New Street Law is a British legal drama television series produced by
Red Production CompanyRed Production Company is a British independent television production company, formed in 1998 by Nicola Shindler, an experienced television producer who had worked on such prestige dramas as Our Friends in the North and Cracker...
in association with One-Eyed Dog Ltd for
BBC OneBBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
. The series was created by
G. F. NewmanGordon Frank Newman is an English television producer and writer. He is known for his two series Law and Order and The Nation's Health, each based on his books....
and Matthew Hall, and starred an ensemble cast headed by
John HannahJohn David Hannah is a Scottish actor of film and television. He has appeared in Stephen Sommers' Mummy Series, Richard Curtis' Four Weddings and a Funeral and Sliding Doors with Gwyneth Paltrow...
and Paul Freeman. Hannah and Freeman play Jack Roper and Laurence Scammel respectively, two barristers heading rival chambers in Manchester. Roper's chamber works in defence, while Scammel—Roper's one-time mentor—works for prosecution. A large supporting cast played members of Roper and Scammel's teams.
Filming on sets took place at Web Film Studios,
Little HultonLittle Hulton is a village—effectively a suburb—within the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies south of Bolton, west-northwest of Salford, and west-northwest of Manchester...
, near
BoltonBolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
. Location work was done on the streets of
ManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Bolton and
RochdaleRochdale is a large market town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the foothills of the Pennines on the River Roch, north-northwest of Oldham, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester. Rochdale is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan...
. Other interior locations included the Bolton Masonic Hall, St John Street Chambers in Manchester, and a hospital in Rochdale. Although the second series did not air until February 2007, there was only a six-week gap between filming.
The first series aired in May and June 2006 in a pre-watershed timeslot on BBC One. The second series was moved to 9 p.m. Low ratings saw the last two episodes moved to a 10.40 p.m. timeslot. In July 2007, the cancellation of the series was announced. This left an unresolved cliffhanger from the second series, with the audience left unaware of whether Jack survived a car crash.
Cast and characters
- John Hannah
John David Hannah is a Scottish actor of film and television. He has appeared in Stephen Sommers' Mummy Series, Richard Curtis' Four Weddings and a Funeral and Sliding Doors with Gwyneth Paltrow...
as Jack Roper
- Paul Freeman as Laurence Scammel QC
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
- John Thomson as Charlie Darling
- Lisa Faulkner
Lisa Tamsin Faulkner is an English actress and television personality.-Early life:Faulkner was educated at Tiffin Girls' School, Kingston upon Thames.When Faulkner was 16, her mother, Julie, died of cancer...
as Laura Scammel
- Chris Gascoyne as Al Ware
- Penny Downie
Penny Downie is an Australian actress, noted for her appearances on British television.She began her career in Australia, initially in Brisbane at Twelfth Night Theatre and Brisbane Arts Theatre. She trained at the National Institute of Dramatic Art , Sydney...
as Honor Scammel
- Lee Williams as Joe Stevens
- Lara Cazalet
Lara Imogen Leonora Cazalet is an English actress, known for portraying Zandra Plackett in Bad Girls and Annie Quick in New Street Law.-Background:...
as Annie Quick
- Ace Bhatti
Ahsen Rafiq "Ace" Bhatti is a British actor who trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He has starred in numerous television series, including New Street Law, Life Isn't All Ha Ha Hee Hee, The Sarah Jane Adventures as Haresh Chandra and in EastEnders playing Yusef...
as Ash Aslan
- Jayne Ashbourne as Sally Benn
- Don Warrington
Don Warrington, MBE is a Trinidadian British actor.-Personal life:Warrington was born in Trinidad and Tobago on 23 May 1951 and brought up in Newcastle upon Tyne, England from age five. His father was the Trinidadian politician, Basil Kydd, who died in 1958. He has two sons.His acting career...
as Judge Ken Winyard
Series 1 (2006)
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Series 2 (2007)
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DVD releases
Acorn Media UKAcorn Media UK is a DVD publisher which distributes and sells home video products with a particular focus on British television.- Company history :The company was founded in 1997 when Lesley Fromant set up a branch of parent company Acorn Media in the UK....
has released both series on DVD in Region 2.
In Region 1,
Entertainment OneEntertainment One Ltd is a leading international entertainment business operating in the United States, Canada, the UK, Ireland, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia and New Zealand...
has released the entire series on DVD.