(This post is part of a series on the 14 Top TV Dramas
You’ve Never Seen)
Continuing our countdown of the Top TV Dramas You’ve Never
Seen, we come to Number 10, Garrow's Law. William Garrow was a real-life British
barrister in the late 1700s, a time when the accused were at the mercy of the
court — and the court was not very merciful. These were times of speedy trials —
many court hearings lasted only eight minutes, often followed by horrific death
penalties (hanging and then being drawn and quartered, or being burned alive). As many as 20 trials a day would take place at the Old Bailey (the London criminal courthouse).
Garrow was a poor boy who became a lawyer and then devoted his career to
defending the indigent, the ignorant, and the weakest members of London
society, often without regard to whether he was paid. He may have been the
first pro bono attorney, offering free legal aid. He pursued justice while
building a reputation in the press and cultivating enemies in high places. It
was Garrow who changed English law, refined the art of cross-examination, and
coined the phrase “innocent until proven guilty”.
Each episode features a case inspired by historical legal
proceedings recorded in the Old Bailey Archives (You can read actual cases from
the Old Bailey trials online).
According to the show's writer, Tony Marchant, Garrow invented courtroom drama. "As a writer, I simply read his outbursts and marveled at the man who was scared
of nobody, and who verbally savaged so many." Garrow's passionate and
strident oratory made him the most famous — and feared — barrister of his day. Aidan McArdle play the prosecutor Silvester, the Hamilton Burger to Andrew Buchan (Garrow)'s Perry Mason. But unlike Perry Mason, Garrow loses cases, as
when he watches his client, a mute 10-year-old boy, condemned to the gallows.
As the TV series reveals, Garrow's private life was as
interesting as his courtroom antics. He fell in love with the wife of an
important politician and member of the government and ultimately married her.
(In real life, the object of Garrow’s desire was the man’s paramour, not his
wife). The series is still airing and has just wrapped up its third season. Below, you'll find links to the show's listings at the Internet Movie Database, TV.com, an episode guide, a clip from the series hosted on YouTube, and a link to purchase the DVDs on Amazon.
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