Judge John Deed

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Judge John Deed
Series title card
Genre	Legal drama
Creator(s)	G.F. Newman
Starring	Martin Shaw Jenny Seagrove
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Language(s)	English
No. of seasons	6
No. of episodes	29 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Ruth Caleb Mal Young
Running time	1:30 (approx)
Broadcast
Original channel	BBC One
Original run	January 9, 2001 (pilot) November 26, 2001 – January 18, 2007 (series)
Links
Official website
IMDb profile

Judge John Deed is a BBC television drama series about a high court judge, created, written and produced by G. F. Newman (Law and Order; The Nation's Health; The Healer; New Street Law). It is broadcast on BBC One; each episode is usually 90 minutes long. It was first shown on 9 January 2001.

The show stars Martin Shaw as Sir John Deed, a former barrister from a working class family who, as a high court judge, tries to seek real justice in the cases before him. He is hampered in this pursuit not only by the participants in the proceedings, but by his ex-wife (barrister 'George'), their rebellious, activist daughter Charlie (initially a law student, but recently progressing into the courts) and his gruff ex-father-in-law Sir Joseph Channing (a senior judge in the Court of Appeal) played by Sir Donald Sinden.

His controversial sexual relationships (with, amongst others: defendants, his relationship counsellor, his daughter's friend, a colleague's wife and particularly another barrister, Jo Mills) and his unorthodox judgements (often utilising obscure precedents or alternative interpretations of existing laws) have also led him into trouble with the Lord Chancellor's Department and sometimes with the Home Office and other branches of the government.

The show presents a fictionalised view of the English legal system, and although it features surprise judgements and legal twists, while some are perfectly possible and could happen in a real courtroom most are in the realm of fiction. Examples include Deed effectively running a manslaughter case, presiding in a case in which both his ex-wife and daughter (as a pupil) appear on different sides (this could not happen), suggesting to a jury that it may wish to reconsider its verdict and publically disagreeing with a sentence in a case. Deed is a law unto himself, as are all High Court Judges if they choose to be so. While they can be dismissed from the bench it is almost unheard of for it to happen. They also have seniority over government ministers, who constantly try to influence them. The series has instigated considerable debate concerning the influence that the government has over the judiciary, an issue that is portrayed in many episodes.

Series 5 was broadcast between January and February 2006. Series 6 began on 9th January 2007 and consists of two stories each told over two one hour episodes, i.e. four episodes in total.

[edit] Episodes

Pilot - Exacting Justice
- Original Air Date - 9th January 2001

Deed sits in a case where a man stands trial for the murder of a van driver who killed his daughter.

Season 1

Episode 1 - Rough Justice
- Original Air Date - 26th November 2001

Deed decides on sentencing where an MI5 informant on the Real IRA stands accused of the greivous bodily harm of his wife, and also sits in the trial in a case of date rape against three young men. Deed also begins an affair with Francesca Rochester, the wife of Sir Ian Rochester from the Lord Chancellors Department (now known as the Department for Constitutional Affairs. Under pressure from both the LCD and his friend, Police Commissioner Row Colemore, the Judge is asked to release the informant, but refuses to do so without investigation of the circumstances. In the absence of a full court hearing due to the informant's guilty plea, Deed conducts a Newton hearing in which he hears evidence and acts as his own jury. This in turn causes clashing with Sir Ian, who by now has become aware of the affair with his wife. Battling through, Deed finds the informant likely to offend again, and sentences him to indefinite incarceration in a mental institute

Episode 2 - Duty Of Care
- Original Air Date - 3 December 2001

Episode 3 - Appropriate Response
- Original Air Date - 10th December 2001

Episode 4 - Hidden Agenda
- Original Air Date - 17th December 2001

Season 2

Episode 1 - Political Expediency
- Original Air Date - 21th November 2002

Episode 2 - Abuse Of Power
- Original Air Date - 28th November 2002

Episode 3 - Nobody's Fool
- Original Air Date - 12th December 2002

Episode 4 - Everyone's Child
- Original Air Date - 19th December 2002

Season 3

Episode 1 - Health Hazard
- Original Air Date - 27th November 2003

Episode 2 - Judicial Review
- Original Air Date - 3rd December 2003

Episode 3 - Conspiracy
- Original Air Date - 11th December 2003

Episode 4 - Economic Imperative
- Original Air Date - 18th December 2003

Season 4

Episode 1 - Lost and Found
- Original Air Date - 13th January 2005
  - A man accused of participating in an armed robbery is re-apprehended after 16 years on the run. The case against him is weakened by evidence of corruption in the arresting squad, and an unreliable and anonymous professional informant. Mills' first meetings with Michael get off to a shaky start as she tries to juggle her career and her commitments to the boy.

Episode 2 - Above The Law
- Original Air Date - 20th January 2005
  - Friends and family of three gang members accused of murdering a rival drug dealer terrorise jurors and kill witnesses. As the case nears abandonement, Deed is forced to consider the heretofore unconstitutional option of a juryless trial. After an initial refusal Mills fights for, and wins, a second chance to adopt Michael.

Episode 3 - In Defence Of Others
- Original Air Date - 27th January 2005
  - A never-successfully-convicted pædophile is killed while in prison, and the accused claims a defence of preventing future abuses. Mills meets Michael's real father, who wants to return to South Africa with her. Monty hears the case of an adopted child who raped his teacher. Deed risks his career by sleeping with a claimant.

Episode 4 - Defence Of The Realm
- Original Air Date - 3rd February 2005
  - Deed's affair comes back to bite him as the Home Office pressures for his resignation or impeachment; he is temporarily exiled to lecture at a university. Mills records a fraud case concerning a defense contractor, and, facing threats against herself and Michael, finds a trail of corruption leading to the higher echelons of government.

Episode 5 - Separation Of Powers
- Original Air Date - 10th February 2005
  - Deed hears the case (pretrialed in S04E04) of birth defects near a waste disposal plant. A PR company spinning the reports from the waste disposal company has connections with both the defense contractor and the Home Secretary, and the defendant from the fraud case provides compelling - and disastrous - evidence.

Episode 6 - Popular Appeal
- Original Air Date - 17th February 2005
  - A desirable case concerning a on-screen death on a reality TV show is mysteriously allocated to Deed, which leads to a clash with the press. Houghton faces a select committee to answer charges of corruption, and Mills pays the price for Deed's crusade. Deed finally confronts the man behind Mills' kidnapping.

Season 5

Episode 1 - Hard Gating
- Original Air Date - 6th January 2006

Episode 2 - My Daughter, Right or Wrong
- Original Air Date - 12th January 2006

Episode 3 - Lost Youth
- Original Air Date - 20th January 2006

Episode 4 - Silent Killer
- Original Air Date - 27th January 2006

Episode 5 - One Angry Man
- Original Air Date - 3rd February 2006

Episode 6 - Heart Of Darkness
- Original Air Date - 10th February 2006

Season 6

Episode 1 - War Crimes (Part 1)
- Original Air Date - 9th January 2007
  - While serving in Iraq, a British soldier shoots and kills several apparently unarmed civilians. Forced to try the case in The Hague, and strongly encouraged to come to a guilty verdict by the British government, Deed fights to prove that the soldier was acting only in defence. He is hampered in his efforts by Islamic extremists who attempt to assassinate Deed and other high-court judges.

Episode 2 - War Crimes (Part 2)
- Original Air Date - 11th January 2007
  - As above

Episode 3 - Evidence Of Harm (Part 1)
- Original Air Date - 16th January 2007
  - An ex-soldier, in constant physical and psychological pain from vaccines administered while serving, kills himself and his son. Deed, racing to stave off incoming legislation that would immunise the pharmaceutical company that created the drug, convinces a frightened witness to testify after her colleagues commit 'suicide'.