STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning
In 2006, DCI Clive Driscoll (Steve Coogan) arrived at a decommissioned police station to hand over the keys to the property developer who brought it, only to discover contents in some filing cabinets relating to a cold case murder investigation in to the death of Stephen Lawrence, a black teenager knifed to death in a racist attack at a bus stop in London. Driscoll takes charge of a new investigation in to the case, placing greater emphasis on forensic evidence missed the first time round, and internal corruption within the Met, as well as forging a close relationship with Neville (Hugh Quarshie) and Doreen (Sharlene Whyte), Stephen's parents, who are placing all their faith in him at this second chance for justice.
During the summer of 2020, when the death of George Floyd kickstarted a global wave of anti-racism demonstrations, ITV took the chance to broadcast Paul Greengrass's 1999 docu-drama The Murder of Stephen Lawrence, giving everyone another chance to remember the story in authentic detail. Still fresh in the memory of those who saw it, they've fittingly been behind this follow up drama, picking up on events thirteen years later, detailing events in a freshly dramatised fashion.
In their unveiling of the production, ITV chose to show a weekly episode, drawing events out over three weeks, in a similar fashion the BBC took with their recent hit Jimmy McGovern drama Time. Unlike that, most people are aware of how the real life events panned out here, but the effect still leaves you eagerly anticipating the next instalment (if you don't watch all the episodes on ITV hub...I think.) Director Alrick Riley captures his scenes in a dull, grey light which fits the mood just fine. For someone who started out as a comedic actor, Coogan has certainly developed in to a commanding dramatic actor, carrying this with conviction.
It's a story which cannot leave the public consciousness, with new developments emerging all the time and further layers of corruption and decadence at the heart of society and institutions being peeled away as it goes along, and this is a fine production that highlights a brief glimmer of hope and justice within it. ****
In 2006, DCI Clive Driscoll (Steve Coogan) arrived at a decommissioned police station to hand over the keys to the property developer who brought it, only to discover contents in some filing cabinets relating to a cold case murder investigation in to the death of Stephen Lawrence, a black teenager knifed to death in a racist attack at a bus stop in London. Driscoll takes charge of a new investigation in to the case, placing greater emphasis on forensic evidence missed the first time round, and internal corruption within the Met, as well as forging a close relationship with Neville (Hugh Quarshie) and Doreen (Sharlene Whyte), Stephen's parents, who are placing all their faith in him at this second chance for justice.
During the summer of 2020, when the death of George Floyd kickstarted a global wave of anti-racism demonstrations, ITV took the chance to broadcast Paul Greengrass's 1999 docu-drama The Murder of Stephen Lawrence, giving everyone another chance to remember the story in authentic detail. Still fresh in the memory of those who saw it, they've fittingly been behind this follow up drama, picking up on events thirteen years later, detailing events in a freshly dramatised fashion.
In their unveiling of the production, ITV chose to show a weekly episode, drawing events out over three weeks, in a similar fashion the BBC took with their recent hit Jimmy McGovern drama Time. Unlike that, most people are aware of how the real life events panned out here, but the effect still leaves you eagerly anticipating the next instalment (if you don't watch all the episodes on ITV hub...I think.) Director Alrick Riley captures his scenes in a dull, grey light which fits the mood just fine. For someone who started out as a comedic actor, Coogan has certainly developed in to a commanding dramatic actor, carrying this with conviction.
It's a story which cannot leave the public consciousness, with new developments emerging all the time and further layers of corruption and decadence at the heart of society and institutions being peeled away as it goes along, and this is a fine production that highlights a brief glimmer of hope and justice within it. ****