Channel 4 viewers have been left fuming over the return of a courtroom social experiment – with many insisting the new season is already ‘driving them bonkers’ thanks to what they describe as a ‘biased’ jury.
The second series of The Jury: Murder Trial launched on Tuesday night, inviting a fresh set of participants to weigh in on a harrowing real-life case.
Based on the 2017 trial of a woman who stabbed her boyfriend to death, the programme uses verbatim transcripts to recreate the courtroom with actors.
The question posed is simple – given the same evidence, will a brand-new jury reach the same verdict as the original?
This year’s defendant is Sophie, a mother accused of fatally stabbing her partner with a kitchen knife.
The jurors must decide whether she acted in self-defence, meaning she walks free, or committed murder, which could see her imprisoned for life.
Meanwhile, eagle-eyed viewers were distracted by the actors used to portray witnesses and lawyers, with several spotting familiar faces.
‘Didn’t he used to be in Emmerdale?’ asked one, while another noted: ‘Hang on, she’s on EastEnders.’
Yet not everyone was impressed, with one grumbling: ‘Recognising some of the actors is distracting.’
The gripping four-part series runs nightly until Friday, with the next instalment set to show Sophie herself taking the stand to explain her actions.
The first series of the gripping show aired last year, following the same concept.
It examined the jury system by recreating a real murder trial with two different juries to see if they can reach the same verdict.
The two juries, who were unaware of each other, were asked to make a judgement on a real case of a man who admits he killed his wife but whose defence maintains that he lost control and is therefore not guilty of murder.
Andy Vasey and Dan Warner, Creative Directors, 4creative, said: ‘The show is an innovative true crime experiment that gives the public an insight into the British jury system.
‘Our campaign spotlights how, for example, a juror being hungover or tired might be as likely to sway a verdict as the facts of the case.
‘With one trial and two juries, it’s fascinating to see whether the same verdict will be reached by both.’
