GF Newman Remembers… Law and Order

In 1978, the BBC crime drama Law and Order so shocked the nation with its realistic depiction of a police force riddled with corruption that questions were asked in the House of Commons, the BBC’s director general was summoned by ministers to explain himself, and the programme was effectively banned from being broadcast again for 30 years. The man who helped television escape the dramatic handcuffs of shows like Dixon of Dock Green and Z Cars was Law and Order’s writer and creator GF Newman, who here looks back on both the series and the controversy. Newman recounts how secrecy and intrigue played a part in getting the drama onto our screens, explains where he found the inspiration for his groundbreaking storylines and characters, reveals how real police officers responded to the show and concludes why he believes the themes of Law and Order remain relevant to this day.