Masterpiece theatre (Television program). [2003-04-06], The Jury. Part 1

"A 15-year-old white boy has been killed in cold blood[,] and his classmate, a quiet[,] reclusive Sikh boy, is on trial for the murder in London. But The Jury, an original drama written especially for television, is not about his trial. It is about twelve other people: a jury of his peers, the cornerstone of British and American justice. As the prosecution (Sir Antony Sher) and the defence (Sir Derek Jacobi) each present their arguments in the racially-charged case, we, the audience receive information at the same time and in the same manner as the jury. We then follow each of them home. Perfectly conceptualised for television, this drama allows us to see how each character's private life and individual struggle influence judgment of the boy. Skillfully building to a dramatic conclusion, when we too have reached our verdict, The Jury shows us that justice is rarely empirical, simple or pure. Every action and decision we make, even those determining the life or death of one of our peers, is the result of personal experience and individual morality."--2003 Peabody Awards entry form.

This is episode 1 of 4. "A diverse jury is chosen for the politically explosive trial of Sikh teenager Duvinder Singh, charged with the gruesome killing of a white student at his school. Battling the case are two of England's most prestigious barristers: QCs (Queen's Counsel) George Cording for the defense and Gerald Lewis for the prosecution. The jurors range from beautician Rose Davies to bankrupt Jeremy Crawford, salesman Peter Segal to single mom Marcia Thomas, recluse Elsie Beamish to recovering alcoholic Johnnie Donne, and prospective priest Charles Gore to pushy businesswoman Eva Prohaska. Though no one saw Duvinder commit the crime, witnesses testify that he was near the scene with a stolen sword, and later fled with blood on his clothes. During breaks, Rose and Johnnie get acquainted, Charles finds that the woman he's choosing over the priesthood is engaged to his best friend, Peter's nosy father-in-law corners him into discussing the case against judge's orders, Marcia resorts to her irresponsible mother for child care, and the murder victim's hooligan brothers start a campaign of juror intimidation to ensure a guilty verdict. Their first target: Marcia."--episode description from PBS Web site for the series.

Corporate Producers: Granada Television | Public Broadcasting Service (U.S.)

Persons Appearing: Derek Jacobi (Cast (George Cording)) | Antony Sher (Cast (Gerald Lewis)) | Gerald Butler (Cast (Johnnie Donne)) | Michael Maloney (Cast (Peter Segal)) | Nicholas Farrell (Cast (Jeremy Crawford)) | Sylvia Sims (Cast (Elsie Beamish)) | Helen McCrory (Cast (Rose Davies)) | Nina Sosanya (Cast (Marcia Thomas)) | Stuart Bunce (Cast (Charles Gore))

Broadcast Date: April 6, 2003