''We, the Accused'' is a British

period Period may refer to: Common uses * Era, a length or span of time * Full stop (or period), a punctuation mark Arts, entertainment, and media * Period (music), a concept in musical composition * Periodic sentence (or rhetorical period), a concept ...

crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definit ...

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...

which originally aired on

BBC 2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...

in 5 episodes between 10 September and 8 October 1980.Baskin p.175 It is an adaptation of the 1935 novel of the same title by

Ernest Raymond Ernest Raymond (31 December 1888 – 14 May 1974) was a British novelist, best known for his first novel, '' Tell England'' (1922), set in World War I. His next biggest success was ''We, the Accused'' (1935), generally thought to be a reworki ...

, itself inspired by the

Doctor Crippen Hawley Harvey Crippen (September 11, 1862 – November 23, 1910), usually known as Dr. Crippen, was an American homeopath, ear and eye specialist and medicine dispenser. He was hanged in Pentonville Prison in London for the murder of his wife Co ...

case.

Main cast

Ian Holm Sir Ian Holm Cuthbert (12 September 1931 – 19 June 2020) was an English actor who was knighted in 1998 for his contributions to theatre and film. Beginning his career on the British stage as a standout member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, ...

as Paul Pressett *

Angela Down Angela Down (born 15 June 1946) is an English actress. She is known for her role in the BBC drama programme ''Take Three Girls'' portraying cockney art student Avril for the first series before being replaced in the second. Career Down played ...

as Myra Bawne *

Iain Cuthbertson Iain Cuthbertson (4 January 1930 – 4 September 2009) was a Scottish character actor and theatre director. He was known for his tall imposing build and also his distinctive gravelly, heavily accented voice. He had lead roles in ''The Border ...

as Chief Inspector Boltro * Hugh Thomas as Detective Sergeant Doyle * Christopher Benjamin as Inglewood *

Brenda Cowling Brenda Rose Cowling (23 April 1925 – 2 October 2010) was an English actress from London. Cowling wanted to be a film actress from the time she was a child; however, upon leaving school, she trained instead as a shorthand typist. Biography Aft ...

as Mrs. Briscoll *

Frank Gatliff Frank Ernest Gatliff (31 December 1927 – 23 June 1990) was an Australian actor based in Great Britain. He appeared in several films (notably as Bluejay in ''The Ipcress File'') but mostly on TV, in such series as ''Gideon's Way'', '' The Baron'' ...

as Doctor Waterhall *

Betty Hardy Betty or Bettie is a name, a common diminutive for the names Bethany and Elizabeth. In Latin America, it is also a common diminutive for the given name Beatriz, the Spanish and Portuguese form of the Latin name Beatrix and the English name Beatr ...

as Jane Presset * David Lodge as Briscoll *

Julia McCarthy Julia McCarthy (1964-2021) was a Canadian poet.

as Bessie Furle *

Alan Webb Alan Webb may refer to: * Alan Webb (actor) (1906–1982), English actor * Alan Webb (runner) (born 1983), American track athlete * Alan Webb (footballer) (born 1963), retired English association football player See also

* Allan Webb (disambigu ...

as Aubrey Presset *

Elizabeth Spriggs Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...

as Eleanor Presset * Tony Brooks as Reporter *

Debbie Farrington ''The Black Panther'' is a 1977 British crime film. Its subject is the real life ex-military criminal Donald Neilson, known as the "Black Panther". It was directed and produced by Ian Merrick, his first feature, and stars Donald Sumpter, Debbi ...

as Annie Mavis * Edmund Kente as Worksop *

Nichola McAuliffe Nichola McAuliffe (born 1955) is an English television and stage actress and writer, best known for her role as Sheila Sabatini in the ITV hospital sitcom '' Surgical Spirit'' (1989–1995). She has also starred in several stage musicals and won ...

as Lily Worksop * Charles Gray as Sir Hayman Drewer * Ysanne Churchman as Edith Hanks *

Derek Farr Derrick Capel Farr (7 February 191221 March 1986) was an English actor who appeared regularly in British films and television from 1938 until his death in 1986. His more famous roles include Group Captain John Whitworth in '' The Dam Busters' ...

as Sir Kenneth Eddy *

Annie Hulley Annie Hulley (born 23 October 1955 in Wakefield, West Riding of Yorkshire) is an English television and stage actress who has appeared in the British soap-operas ''Emmerdale'' as Karen Moore and ''Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' is ...

as Sarah *

Norman Mitchell Norman Mitchell Driver (27 August 1918 – 19 March 2001), known professionally as Norman Mitchell, was an English television, stage and film actor. Born in Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire, his father was a mining engineer and his mother a ...

as Crompton *

Ralph Nossek Ralph Nossek (August 1923 – 5 December 2011) was a British actor of stage, television and screen. He was born in August 1923 in the parish of St George in the East, London, England. He died in London on 5 December 2011. From 1953 until his las ...

as Superintendent Kerslake *

Philip Stone Philip Stone (14 April 1924 – 15 June 2003) was an English actor, well known for portraying film characters such as "Pa", the father of Alex DeLarge, in ''A Clockwork Orange''; General Alfred Jodl in '' Hitler: The Last Ten Days''; Delbert G ...

as Reverend Hanks *

Michael Troughton Michael Troughton (born 2 March 1955) is an English actor, teacher and writer. He is best known for his television roles including Melish in ''Minder'' and Sir Piers Fletcher-Dervish in ''The New Statesman''. He is the son of actor Patrick Tro ...

as Mr. Cullingford *

Ruth Trouncer Isabel Ruth Trouncer (born 9 September 1930) is a British stage, film and television actress. During the late 1950s she had a recurring role on the television series ''The Larkins''. She is the daughter of the actor Cecil Trouncer. Selected fil ...

as Lady Drewer *

John Woodnutt John Edward Arthur Woodnutt (3 March 1924 – 2 January 2006) was an English character actor, often cast in villainous roles. Early life and education The younger son of Harold Frederick Woodnutt and brother of the Conservative MP Mark Woodnutt ...

as Inspector Yatt

References

Bibliography

*Baskin, Ellen . ''Serials on British Television, 1950-1994''. Scolar Press, 1996.

External links

* {{IMDb title, 0081958 BBC television dramas 1980 British television series debuts 1980 British television series endings 1980s British drama television series 1980s British television miniseries English-language television shows Television shows based on British novels