What's the real case behind The Jury: Murder Trial? Why Channel 4 won't reveal details
Here's what Channel 4 have said about the new show.
Fans are going wild for Channel 4's The Jury: Murder Trial.
Using actors, the four-part show re-stages a real-life crime in front of two different juries in a legal experiment.
The two juries of 12 people (who do not know anything about each other) both listen to the evidence put before them. They must then come to a conclusion, but will they come up with the same verdict?
The case in question involves a husband who killed his newlywed wife just months after marrying. He killed her with several blows to the head by a hammer, after a row in which he “snapped”.
Played by Sam Alexander, the husband, John Risedale, admits to killing his wife, Helen (Kate Sheridan), however, argues a “loss of control” defence because he didn't fully remember what he did or why he did it.
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While the names and locations have been changed, the show is based on a real-life case.
So what is the real case behind The Jury: Murder Trial? Here's everything you need to know.
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What is the real case behind The Jury: Murder Trial? Why Channel 4 won't reveal details
The Jury: Murder Trial is based on a real-life case. However, the names and locations have been changed. The testimony, witness statements, and basic facts are the same.
While it is a real case, Channel 4 won't be revealing any information about it.
"Details of the real crime will not be confirmed," a spokesperson for Channel 4 told ED!
Although the broadcaster didn't share their reasons for withholding this information, it's most likely that this is for privacy matters, or so that viewers can see the trial play out fully on screen, with the series set to conclude on Thursday 29th February.
Ed Kellie, Creative Director at Screendog said: "We wanted to be inside the jury room of a real and complex murder case – and to explore how a jury works and if jury verdicts really are as reliable as we are led to believe."
Alf Lawrie, Head of Factual Entertainment, for Channel 4 said: "This fascinating and ground-breaking programme asks profound questions about the justice system.
"Lifting the lid on what most people know little about, this revealing show could be described as putting the jury system itself on trial."
The Jury: Murder Trial airs on Channel 4 at 9pm. All 3 episodes are available to watch on demand. Visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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