Crown Court (TV Series)
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''Crown Court'' is a British television courtroom drama series produced by
Granada Television ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire but only on weekdays as ABC Weekend Television was its ...
for the ITV network. It ran from 1972, when the
Crown Court The Crown Court is the court of first instance of England and Wales responsible for hearing all indictable offences, some either way offences and appeals lied to it by the magistrates' courts. It is one of three Senior Courts of England and W ...
system replaced
Assize The courts of assize, or assizes (), were periodic courts held around England and Wales until 1972, when together with the quarter sessions they were abolished by the Courts Act 1971 and replaced by a single permanent Crown Court. The assizes e ...
courts and Quarter sessions in the legal system of England and Wales, to 1984.Down, R., Perry, C. (1995). ''The British Television Drama Research Guide, 1950–1995''. Dudley: Kaleidoscope. It was transmitted in the early afternoon.


Format

A court case in the crown court of the fictional town of Fulchester (a name later adopted by Viz) would typically be played out over three afternoons in 25-minute episodes. The most frequent format was for the prosecution case to be presented in the first two episodes and the defence in the third, although there were some later, brief variations. Unlike some other legal dramas, the cases in ''Crown Court'' were presented from a relatively neutral point of view and the action was confined to the courtroom itself, with occasional brief glimpses of waiting areas outside the courtroom. Although those involved in the case were actors, the
jury A jury is a sworn body of people (jurors) convened to hear evidence and render an impartial verdict (a finding of fact on a question) officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Juries developed in England d ...
was made up of members of the general public from the immediate
Granada Television ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire but only on weekdays as ABC Weekend Television was its ...
franchise area taken from the electoral register and eligible for real jury service: it was this jury alone, which decided the verdict. Indeed, contemporary production publicity stated that, for almost all of the scripts, two endings were written and rehearsed to cope with the jury's independent decision, which was delivered for the first time, as in a real court case, while the programme's recording progressed. However, the course of some cases would lead to the jury being directed to return 'not guilty'
verdict In law, a verdict is the formal finding of fact made by a jury on matters or questions submitted to the jury by a judge. In a bench trial, the judge's decision near the end of the trial is simply referred to as a finding. In England and Wales ...
s. After an unscreened pilot (see 'Untransmitted stories' below), the first story to be shown was ''Lieberman v Savage'' (18 to 20 October 1972). Unusually this was a civil case, whereas the vast majority of subsequent instalments featured criminal trials, with only occasional civil cases such as
libel Defamation is the act of communicating to a third party false statements about a person, place or thing that results in damage to its reputation. It can be spoken (slander) or written (libel). It constitutes a tort or a crime. The legal defi ...
,
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or
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claims.


Variations

There were some subtle changes in presentation in the early years. In the first year or so stories often opened with photographs of key figures or incidents around the alleged offence over which the court reporter would narrate the background to the case. In other instances there were filmed sequences but these were without dialogue and rarely showed the alleged offence. They were phased out a little earlier than the photos. Thereafter the action would immediately start in the courtroom. Although the standard format was stories of three 25-minute episodes there were occasional variations. In 1973 there was one story of just one episode and another comprising two. In July and August 1975 a number of stories were presented in single extended episodes at 8.15pm on Saturdays—a prime time scheduling. They occupied a slot of 75 minutes (just over one hour for the story on-screen after adverts are taken into account). This was a brief interlude and the programme reverted to its standard format and daytime location thereafter. The series was occasionally humorous and was even capable of self-parody. On 27 December 1973 a 52-minute self-contained episode ''Murder Most Foul'' had a distinctly light-hearted theme and even featured special Christmas-style titles and music. The 1977 story ''An Upward Fall'', written by absurdist
playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...
N. F. Simpson Norman Frederick Simpson (29 January 1919 – 27 August 2011) was an English playwright closely associated with the Theatre of the Absurd. To his friends he was known as Wally Simpson, in comic reference to the abdication crisis of 1936. Ea ...
, was played as a comedy. This bizarre case featured an old people's home built atop a 3,000-foot cliff; its only lavatories were located at the foot of the cliff. Other stories were deadly serious, such as the story ''Treason'' in which a White Congolese man is found guilty by the jury and sentenced to death for treason by the court (a crime formally still punishable by execution under British law at that time).


Untransmitted stories

An untransmitted pilot called ''Doctor's Neglect?'' was eventually broadcast as part of a repeat run on satellite channel Legal TV over 30 years later. Like the first transmitted episode, this was a civil case—in this instance relating to negligence. The pilot story differs in style in some important respects. In particular, it features informal conversations between the
barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and givin ...
s in their quarters as well as them giving advice to clients. Neither aspect figured in episodes from the broadcast run itself, which strictly confined legal discussions to the courtroom. The episode also has no jury; the case is decided by a judge alone. David Ashford, a regular in the programme's early stages as barrister Charles Lotterby, plays a different barrister called Derek Jones. Actors Ernest Hare and David Neal make their only appearances, as a judge and barrister respectively. This was not the only example of untransmitted stories. In February 1974 the scheduled ''Traffic Warden's Daughter'' was replaced by ''The Getaway''. In 1979 ''Heart To Heart'', intended for transmission from 15 to 17 April, was replaced by a repeat of ''A Ladies' Man'' (originally broadcast 15–17 February 1977). Although neither story was ever broadcast on terrestrial TV they both received airings on Legal TV and have since been released on DVD.


Contributors

Regular actors included William Mervyn, John Barron, John Horsley,
Edward Jewesbury Reginald Edward Oliphant Jewesbury (6 August 1917 – 31 March 2001) was an English actor, notable for his film, stage and television work and as a member of the Renaissance Theatre Company. In 1982, he appeared with the Royal Shakespeare Compa ...
, Richard Warner, Richard Caldicot,
Basil Dignam Basil Dignam (24 October 1905 – 31 January 1979) was an English character actor. Basil Dignam was born in Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire. Before the acting, he tried many jobs, from a company clerk to a journalist. He acted on film and ...
, Laurence Hardy, Frank Middlemass, and Basil Henson as judges,
John Alkin John Alkin (born 17 January 1947) is an English actor turned spiritual healer. He was born in Rugby, Warwickshire, under the name John Kenneth Foinquinos. Alkin is best remembered for two roles: DS Tom Daniels in ''The Sweeney'' and barrister B ...
, David Ashford, Keith Barron,
Jonathan Elsom Jonathan Elsom (born 22 September 1938) is a New Zealand-born television actor, writer, sculptor and artist. He appeared in many British and Australian television series and films, which include ''The Troubleshooters'', '' The Avengers'', '' The ...
,
Bernard Gallagher Bernard Gallagher (26 September 1929 – 27 November 2016) was an English actor known for his stage work, including with the National Theatre and the Royal Court; and his many appearances in television soap operas and dramas. He was born in Brad ...
,
Peter Jeffrey Peter Jeffrey (18 April 1929 – 25 December 1999) was an English character actor. Starting his performing career on stage, he would later have many roles in television and film. Early life Jeffrey was born in Bristol, the son of Florence ...
,
Charles Keating Charles Humphrey Keating Jr. (December 4, 1923 – March 31, 2014) was an American sportsman, lawyer, real estate developer, banker, financier, conservative activist, and convicted felon best known for his role in the savings and loan sca ...
, Maureen Lipman,
T. P. McKenna Thomas Patrick McKenna (7 September 1929 – 13 February 2011) was an Irish actor, born in Mullagh, County Cavan. He had an extensive stage and screen career. Career Early years Thomas Patrick McKenna was born at Mullagh, County Cavan, Ireland, ...
, Dorothy Vernon, Richard Wilson,
William Simons Clifford William Cumberbatch Simons (17 November 1940 – 21 June 2019) was a Welsh-born actor best known for his role as PC Alf Ventress in '' Heartbeat'', a role he played for 18 years, from 1992 to 2010. Early life Simons was born on 17 Nove ...
and
Robert Stephens Sir Robert Graham Stephens (14 July 193112 November 1995) was a leading English actor in the early years of Britain's Royal National Theatre. He was one of the most respected actors of his generation and was at one time regarded as the nat ...
were among the most common faces as barristers. Other (then or subsequently) famous names to appear on the show included
John Le Mesurier John Le Mesurier (, born John Elton Le Mesurier Halliley; 5 April 191215 November 1983) was an English actor. He is perhaps best remembered for his comedic role as Sergeant Arthur Wilson in the BBC television situation c ...
,
Eleanor Bron Eleanor Bron (born 14 March 1938) is an English stage, film and television actress, and an author. Her film roles include Ahme in the Beatles musical '' Help!'' (1965), the Doctor in '' Alfie'' (1966), Margaret Spencer in '' Bedazzled'' (1967), ...
, Warren Clarke, Tom Conti, Brian Cox,
Honey Bane Honey Bane (born Donna Tracy Boylan, 1964, London) is an English singer and actress, possibly best known for her 1981 UK Top 40 single "Turn Me On Turn Me Off". Early life and career Honey Bane began her musical career at the age of 14 in 197 ...
,
Philip Bond Philip J. Bond (born 11 July 1966, in Lancashire) is a British comic book artist, who first came to prominence in the late 1980s on '' Deadline'' magazine, and later through a number of collaborations with British writers for the DC Comics impr ...
, Michael Elphick,
Sheila Fearn Sheila Fearn (born 3 October 1940 in Leicester) is an English retired actress best known for playing Audrey, the sister of Terry Collier in BBC situation comedies ''The Likely Lads'' and ''Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?'', and also la ...
,
Colin Firth Colin Andrew Firth (born 10 September 1960) is an English actor and producer. He was identified in the mid-1980s with the " Brit Pack" of rising young British actors, undertaking a challenging series of roles, including leading roles in '' A M ...
, Brenda Fricker, Derek Griffiths,
Nigel Havers Nigel Allan Havers (born 6 November 1951) is an English actor. His film roles include Lord Andrew Lindsay in the 1981 British film ''Chariots of Fire'', which earned him a BAFTA nomination; as Dr. Rawlins in the 1987 Steven Spielberg war dram ...
,
Ian Hendry Ian Mackendrick Hendry (13 January 1931 – 24 December 1984) was a British actor. He worked on several British TV series of the 1960s and 1970s, including the lead in the first series of '' The Avengers'' and '' The Lotus Eaters'', and played ...
, Gregor Fisher, Ben Kingsley,
Ian Marter Ian Don Marter (28 October 194428 October 1986) was an English actor and writer, known for his role as Harry Sullivan in the BBC science-fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' from December 1974 to September 1975, with a non-regular, one-se ...
,
Mark McManus Mark McManus (21 February 1935 – 6 June 1994) was a Scottish actor. He has played roles in British television series ''Sam,'' ''Bulman, The Brothers, Strangers,'' and ''Dramarama'' and starred in the feature film ''2000 Weeks''. He was best ...
, Vivien Merchant, Mary Miller, Geraldine Newman, Judy Parfitt,
Robert Powell Robert Powell (; born 1 June 1944) is an English actor who is known for the title roles in '' Mahler'' (1974) and ''Jesus of Nazareth'' (1977), and for his portrayal of secret agent Richard Hannay in '' The Thirty Nine Steps'' (1978) and its s ...
, Peter Sallis,
Anthony Sharp Dennis Anthony John Sharp (16 June 1915 – 23 July 1984) was an English actor, writer and director. Stage career Anthony Sharp was a graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) and made his stage debut in February 1938 ...
, Michael Sheard, Barbara Shelley, Juliet Stevenson,
Patrick Troughton Patrick George Troughton (; 25 March 1920 – 28 March 1987) was an English actor who was classically trained for the stage but became known for his roles in television and film. His work included appearances in several fantasy, science fiction ...
, Mary Wimbush, Peter Capaldi and Mark Wing-Davey,
Bernard Hill Bernard Hill (born 17 December 1944) is an English actor. He is well recognized for playing King Théoden in ''The Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy, Captain Edward Smith in '' Titanic'', and Luther Plunkitt, the Warden of San Quentin Prison in ...
and
Liz Dawn Sylvia Ann Ibbetson (''née'' Butterfield; 8 November 1939 – 25 September 2017), known professionally as Elizabeth Dawn or Liz Dawn, was an English actress, best known for her role as Vera Duckworth in the long-running British soap opera '' ...
. Writers included Ian Curteis, David Fisher,
Peter Wildeblood Peter Wildeblood (19 May 1923 – 14 November 1999) was an Anglo-Canadian journalist, novelist, playwright and gay rights campaigner. He was one of the first men in the UK publicly to declare his homosexuality. Early life Peter Wildeblood was ...
, John Godber,
Ngaio Marsh Dame Edith Ngaio Marsh (; 23 April 1895 – 18 February 1982) was a New Zealand mystery writer and theatre director. She was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1966. As a crime writer during the " Golden Age of De ...
and Jeremy Sandford.


Recurring characters

* Peter Wheeler as Narrator/Court Reporter * David Ashford as Charles Lotterby * William Mervyn as The Hon. Mr. Justice Campbell * Dorothy Vernon as Helen Tate *
Bernard Gallagher Bernard Gallagher (26 September 1929 – 27 November 2016) was an English actor known for his stage work, including with the National Theatre and the Royal Court; and his many appearances in television soap operas and dramas. He was born in Brad ...
as Jonathan Fry QC *
John Alkin John Alkin (born 17 January 1947) is an English actor turned spiritual healer. He was born in Rugby, Warwickshire, under the name John Kenneth Foinquinos. Alkin is best remembered for two roles: DS Tom Daniels in ''The Sweeney'' and barrister B ...
as Barrister Barry Deeley * John Barron as Mr. Justice Mitchenor * Richard Wilson as Jeremy Parsons QC *
Charles Keating Charles Humphrey Keating Jr. (December 4, 1923 – March 31, 2014) was an American sportsman, lawyer, real estate developer, banker, financier, conservative activist, and convicted felon best known for his role in the savings and loan sca ...
as James Elliot QC *
Edward Jewesbury Reginald Edward Oliphant Jewesbury (6 August 1917 – 31 March 2001) was an English actor, notable for his film, stage and television work and as a member of the Renaissance Theatre Company. In 1982, he appeared with the Royal Shakespeare Compa ...
as The Hon. Mr. Justice Bragge *
Jonathan Elsom Jonathan Elsom (born 22 September 1938) is a New Zealand-born television actor, writer, sculptor and artist. He appeared in many British and Australian television series and films, which include ''The Troubleshooters'', '' The Avengers'', '' The ...
as Marcus Golding QC *
Mervyn Johns Mervyn Johns (born David Mervyn John; 18 February 18996 September 1992) was a Welsh stage, film and television character actor who became a star of British films during the Second World War. Johns was known for his "mostly mild-mannered, lugubri ...
as Arthur Charles Parfitt and Edward Lumsden * Richard Warner as The Hon. Mr. Justice Waddington * John Horsley as Justice Mowbray * Frank Middlemass as The Hon. Mr. Justice Craig *
Basil Dignam Basil Dignam (24 October 1905 – 31 January 1979) was an English character actor. Basil Dignam was born in Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire. Before the acting, he tried many jobs, from a company clerk to a journalist. He acted on film and ...
as Mr. Justice Poynter * Gareth Forwood as Doctor Park *
Laurence Hardy Laurence Hardy, Privy Council (United Kingdom), PC (14 April 1854 – 21 January 1933) was a Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party British politician. He was a Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Ashford (U ...
as Mr. Justice Stoddard * Basil Henson as Justice Yearly *
T. P. McKenna Thomas Patrick McKenna (7 September 1929 – 13 February 2011) was an Irish actor, born in Mullagh, County Cavan. He had an extensive stage and screen career. Career Early years Thomas Patrick McKenna was born at Mullagh, County Cavan, Ireland, ...
as Patrick Canty QC * Michael Elphick as Neville Griffiths QC *
Peter Jeffrey Peter Jeffrey (18 April 1929 – 25 December 1999) was an English character actor. Starting his performing career on stage, he would later have many roles in television and film. Early life Jeffrey was born in Bristol, the son of Florence ...
as Peter Edgar QC * Keith Barron as Timothy Dorney * Joseph Berry as Court Usher *
William Simons Clifford William Cumberbatch Simons (17 November 1940 – 21 June 2019) was a Welsh-born actor best known for his role as PC Alf Ventress in '' Heartbeat'', a role he played for 18 years, from 1992 to 2010. Early life Simons was born on 17 Nove ...
as Martin O'Connor QC


Production and archive details

* Although the (non-speaking) jury members were members of the general public, the foreman of the jury would have a small speaking role to deliver their verdict. For this reason the part of the foreman had to be played by a professional actor to stay within the rules imposed on Granada by the actors' union
Equity Equity may refer to: Finance, accounting and ownership *Equity (finance), ownership of assets that have liabilities attached to them ** Stock, equity based on original contributions of cash or other value to a business ** Home equity, the diff ...
. * All episodes of a story would be recorded on the same day. * The show was usually recorded in Studio Two at Granada Television; ''Crown Court'' shared the studio with '' University Challenge''. Before ''Crown Court'' began transmission, its courtroom set was used for the court scenes in an episode of the
sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...
''
Nearest and Dearest ''Nearest and Dearest'' is a British television sitcom that ran from 1968 to 1973. A total of 45 episodes were made, 18 in monochrome (black & white) and 27 in colour. The series, produced by ITV Granada, Granada Television for the ITV (TV netw ...
'', ''A Pair of Bloomers'' (transmitted on 20 July 1972); indeed, actor
Malcolm Hebden Malcolm Hebden (born 21 December 1939) is an English former actor. He is known for portraying the role of Norris Cole in the ITV soap opera '' Coronation Street'' on and off between 1994 and 2020. Aged 81, he announced his retirement from act ...
played a court clerk in this episode as well as in several early episodes of ''Crown Court''. * Originally the set was of plain, light-coloured wood panel. In the mid-'70s this was replaced with darker wood in more ornate carvings. In the '80s the courtroom incorporated marble wall panels and copious red padding on much of the furniture. The depiction of the royal arms also changed, initially having the shield fully enclosed by the Garter circlet but later having it in front. * In an effort to make the replica courtroom appear as realistic as possible to the 'jury', each episode was recorded as 'live', with retakes kept to an absolute minimum. The
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(which at the time of production were large and cumbersome and required an operator to be present) were placed at strategic points and largely kept static, thus reducing any possible distraction caused by production requirements. * The jury were given only 30 minutes to reach their verdict. * Episodes included a brief voice-over narration by Peter Wheeler at the beginning either to introduce the context of the case (for the first episode of a story) or to summarise the events of the case so far (for the later episodes of a story). * Early episodes of the series took the case name as the episode title, e.g. ''Lieberman v Savage'' (transmitted 18–20 October 1972) and " Regina v Lord" (25–27 October 1972). After the first eight cases, a short description of the issues in the case was added to the episode titles, such as ''Criminal Libel: Regina v Maitland'' (27–29 December 1972) and ''A Public Mischief: Regina v Baker And Crawley'' (31 January – 2 February 1973). This style persisted until ''Regina v Marlow: Freakout'' (7–9 March 1973); following these episodes the case title was dropped and episode titles became purely descriptive and remained so until the show ended in 1984. * All episodes of ''Crown Court'' exist in PAL colour as originally transmitted, including the postponed ''Heart to Heart''. * The closing theme tune is entitled ''Distant Hills'' – the presumed view of a prisoner. ''Distant Hills'' was the B-side of the 1973 UK number 1 hit by the Simon Park Orchestra, ''
Eye Level "Eye Level" is a 1972 single by the Simon Park Orchestra. It was produced originally for the De Wolfe Music Library and selected by Thames Television to be the theme tune for their Netherlands-based detective series ''Van der Valk (TV series), Van ...
'', which was the theme tune to the Amsterdam-based detective series ''
Van der Valk ''Van der Valk'' is a British television crime drama series produced for the ITV (TV network), ITV network. The first series ran from 1972 to 1992; followed by a remake in 2020. Created by Nicolas Freeling and based on his novels about a dete ...
''. * The programme's opening theme was the opening bars of the Fourth Movement (Allegretto) of '' Sinfonietta'' by
Leoš Janáček Leoš Janáček (, baptised Leo Eugen Janáček; 3 July 1854 – 12 August 1928) was a Czech composer, musical theorist, folklorist, publicist, and teacher. He was inspired by Moravian and other Slavic musics, including Eastern European fol ...
. *
Joan Hickson Joan Bogle Hickson, OBE (5 August 1906 – 17 October 1998) was an English actress of theatre, film and television. She was known for her role as Agatha Christie's Miss Marple in the television series ''Miss Marple''. She also narrated a number ...
, later to be well known for her portrayal of
Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictiona ...
's
Miss Marple Miss Marple is a fictional character in Agatha Christie's crime novels and short stories. Jane Marple lives in the village of St. Mary Mead and acts as an amateur consulting detective. Often characterized as an elderly spinster, she is one of Ch ...
, appeared as the defendant in a story written by another of the ' Queens of Crime',
Ngaio Marsh Dame Edith Ngaio Marsh (; 23 April 1895 – 18 February 1982) was a New Zealand mystery writer and theatre director. She was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1966. As a crime writer during the " Golden Age of De ...
. *
Robin Bailey William Henry Mettam "Robin" Bailey (5 October 1919 – 14 January 1999) was an English actor. He was born in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire. Often cast in upper class and tradition-bound roles such as Mr Justice Graves in Thames Television's ''R ...
and
Peter Blythe Peter Blythe (14 September 1934 – 27 June 2004) was an English character actor, probably best known as Samuel "Soapy Sam" Ballard in '' Rumpole of the Bailey''. Early life Born in Yorkshire, Blythe studied drama on scholarship at the Roy ...
played judges and barristers respectively in both ''Crown Court'' and ''
Rumpole of the Bailey ''Rumpole of the Bailey'' is a British television series created and written by the British writer and barrister John Mortimer. It starred Leo McKern as Horace Rumpole, a middle-aged London barrister who defended a broad variety of clients, o ...
''. * Episode 64's story about a procedure on an operating table, ( vide infra 'List of Episodes'), displays an on-screen title, 'Tables of the Heart'; yet, in the DVD liner story notes it's called 'Tales of the Heart'. It's also the first episode which when the on-screen title 'The Verdict' briefly appears, just before the Jury's
denouement Dramatic structure (also known as dramaturgical structure) is the structure of a dramatic work such as a book, play, or film. There are different kinds of dramatic structures worldwide which have been hypothesized by critics, writers and schola ...
is announced, the Narrator's voiceover explains that they are real members of the public.


Repeats and commercial availability

* Legal TV and UK Satellite channel Red TV showed episodes from the series until December 2008 when Red TV rebranded itself from an entertainment channel to a music channel. * Satellite channel
Granada Plus Plus was a digital channel run by Granada Sky Broadcasting. It was launched on 1 October 1996 under the original name of Granada Plus, and during its availability it underwent successive rebrands as G Plus, G+ and then simply Plus. However, it ...
repeated a number of episodes in the mid-1990s. * Despite the almost full archive of broadcast quality episodes the series has never been repeated on
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
since the late 1980s. * The story ''The Eleventh Commandment'' was included as an extra on Network DVD's 2007 release of ''
The Sandbaggers ''The Sandbaggers'' is a British spy drama television series about men and women on the front lines of the Cold War. Set contemporaneously with its original broadcast on ITV in 1978 and 1980, ''The Sandbaggers'' examines the effect of espionag ...
'' Series 3 as it features the series' lead actor
Roy Marsden Roy Marsden (born Roy Anthony Mould; 25 June 1941) is an English actor who portrayed Adam Dalgliesh in the Anglia Television dramatisations (1983–1998) of P. D. James's detective novels, and Neil Burnside in the spy drama ''The Sandbagg ...
. * Similarly, the Network DVD release of ''
The XYY Man ''The XYY Man'' began as a series of novels by Kenneth Royce, featuring the character of William (or Willie) 'Spider' Scott, a one-time cat-burglar who leaves prison aiming to go straight but finds his talents still to be very much in demand ...
'' included the ''Crown Court'' story ''An Evil Influence'' (15–17 October 1975) as an extra feature; Stephen Yardley, star of ''The XYY Man'', plays the role of Dr Thanet. *The Network DVD release of '' Strangers'' includes the 1977 story ''A Place to Stay'', featuring
Don Henderson Donald Francis Henderson (10 November 1931 – 22 June 1997)Ancestry/Find My Past (his birth was registered in the December 1931 quarter) was an English actor. He was known for playing both "tough guy" roles and authority figures, and is remem ...
. * Eight volumes of stories have been released by Network DVD. These are in production order and currently include all those broadcast from the programme's inception to July 1974. The two instalments not broadcast by ITV are also included. * From 9 January 2023,
Talking Pictures TV Talking Pictures TV (TPTV) is a British free-to-air vintage-film and nostalgia television channel. It was launched on 26 May 2015 on Sky channel 343, but later also became available on Freeview, Freesat, and Virgin Media. It is on air for 24 h ...
will air three episodes (one case) a week.


List of cases

# 1972-10-11 Doctor's Neglect? Simpson v Rudkin General Hospital Management Board # 1972-10-18 Lieberman v Savage # 1972-10-25 R. v Lord # 1972-11-01 R. v Bryant # 1972-11-08 Euthanasia: R. v Webb # 1972-11-15 R. v Vennings and Vennings # 1972-11-22 The Eleventh Commandment: R. v Mitchell and Clayton # 1972-11-29 A Genial Man: R. v Bolton # 1972-12-06 Espionage: R. v Terson # 1972-12-13 Conspiracy: R. v Luckhurst and Sawyer # 1972-12-20 Who is Benedetto Trovato? R. v Starkie # 1972-12-27 Criminal Libel: R. v Maitland # 1972–??-?? The Medium: R. v Purbeck # 1973-01-03 Whatever Happened to George Robins? R. v Barnes # 1973-01-10 Blackmail: R. v Brewer and Brewer # 1973-01-17 Sunset of Arms: Fitton v Pusey # 1973-01-24 Persimmons and Dishwashers: R. v Curl and Curl # 1973-01-31 A Public Mischief: R. v Baker and Crawley # 1973-02-07 Portrait of an Artist: Kingsley v Messiter # 1973-02-14 A Crime in Prison: R. v Ager and Lanigan # 1973-02-21 Infanticide or Murder? R. v Collins # 1973-02-28 Act of Vengeance: R. v Collings # 1973-03-07 Freak-Out: R. v Marlow # 1973-03-14 The Mugging of Arthur Simmons: R. v Dempsey and Langham # 1973-03-21 Love Thy Neighbour: R. v Thornton and Thornton # 1973-03-28 The Death of Dracula: R. v Mattson # 1973-04-04 Wise Child: R. v Lapointe # 1973-04-11 Beware of the Dog: R. v Page # 1973-04-18 Theft by Necessity: R. v Burton # 1973-04-19 The Gilded Cage: R. v Scard # 1973-04-25 Credibility Gap: Stevens v Porton # 1973-05-02 The Long Haired Leftie: R. v Dowd # 1973-05-09 Intent to Kill: R. v Duffy # 1973-05-16 There Was a Little Girl: R. v Grey # 1973-05-23 A View to Matrimony: R. v McNeill # 1973-05-30 Settling a Score: R. v Bates # 1973-06-06 To Catch a Thief: R. v Halsey # 1973-06-13 Patch's Patch: R. v Patch # 1973-06-20 Who Was Kate Greer? R. v Archer # 1973-06-27 A Right to Life: Abbs v Richards # 1973-07-04 The Inner Circle: Heywood v Blower # 1973-07-11 The Black Poplar: R. v Tressman # 1973-07-18 The Open Invitation: R. v Sellars # 1973-07-25 Beggar on Horseback: R. v Erringburn # 1973-08-01 The Night for Country Dancing: R. v Airey # 1973-08-08 Mrs. Moresbys Scrapbook: R. v Moresby # 1973-08-15 My Old Mans a Dustman: R. v Cousins and Cousins and Mayes # 1973-08-22 The Judgement of Solomon: R. v Kamuny and Kamuny # 1973-08-29 Destruct, Destruct ... R. v Ainsworth # 1973-09-05 Public Lives: R. v Williams and Pastor # 1973-09-12 The Thunderbolts: Easter v Goss # 1973-09-19 Treason: R. v Clement # 1973-09-26 A Stab in the Front: R. v Blandford # 1973-10-10 Just Good Friends: R. v Beaumont # 1973-10-17 To Suffer a Witch: R. v Vincent # 1973-10-24 Hit and Miss: R. v Burnett # 1973-10-31 No Spoiling: R. v Smithson # 1973-11-07 The Age of Leo Trotsky: R. v Smith # 1973-11-14 Robin and his Juliet: R. v Tomlin # 1973-11-21 The Most Expensive Steak in the World: Da Costa v McIver # 1973-11-28 Message to Ireland: R. v Parfitt # 1973-12-05 No Smoke Without Fire: R. v Bennington # 1973-12-12 Conduct Prejudicial: R. v Pardoe # 1973-12-19 Tables (
sic The Latin adverb ''sic'' (; "thus", "just as"; in full: , "thus was it written") inserted after a quoted word or passage indicates that the quoted matter has been transcribed or translated exactly as found in the source text, complete with any e ...
, vide supra in 'Production Details') of the Heart: R. v Saul # 1973-12-27 Murder Most Foul: R. v Hammond # 1974-01-02 The Dogs: R. v Broad # 1974-01-09 Further Charges: R. v Elgar # 1974-01-16 Hidden Scars: R. v Fowkes # 1974-01-23 With Menaces: R. v Aslam # 1974-01-30 Do Your Worst: R. v Skelhorne, McIver and Appleton # 1974-02-06 Flight of the Lapwing: Cummings v Simon # 1974-02-13 Traffic Warden's Daughter: R. v Lianos # 1974-02-13 The Getaway: R. v McDowell # 1974-02-20 The Woman Least Likely ... R. v Rutland # 1974-02-27 A Case of Murder: R. v Povey # 1974-03-06 The Assault on Choga Sar: Wainwright v Bowman # 1974-03-13 Duress: R. v Mallard # 1974-03-20 30,000 Pieces of Silver: Porter v Porter # 1974-03-27 Nuts: R. v Holloway # 1974-04-03 Confine to Solitary: R. v Hogarth # 1974-04-10 Big Annie: Robertson v Ash # 1974-04-17 Falling Stars: Leigh v Glynn # 1974-04-24 Son and Heir: R. v Carvell # 1974-05-01 Death in the Family: R. v Durrant # 1974-05-08 Minnie: R. v Barlow # 1974-05-15 Vermin: R. v Brimmer # 1974-05-22 South Tower: R. v Carney # 1974-05-29 Triangle: R. v Prosser and Jackson # 1974-06-05 Victims of Prejudice: R. v Clark and Hamilton # 1974-06-12 Baby Farm: R. v Francis # 1974-06-19 For the Good of the Many: R. v Cardy # 1974-06-26 How to Rob a Memory Bank: R. v Warren # 1974-07-03 The Wreck of the Tedmar: R. v Blaney # 1974-07-10 Two Rings for Margie: R. v Middleton # 1974-07-17 No Stranger in Court: R. v Clegg # 1974-07-24 Security Risk: R. v Denton # 1974-07-31 The Probationer: R. v Cresswell # 1974-08-07 Midnight with No Pain # 1974-08-14 Not Dead But Gone Before # 1974-08-21 Corruption # 1974-08-28 Pickets # 1974-09-04 The Dogs Next Door # 1974-09-11 Good and Faithful Friends # 1974-09-18 Strange Past # 1974-09-25 On Impulse # 1974-10-02 Double, Double # 1974-10-09 The Hunt # 1974-10-16 The Messenger Boy # 1974-10-23 The Dashing Young Officer # 1974-10-30 Immoral Earnings # 1974-11-06 Winklers # 1974-11-13 The Alb of St. Honoratus # 1974-11-20 Cover Up # 1974-11-27 Beloved Alien # 1974-12-04 Arson # 1974-12-11 Forgive-Me-Not # 1974-12-18 Pot of Basil # 1975-01-02 Ring in the New Year # 1975-01-08 The Quest # 1975-01-15 A Difference in Style # 1975-01-22 Matron # 1975-01-29 The Personator # 1975-02-05 Two in the Mind of One # 1975-02-12 The Murder Monitor # 1975-02-19 Who Cares? # 1975-02-26 Saboteur # 1975-03-05 The Trees # 1975-03-12 Bad Day at Black Cape # 1975-03-19 The Mad, Mad Man # 1975-03-26 Contempt of Court # 1975-04-02 Possessed # 1975-04-09 The Also Ran # 1975-04-16 Take Back Your Mink # 1975-04-16 Dead Drunk # 1975-04-30 Light the Blue Touch-Paper # 1975-05-07 The Healing Hand # 1975-05-14 The Obsession # 1975-05-21 My Mother Said I Never Should ... # 1975-07-19 Who Killed Cock Robin? # 1975-07-26 Songbirds Out of Tune # 1975-08-02 Inner City Blues # 1975-08-09 Marathon # 1975-08-16 The Natural Bond # 1975-08-23 Evil Liver # 1975-10-15 An Evil Influence # 1975-10-22 Never on Saturdays, Never on Sundays # 1975-10-29 Will the Real Robert Randell Please Stand Up # 1975-11-05 Hunger Strike # 1975-11-12 An Englishman's Home # 1975-11-19 Blood Is Thicker # 1975-11-26 The Party's Over # 1975-12-03 The Extremist # 1975-12-10 Mother Love # 1975-12-17 Dicing # 1975-12-31 Humpty Dumpty Sat on the Wall # 1976-01-07 Crime and Passion # 1976-01-14 ... Or Was He Pushed? # 1976-01-21 No Questions Asked # 1976-01-28 The Right of Every Woman # 1976-02-04 Beyond the Call of Duty # 1976-02-11 To Love, Cherish – and Batter # 1976-02-18 Scard # 1976-02-25 Tell the Truth and Shame the Devil # 1976-03-03 The Ju-Ju Landlord # 1976-03-10 Ends and Means # 1976-03-17 Incorrigible Rogue # 1976-03-30 Drunk, Who Cares # 1976-04-06 Accepted Standards # 1976-04-13 The Jolly Swagmen # 1976-05-04 A Bang or a Whimper # 1976-05-19 Pigmented Patter # 1976-10-06 Stranger in the Night # 1976-10-13 Those in Peril # 1976-10-20 A Working Girl # 1976-10-27 A Matter of Honour # 1976-11-03 Inside Story # 1976-11-10 Death for Sale # 1976-11-17 Treewomen of Jagden Crag # 1976-11-24 You Won't Escape When Hendrik Witbooi Comes # 1976-12-01 Operation Happiness # 1976-12-08 Lola # 1976-12-15 Royalties # 1976-12-22 A World of Difference # 1976-12-29 Auld Lang Syne # 1977-01-04 Beauty and the Beast # 1977-01-25 Home Sweet Home # 1977-02-01 Loved Ones # 1977-02-08 We Are the Champions # 1977-02-15 A Ladies' Man # 1977-02-22 A Matter of Faith # 1977-03-01 Crime Passionel # 1977-03-08 A Swinging Couple # 1977-03-15 One for the Road # 1977-03-22 Such a Charming Man # 1977-03-29 A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing # 1977-04-05 The Family Business # 1977-10-18 A Pocketful of Pills # 1977-10-25 Capers Among the Catacombs # 1977-11-01 Kiss and Tell # 1977-11-08 Down Will Come Baby # 1977-11-15 The Silencer # 1977-11-22 Home # 1977-11-29 A Place to Stay # 1977-12-06 Safe as Houses # 1977-12-13 Street Gang # 1977-12-20 An Upward Fall: Cosmic Planning Consultants v Rosenberg Research Foundation # 1978-01-03 Black and Blue # 1978-01-10 Meeting Place # 1978-01-17 Echoes # 1978-01-24 White Lies # 1978-01-31 The Song Not the Singer # 1978-02-07 Michael # 1978-02-14 Association # 1978-02-21 Still Life with Feathers # 1978-02-28 Cat in Hell # 1978-03-07 To Catch a Thief # 1978-03-14 The Change # 1978-03-21 The Jawbone of an Ass # 1978-03-28 Two Thousand Witnesses # 1978-04-04 Code # 1978-04-11 Common Sense # 1978-09-05 In the Heat of the Moment # 1978-09-12 Does Your Mother Know You're Out? # 1978-09-19 The Crown of Life # 1978-09-26 Past Times # 1978-10-03 Queen Bee # 1978-10-10 The Greenhouse Girls # 1978-10-17 Through the Bottom of a Glass Darkly # 1978-10-24 Still Waters # 1978-10-31 A Man with Everything # 1978-11-07 Scalped # 1978-11-14 Soft Target # 1979-01-02 Somebody # 1979-01-09 Beyond the Limits # 1979-01-16 Sugar and Spice # 1979-01-23 Hospital Roulette # 1979-01-30 A Friend of the Family # 1979-02-06 Baby Love # 1979-02-13 Honour Thy Father and Thy Mother # 1979-02-20 My Brother's Son # 1979-02-27 Cash # 1979-03-06 Boys Will Be Boys # 1979-03-13 The Deep End # 1979-03-20 Rebel at Law # 1979-03-27 A Hunting We Will Go # 1979-04-03 Question of Care # 1979-04-10 Cowboy # 1979-05-01 Forever # 1979-05-08 The Irish Connection # 1979-05-15 Heart to Heart # 1979-05-22 Betrayal of Trust # 1979-12-27 Caroline # 1980-08-26 Public Spending # 1981-03-09 Proof Spirits # 1981-03-16 Foul Play # 1981-03-23 Freedom to Incite # 1981-03-30 Hen Party # 1981-04-06 Leonora # 1981-04-13 Embers # 1981-04-21 The Merry Widow # 1981-05-04 Cold Turkey # 1982-03-23 Talking to the Enemy # 1982-03-30 Resurrection Woman # 1982-04-06 Ignorance in the Field # 1982-04-13 On the Defensive # 1982-04-20 Fair Play # 1982-04-27 Peanuts # 1982-05-04 Face Value # 1982-05-11 Wrecker # 1982-05-18 Window Shopping # 1982-05-25 Soldier, Soldier # 1982-06-01 Too Bad for Tobias # 1982-06-08 A Candidate for the Alliance # 1982-06-15 The Fiddling Connection # 1983-01-04 Brainwashed # 1983-01-11 Seconds Away # 1983-01-18 None of Your Business # 1983-01-25 Night Fever # 1983-02-01 A Black and White Case # 1983-02-08 Personal Credit # 1983-02-15 Fighting Fire with Fire # 1983-02-22 A Proper Man # 1983-03-08 Told in Silence # 1983-03-15 Mother's Boy # 1983-03-22 Living in Sin? # 1983-03-29 A Matter of Trust # 1983-04-05 A Sword in the Hand of David # 1984-01-03 Gingerbread Girl # 1984-01-10 Oddball # 1984-01-17 The Son of His Father # 1984-01-24 Whisper Who Dares # 1984-01-31 Citizens # 1984-02-01 Dirty Washing # 1984-02-13 Her Father's Daughter # 1984-02-21 There Was an Old Woman # 1984-02-28 Burnt Futures # 1984-03-06 Mother Figures # 1984-03-13 Big Deal # 1984-03-20 Love and War # 1984-03-27 Paki Basher


References and footnotes


External links


Water Cooler Moments – Crown Court
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Crown Court (Tv Series) 1970s British drama television series 1980s British drama television series 1970s British crime television series 1980s British crime television series 1970s British legal television series 1980s British legal television series 1972 British television series debuts 1984 British television series endings ITV television dramas Television series by ITV Studios Television shows produced by Granada Television English-language television shows Dramatized court shows Courtroom drama television series