The series was commissioned and is executive produced by Dan Korn, VP of programming at A+E Networks EMEA, with Diana Carter, commissioning editor and head of talent.
A+E Networks EMEA has commissioned Redeeming Features, Century Films, and GroupM Motion Entertainment to produce a 2×60’ historical investigative series titled The Guilty Innocent with acclaimed actor Christopher Eccleston. The series is set to premiere on Sky HISTORY and The HISTORY Channels across Europe in May 2024. In his first-ever presenting role, Eccleston will delve into two highly controversial cases that captured public attention, sparked major campaigns for social justice, and continue to intrigue audiences today.
Marking the 50th anniversary of the arrest of minicab driver George Davis for the armed payroll robbery of the London Electricity Board in Ilford, Essex, Eccleston will interview those who tirelessly campaigned for Davis’ release and for the overturning of his conviction. In a TV exclusive, Davis will break his 50-year silence with his first long-form TV interview. The series will also re-examine the contentious case of James Hanratty, one of the last men to be hanged in Britain for the murder of Michael Gregsten and the attempted murder of Valerie Storie in August 1961. Eccleston will revisit the twists and turns of this notorious case and the evidence that led to Hanratty’s execution on April 4th, 1962, sparking a concerted campaign to abolish capital punishment in the UK.
Christopher Eccleston said: “The pursuit of justice is a subject matter which has peppered my career with dramas that remain special to me and have, in their own way, swayed public opinion. The Guilty Innocent is another project which pursues justice, or the lack of it, through a new medium which has allowed me to explore another means of storytelling.”
The series was commissioned and executive produced by Dan Korn, VP of Programming at A+E Networks EMEA, with Diana Carter, Commissioning Editor, and Head of Talent at A+E Networks EMEA.
Created by BAFTA long-listed actor and filmmaker Nathanael Wiseman, the series is produced by Victoria Williams, Co-CEO of Redeeming Features, and executively produced by director Brian Hill for Century Films, and Deep Sehgal for GroupM Motion Entertainment.
Dan Korn, VP of Programming, added: “With the criminal justice system under ever greater scrutiny, there has never been a more important time to re-examine historic cases which sparked popular activism and widespread campaigning for change. And with his passion and presence, there is no one better than Christopher Eccleston to take us back to the sights and sounds of Britain in the 1960s and ‘70s.”
Victoria Williams, Producer and Co-CEO of Redeeming Features, stated: “In the wake of the Horizon scandal, there’s never been a better time to examine miscarriages of justice, so we are all really excited to be making this gripping new series for A&E. From the new season of True Detective to Our Friends In The North and Doctor Who, Christopher Eccleston is one of the best British actors working today, so to see him investigate these stories and bring them to life is a dream come true.”
