All Creatures Great and Small scribe Jamie Crichton is taking on ITV‘s latest campaigning drama, a series about the fight to repeal the notorious double jeopardy law starring Sheridan Smith.Details about the drama first started emerging last night and we can reveal it will be titled I Fought the Law and is produced by Mary & George indie Hera Pictures.Based on Ann Ming’s book For the Love of Julie, the series tells the heart-breaking story of Ming’s 15-year-long battle for her daughter Julie’s murderer to face justice. Ming’s daughter was found in the bathroom of her house in 1990, 80 days after she had disappeared, and the man who killed her was twice acquitted following mistrials before eventually admitting to the murder. The archaic double jeopardy law meant he couldn’t be tried twice for the same crime and it is this law that Ming and her family successfully overturned. A Channel 5 documentary, The Incident Room, aired about Ming last year.Crichton, whose past credits include All Creatures Great and Small, The Last Kingdom and Three Pines, will pen scripts using Ming’s book and Ming will act as consultant throughout the production process.“I am so honored to have been asked to play the role of Ann Ming, a mother so determined to fight for justice for her murdered daughter that she spent 15 years campaigning for the double jeopardy law to be changed,” said Cleaning Up star Smith. “She is a truly courageous and remarkable woman to whom we all owe a debt of gratitude.”Hera Pictures boss Liza Marshall said: “Ann’s refusal to give up and her tireless devotion to seeing justice is an inspiring story that deserves to be more widely known. We are honoured to work with Sheridan, Ann, Jamie and ITV to highlight this incredible true story.”The drama comes with the campaigning sub-genre in the spotlight following the remarkable success of Mr Bates vs the Post Office. Deadline recently revealed ITV is in the early stages of a series about the similarly-devastating contaminated blood scandal, penned by Peter Moffat, as a spotlight is placed on these local British stories that are becoming harder to make in the current funding climate. Mr Bates director James Strong last week urged the creation of a “mechanism” for British broadcasters to continue to tell campaigning stories.I Fought the Law was commissioned for ITV by Head of Drama Polly Hill and Senior Drama Commissioner Helen Ziegler, who will oversee production of the drama on behalf of the channel. Hera Pictures will produce the series in association with All3Media International, with EPs Liza Marshall and Charlotte Webber. Filming is due to commence in August 2024 in Teesside and surrounding areas, in collaboration with North East Screen via the North East Production fund. All3Media International will distribute globally.
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