It’s been three years since Showtrial caused a stir on BBC One, but fortunately for anyone struggling to recall the events of season one, the entire cast and premise of this anthology series has changed – and it is perfectly serviceable television.
Where season one examined the fallout of a student going missing (and another being arrested for her disappearance), series two pivots to examine the death of disruptive climate protester Marcus Calderwood.
Actor Barney Fishwick’s only meaningful action is to be knocked off his bike. We don’t see who did it but he tells a first responder, just before dying, that his Porsche-driving old adversary PC Justin Mitchell was the culprit.
PC Mitchell (a believably laddish, cocky extrovert played by Chernobyl’s Michael Socha) is in a tight spot as he already has a grudge against Calderwood. His dislike of the dead activist dates back to when he was unable to save a car crash victim as action by Calderwood’s group had blocked a road.
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Backed into a corner, Mitchell chooses the grumpy, world weary Sam Malik (Adeel Akhtar, dialling up the cynicism) to defend him. It looks cut and dry, but Malik’s probing finds the prosecution’s argument has holes. Despite Malik’s strained mental health, prescription drug dependency and sleepless nights, he perseveres and forms a bond with the similarly up against it PC.
Meanwhile, the cold, calculating police chief DI Southgate (Joe Dempsie) seems determined to bring the case against his own officer. But are messages shared in a police bro group chat evidence of guilt or “merely” toxic-masculinity shrugged off as banter?
As this all bubbles into a toxic stew, and when the eponymous showtrial kicks off episodes four and five, they’re ready to explode.
Like series one, the show’s biggest strength is its creator and writer Ben Richards. Richards, who also worked on Strike, has once more threaded together five moreish episodes that maintain a buzzing narrative pace and are crammed with plot twists and cliffhangers.
The show takes many ‘of the day’ issues and gives characters enough scope to argue both sides. Climate activism, attitudes towards mental health and modern police work – all subjects that have come under increasing scrutiny over the last few years – all of them get the microscope treatment.
Climate activism is presented as essential, as well as a disruptive nuisance, while the police’s misogynistic group chats are juxtaposed with images of them helping and protecting the public. It makes for a nuanced and interesting portrait of modern society: perhaps too nuanced, as the sometimes-lacking character development will attest.
The flaw of this second series is overambition. There are so many characters that some potentially quite interesting threads and crucial character development go unexplored. A backstory involving a prosecution lawyer (played by a usually reliable Nathalie Armin) is undercooked to the point of being pointless and distracting.
Malik’s relationship with her as well as his secretary (Nina Toussaint-White) are also hinted at but not developed. DI Southgate appears initially as a focal point, primed for a character arc until he disappears into the background.
It adds up to a show that presents an engaging, fast paced, interesting look at police, justice and how we see mental health. You will watch it, enjoy it, and you might even watch a third series and feel the same. But a cutting-edge drama? Not so much.
