Pemberley (Lyme Park, Cheshire)

Pemberley (Lyme Park, Cheshire)
Oh, to be in England...

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Garrow's Law- Sexy Lawyer from the late 18th-century!

Garrow's Law
Garrow's Law is a period legal drama that truly rocks. Even if you aren't a fan of modern legal shows, this is one you really need to see. A dramatization of real-life Georgian lawyer William Garrow, this follows trials at the Old Bailey in London when our legal system was in its infancy. Garrow was very modern in his approach to law, and apparently introduced the phrase "innocent until proven guilty" as legal counsel for the accused.

Andrew Buchan as William Garrow
Andrew Buchan as the titular Garrow is absolutely riveting,and he wears that waistcoat really well I must say. Does he not also look smashing in a cravat? (rhetorical question- all men look better in a cravat)

You may recognize Andrew Buchan as Jem Hearne in Cranford, or as St. John Rivers in the 2006 Jane Eyre. But this series really lets him show what a great actor he really is. And there is a bit of humour thrown in to the script to keep it lively.

Lyndsey Marshal as Lady Sarah Hill
Lyndsey Marshal plays Garrow's love interest Lady Sarah Hill. She is basically a legal groupie, who enjoys hanging out at the Old Bailey watching the drama in the courtroom and ends up getting interested in the handsome barrister as well as the cases in which he is involved.

In real life, Sarah Dore was the mistress of Arthur Hill (Viscount Fairford) not his wife as is portrayed in this series. She did have a son with Hill, before moving on to become involved in an "irregular relationship" with William Garrow. She gave birth to two of Garrow's children before finally marrying him in 1793.

Lyndsey was seen most recently as Mabel the lady's maid in Julian Fellowes' Titanic and also as Cleopatra in the miniseries Rome and Ethel Montacue in The Young Visiters.

Alun Armstrong as attorney Thomas Southouse
Alun Armstrong (who you likely recognize as Flintwinch in Little Dorrit or as Inspector Bucket from Bleak House) is the perfect choice for Southouse, a Cheapside attorney to whom Garrow was articled as a young man. Armstrong's Southouse is a great foil for the headstrong, aggressive Garrow, often trying to rein him in when he gets too confrontational. Alun Armstrong apparently found the more subtle Southouse a pleasant change from the broader cartoonish Dickensian characters he has recently played.

There are only three series (seasons) of 4 episodes each at this point in time and BBC has no plans for a fouth series at this time. But the 12 episodes are each wonderful and well worth seeing more than once.

Any other fans of Garrow's Law out there?

5 comments:

  1. Yes...LOVE Garrow's Law! My brother in law is a lawyer, and I got him interested in the series because it really does a great job of tracing how law and the courts have developed over the centuries, from the days when the accused had no one to represent them, and lawyers who did were disdained and misrepresented. Great series; great acting; I highly recommend it!

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  2. I'd never heard of it. It sounds fascinating! Now I just have to find it.

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  3. I love Garrow's Law, its such a great TV series, I honestly surprised it hasn't aired on Masterpiece.

    I was so disappointed that they decided to cancel it.

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    1. Katherine, I agree that Masterpiece missed the boat here. I have been taping Garrow's Law on BBC Canada and I have a PVR full now very happily. I am savouring them!

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  4. This sounds exactly my cuppa, I shall have to hunt it down. We haven't seen it here in New Zealand, as far as I am aware. I love Alun Armstrong, his face is so full of character. He enhances everything he appears in.

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