EXCLUSIVE: All creatures great and small Writer Jamie Crichton takes on ITV’s latest election drama, a series about the fight to repeal the infamous double jeopardy law starring Sheridan Smith.
Details about the drama first emerged last night and we can reveal that there will be a title I fought against the law and is produced by Mary and George Indie Hera Images.
Based on Ann Ming’s book For the love of Julie, The series tells the heartbreaking story of Ming’s 15-year battle to seek justice for her daughter Julie’s murderer. Ming’s daughter was found in the bathroom of her home in 1990, 80 days after her disappearance, and the man who killed her was acquitted twice after mistrials before finally admitting to the murder. The outdated double jeopardy law meant he could not be tried twice for the same crime, and this law Ming and her family successfully overturned. A Channel 5 documentary, The operational area, aired on Ming last year.
Crichton, whose previous credits include All creatures great and small, The Last Kingdom And Three pine treeswill write scripts based on Ming’s book and Ming will act as a consultant throughout the production process.
“I am deeply honored to have been asked to play the role of Ann Ming, a mother so determined to fight for justice for her murdered daughter that she spent 15 years campaigning to change the law used double jeopardy,” she said Clean up Star Smith. “She is a truly brave and remarkable woman to whom we all owe a huge debt of gratitude.”
The drama brings the election subgenre into the spotlight after achieving notable success Mr. Bates versus the Post Office. Deadline recently announced that ITV is in the early stages of a Peter Moffat-penned series about the similarly devastating blood scandal, focusing on those local British stories that are increasingly difficult to produce in the current funding climate. Mr. Bates Director James Strong last week urged the creation of a “mechanism” to allow British broadcasters to continue telling campaign stories.
I fought against the law was commissioned for ITV by Head of Drama Polly Hill and Senior Drama Commissioner Helen Ziegler, who will oversee production of the drama on behalf of the broadcaster. Hera Pictures will produce the series in association with All3Media International with EPs Liza Marshall and Charlotte Webber. Filming is scheduled to begin in Teesside and surrounding areas in August 2024 in partnership with North East Screen through the North East Production Fund. All3Media International will distribute worldwide.