It must have seemed like splendid summer scheduling wheeze when the BBC decided to strip dark drama Criminal Justice across the week at 9pm. And then along came Andy Murray.
Criminal Justice was due to air at 9pm every weekday night on BBC1. Murray's five set heroics against Richard Gasquet on Monday night meant that the first episode of Criminal Justice was delayed - disaster for anyone who had set the video/digital recorder.
Missing the first episode would make the whole exercise rather pointless, and as it is stripped through one week, wouldn't leave much time to catch up via the iPlayer.
As I happened to be watching the tennis live and planning to watch the new drama, I got to see both. Murray was fabulous and Criminal Justice was great too. And unlike the Wimbledon hopeful, Criminal Justice has continued to excel.
Not the least enjoyable part of it has been its portrayal of the legal profession, prompting an entertaining exchange of letters in the Guardian.
Chairman of the Bar Council Timothy Dutton QC attacked:
The Bar Council is very concerned at this portrayal of a profession which works to the highest ethical standards.
Writer Peter Moffat responded:
It's about time the bar faced up to the fact that, like every other profession, it has brilliant and fair-minded practitioners, those of average ability, and the violent, dishonest and stupid all working within it.
And then there is the story itself: will Ben escape jail? Will he be irreparably damaged before he does? And, indeed, is he innocent or did he do it?
