Silent Witness is back on our screens.
The forensic crime drama has been running since 1996 and delighted viewers have seen the return of original lead actress Amanda Burton as Professor Sam Ryan.
The first episode of the 25th anniversary series of the BBC1 show airs tonight.
Sam teams up with Dr Nikki Alexander, played by Emilia Fox, to investigate the assassination of the health secretary.
Our new crime-fighting duo are joined by cast regulars David Caves as Jack Hodgson and Genesis Lynea as Simone Tyler.
Here, we look at 25 of the most memorable moments, filming locations and acting talent that has helped made Silent Witness one of British TV’s longest-running and best-loved shows.
1 In series eight, a jockey is crushed to death during a race by his own horse. Accident or foul play? This episode marked the debut of Nikki Alexander (Emilia Fox). Nikki doesn’t make the ideal first impression on Leo Dalton (William Gaminara) but soon proves her worth as morebodies pile up
2 In series 13, Nikki and Dr Harry Cunningham (Tom Ward) try to help wounded victims of a campus shooting while trapped in the building with the rampaging shooter.
3 In Series 12, the teams examine the aftermath of an armed raid on a suspected terrorist cell, which had left two terrorists and a police officer dead. As no bomb-making materials were found at the site, is it a clear case of police corruption?
4 In series 12, Leo is convicted of drink driving and finds himself in gang warfare after being sentenced to do community service in a violent housing estate. Meanwhile, Nikki is called out to a funfair, where a teenage girl has been brutally attacked. The killing appears to be part of a gang initiation, and Leo then helps the investigation.
5 In series 19, the Lyell team investigate the clinical shooting of a mother, stepfather and son as they picnicked. The most obvious suspect is the female victim’s estranged husband. But, of course, this soon looks to be more than just a crime of passion.
6 First broadcast in 1996, the series was created by Nigel McCrery, a former murder squad detective based in Nottingham.
7 Original lead character Sam Ryan was based on Professor Helen Whitwell, a forensic pathologist based in Sheffield, who McCrery had known while serving as a police officer.
8 Silent Witness has sold into 235 territories, with big audiences in Germany and Norway.
9 It is the longest-running crime drama in BBC television history.
10 The fictional Silent Witness forensic pathology HQ is The Lyell Centre. It is in a warehouse at BBC Park Western, Acton.
11 In series 12, the team flies to Zambia to investigate the apparent death of an aid worker Rachel, whose bones have finally turned up after she was reported missing. Rachel was investigating the deaths of local villagers and may have been silenced.
12 In series 14, Harry helps investigate the death of a sex worker in Budapest, but soon finds himself in danger and on the run after a friend keen to uncover the truth behind the death is murdered.
13 In series 16, above, the team head to Afghanistan to see if discovered human remains are those of Daniel Lambert, missing for five years and presumed murdered by the Taliban. Almeria, Spain doubled as Afghanistan for this action-packed two-part episode.
14 In series 20, Luisa Herrera, a former intern at the Lyell Centre, is killed in a carjacking in her native Mexico. Nikki arrives for the funeral, only to find that the body in the coffin is not Luisa’s. Jack flies out to help Nikki look for her friend, unearthing the bodies of people killed by drug cartels.
15 The latest series opens in Liverpool, where Sam’s husband Jomo is shot and a politician is killed. The episode includes a Mission Impossible-esque helicopter landing on the waterfront.
16 One of movie star Benedict Cumberbatch’s earliest acting gigs was on the show in 2002 when a played Warren Reid, a potential suspect in the murder of a female student (below).
17 Idris Elba made a blink and you’ll miss it cameo as a character called Charlie in 1997. But it was enough to impress Channel 5 producers as shortly afterwards, he won the role of Tim Webster in soap Family Affairs.
18 Before playing ice cold blonde assassin Villanelle in Killing Eve, Jodie Comer appeared on the BBC hit in 2012 as she portrayed Eve Gilston, a neglected young woman telling her story to psychiatrist Sean Delaney.
19 Line of Duty star Adrian Dunbar played psychiatrist Sean Delaney opposite Jodie. New Tricks actress Tamzin Outhwaite also appeared in the same episode as Eve’s sister.
20 Deadpan comic Jack Dee cropped up in 1999, playing the deadly Chris Caldwell. Sam Ryan
fell for his charms before discovering he was a psychopathic murderer.
21 Amanda’s character, professor Sam Ryan was written out in 2004 at the start of series eight – fans saw Sam return home to Ireland after a member of her family was implicated in a murder.
22 As Sam was often shown looking reflective, she was ripe for spoof treatment and was parodied in a French and Saunders sketch called Witless Silence.
23 After leaving Silent Witness, the 65-year-old actress starred in ITV ’s The Commander and alongside Tom Hardy in the film Bronson - playing Charles Bronson’s mum Eira Peterson.
24 The actress said she would have been “absolutely mad” not to agree to return for the anniversary and appears in every episode of series 25. However, Amanda has ruled out reprising the role again.
25 Emilia Fox who has played the starring role since Amanda’s departure in 2004 said it was “wonderful” to celebrate the anniversary with the original star. She added: “We wouldn’t be where we are today without her. Sam’s such a pioneering figure. Back then, female leads were few and far between. It’s her legacy we live with.”
