"Silent Witness" (1996)TV series 1996-????

Directors:

Mike Barker
Ben Bolt

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11

Release Date:

21 February 1996 (UK)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

Plot Keywords:

Police

Awards:

6 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

William Gaminara	...	Leo Dalton / ... (51 episodes, 2002-2007)
Tom Ward	...	Dr. Harry Cunningham / ... (51 episodes, 2002-2007)
Amanda Burton	...	Sam Ryan (46 episodes, 1996-2004)
Emilia Fox	...	Nikki Alexander / ... (33 episodes, 2004-2007)

Runtime:

120 min (Season 3,4,and 5) | 60 min (season 1,2,6 - 11)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M | Australia:MA (some episodes) | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Extras: Ben Stiller (#1.1)" (2005)

Sick!

This show is very well-acted but is basically one plodding & unoriginal plot after another stretched out with a plethora of pseudo-technical forensics jargon delivered with many pregnant pauses & meaningful looks.

What separates these shows from the hundreds of run-of-the-mill Agatha Christie rehashes & homages that British TV churns out are the ghoulish & highly detailed recreations of carved-up cadavers & hideous burn victims. There's even a disclaimer at the beginning of every show warning off viewers too squeamish to witness recreated autopsies.

It's obvious that the monster makeup aspect of this programme is the real draw which I find pretty sick & morally reprehensible. It exploits the plight of badly disfigured people (see the episode about the train accident) who have to live out their nightmares with much pain & little hope of recovery (to say nothing of the convenience of makeup removal at the end of the day).

Sick.