New Street Law

The British legal drama New Street Law follows the personal lives and cases of two rival legal practices headed by former student and teacher characters Jack Roper and Laurence Scammel. Produced by Red Productions for the British network BBC One New Street Law features well known character actors John Hannah from The Mummy and Paul Freeman from the blockbuster movie Raiders of the Lost Ark. The show ran for two seasons and a total of 14 episodes between 2006 and 2007 before it was canceled by the BBC.

New Street Law begins with Jack Roper leaving the prosecution-based legal team headed by his former mentor Laurence Scammel to establish his own practice specializing in defending clients. Before leaving Scammel's legal practice Rope is offered a lucrative new job with a huge pay rise; despite the perks of the offer Roper follows his principles and establishes his own practice in the northern English city of Manchester. Throughout the two seasons Roper and Scammel clash as they face each other in various cases tried in the courts of Manchester. The majority of the legal stories are told through the discussions of the lawyers and their respective legal teams in their chambers; the show tries to portray the legal system in the U.K. in a realistic way by avoiding sensational acting and speeches in the courtroom scenes. Most cases are resolved within the confines of each 60 minute episode

In contrast to the legal stories, the personal lives of the lawyers are explored in a more sensational way with stories stretching over the two seasons of the show. Some well-known faces from British TV drama's and comedies are featured in the show, including recurring characters played by John Thompson and Lisa Faulkner.