I don’t know what is happening this year, but I seem to watch more TV shows than movies and this is one that you simply cannot miss.
What adds to the satisfaction in this series is that the trials are all cold cases that the prosecutors have been able to re-open due to the blend of new scientific advances and witnesses coming forward that had previously hidden in the shadows.
Murder Trial is on BBC iPlayer and is head and shoulders above other true crime shows. It’s my favourite true crime documentary.
Each season provides compelling insights as suspects are brought to Court, sometimes for crimes committed as long ago as 40 years ago. Their guilt is not a foregone conclusion as you watch the prosecution (crown court) bringing their witnesses and new evidence live on camera. Then it’s the defence’s turn and u watch as the barrister tries to discredit and add doubt to the charges against their client.
All the twists and turns are done with close ups of the defendant, the police who have been investigating the murder and the families of both parties sitting in court.
You also get to hear from the two barristers in their chambers as they explain the techniques and strategy that they will use to try and win.
The families of the victims get their chance to explain the devastation that has been wrought on them too.
It’s when the defendant themselves give evidence that you literally can’t take your eyes off the screen. Better than any fictional court room drama
Every season has got two episodes, the first episode sets the scene and introduces court proceedings, and the second part leads on to the final verdict.
I won’t go into every case but one story that stood out was called “A Dangerous Affair”. It was one of Scotland’s longest unsolved murder cases and had remained in the public consciousness for decades.
Renee Macrae and her three-year-old son suddenly disappeared in Inverness in1976. Renee’s car was found abandoned and on fire in a layby just outside the city.
Half a century has gone by and William MacDowell who was a senior member of staff working for Renee’s husband’s construction firm is on trial for killing Renee and her son.
He was the prime suspect then and had remained on the polices radar until new evidence had emerged that led him to being charged.
This trial reveals facts that are chilling and almost too dark to be believed.
I don’t want to spoil the whole episode, so I have given a short synopsis of it.
Alex Prentice KC is the crown court prosecutor for every season of Murder Trial. The defence barristers change with each case. Alex has this way about him that it is assured and calming. He speaks softly but his intelligence and empathy shine through. You might think as a prosecutor, he could be more aggressive, but he is the opposite, and it certainly works.
He is without doubt the star of the show.
This series is done in a serious and subtle way. What makes it great is you feel like you are part of the jury, listening to the evidence and trying to figure out if the defendant is guilty or innocent.