TV Review: Garrow’s Law Series 1
Originally published at Grasping for the Wind. Please leave any comments there.
Actors: Andrew Buchan, Alun Armstrong, Lyndsey Marshal, Rupert Graves
Directors: Ashley Pearce, Peter Lydon
Writers: Damian Wayling, Tony Marchant
Format: Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Acorn Media
DVD Release Date: February 1, 2011
Run Time: 240 minutes
Garrow’s Law is a BBC series that blends two genres: the courtroom drama and historical pieces. Through excellent acting, lavish costuming, and detailed research, this series is one of the best to come from the BBC.
The story is based on the real life of William Garrow, a late 18th century barrister who almost singlehandledly reformed the judicial system of England and created a true adversarial approach to legal proceedings. A confrontational lawyer, Garrow is often credited with the phrase “innocent until proven guilty” that is a foundation of modern law. Like contemporary William Wilberforce, Garrow struggled against injustice from within the system. Where Wilberforce fought for abolition in politics, Garrow fought the rampant corruption of a legal system that put all the power in the hands of judges and prosecutors, taking on causes both popular and not to stand up for the mean and lowly.
Brilliantly portrayed by Andrew Buchan, Garrow’s passion for the law and desire for real justice shine through in his maverick aversion to playing by the rules. Buchan, a relative unknown, uses his piercing blue eyes, dashing good looks, and soft voice coupled with a powerful presence to engage the viewer in this gripping emotional drama. With the help of his mentor John Southouse (Alun Armstrong) and brilliant and beautiful Lady Sarah Hill (Lyndsey Marshal) Garrow must navigate the choppy waters of a highly stratified 18th century society and defeat his adversary in law and love, MP Sir Arthur Hill (Rupert Graves). The ensemble cast comes together into harmonious chorus, creating a symphony of enthralling entertainment.
Filmed in HD, the lavish costuming and dark sets really bring to life the decadence and misery of the 18th century. Newgate prison and the dank alleys of London are juxtaposed against the colorful gardens and gilded houses of the powerful to increase the sense of social inequality. The courtroom set is in dark colors, allowing both the costumes, which are excellently created down to the last detail, and the cast’s acting to carry the plot and vividly portray the age. The dialogue of the actors carry more power as we view the reactions of everyone in the backdrop of a wood-paneled room of somber mien. Some of the dialogue takes a little getting used to, especially in the first episode and a US viewer unfamiliar with the British legal system, but a combination of excellent scriptwriting and subtle directing by Peter Lydon make it fairly easy to grasp it quickly.
Drawn from actual court records, we watch Garrow become a champion of the destitute and celebrated defense barrister, a man of powerful conviction and astounding legal brilliance. The unnamed (on the DVD) sixty-minute episodes each present a different case or combination thereof for Garrow to defend. Episode 1 shows the freshly minted barrister going off half-cocked, believing he will win by pure self-righteousness. Though that failure, he learns from his mistakes and impresses Lady Sarah Hill, who asks him to defend a serving girl accused of murder. Episode 2 actually shows Garrow defending two individuals. Garrow defends a coachman from accusations by his former master that he stole a harness. In a near career killer, he also defends The Monster, a man accused of randomly knifing young women in broad daylight. In Episode 3 Garrow defends a man accused of raping his maid (though he despises himself for doing so) and gets involved in a rash duel (much to his chagrin); Southouse then questions the viability of their working together anymore. The final episode shows Garrow defending a prostitute accused of killing a client and defending a man on charges of treason that may very well land Garrow on the gibbet.
Each episode is fascinating to watch, both for the fictionalized history and the very modern themes of each case. Viewers will recognize that though the dress, speech, and society appear widely different from our own, the issues, ideas, and arguments raised by Garrow and his opponents are still as relevant today as they were in the late 1700s. The eighteenth century had many of the very same problems of the twenty-first and the rights of individuals and the good of society are still in just as precarious a balance. Some critics might say that this is just because the character of Garrow is just a man of modern sensibilities transplanted into the 18th century. This is unfair. Though the presentation is made palatable for the modern audiences with some fudging of the facts and airbrushing of the characters’ personas, the conflicts - both internal and external - are part of the human condition, especially in uncertain times such as Garrow’s or our own.
Full of the lavish settings of Pride and Prejudice and the passionate zeal and thought-provoking themes of Law and Order, Garrow’s Law is a unique series that fans of either will enjoy.
The Acorn Media DVD edition includes a twenty minute behind the scenes featurette, including interviews with the cast, a photo gallery, biography of William Garrow, and cast filmographies.
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