lifetime incarceration or will Kenny be the only one that is found guilty?
The sixth accused, Alison Wade (Naomie Harris) is a mother of two young children. She is unhappy in her marriage because her husband, David (Warren Brown), is controlling and abusive. She is unfaithful and divulges the truth to her him during a verbal argument. He becomes upset and rapes her, which the
daughter happens to see. They file for divorce and fight over child custody. Her lover is severely beaten and she is convicted for having illegal drugs in her possession. Will she be able to prove her innocence or will she serve a long prison sentence and loose her kids?
Afterthought
If you like crime dramas, you will love this television series. Each and every victim’s story is inthralling and you will find yourself hoping the jury gets the conviction right. If you have any experience with the justice system, you will be able to relate to each and every character in this series.
Review
If you like courtroom dramas, you should definitely take the time to watch this first season of Accused. It is so well written that you will find yourself sitting in each of the victim’s seats. It is very intense and will keep you sitting on the edge of your seat. The actors performed superbly and made their characters appear to be true people in real life situations. This series deserves an 8.5 out of 10.
Jay Skelton is a fan of all television shows and movies. He tries his best to keep up with the latest foreign television shows and movies. Jay loves skinny dipping in the dark too.
