Five-part BBC drama made by World Productions (Vigil, Line Of Duty, Bodyguard) starring Tracey Ifeachor, Celine Buckens, James Frain, Sharon D. Clarke, Sinéad Keenan, Kerr Logan and Lolita Chakrabarti. Showtrial explores how prejudice, politics and the media distort the legal process, in a timely drama full of dark humour.

The production team based production offices and prop stores at The Bottle Yard Studios, beginning pre-production in January 2021. Filming took place on location with support from Bristol Film Office between March and June 2021.

City locations included St George’s Hall which provided the location for courtroom scenes and St Thomas’s Street in Redcliffe where a police station exterior was created near The Fleece pub. Filming for a student ball took place at the University of Bristol’s Ivy Gate area near to Royal Fort House and the Physics Building in the Main campus, which hosted fairground equipment.

Filming also took place outside Bristol Cathedral, at Ashton Court, Berkeley Square, the Corn Street area, Gloucester Road and nearby Cambridge Road. The production used numerous locations on or near the harbourside, including Avon Crescent, Nova Scotia Place, Cottage Inn landing and Brunel Lock.

Producer Christopher Hall said: “We benefitted from the huge variety of available locations in and in close proximity to this very photogenic city. Bristol is extremely film friendly; terrific crews, a great production base at The Bottle Yard Studios, a thriving technical and creative community and easy access to a wide range of locations. It is no wonder that so many productions are finding their way to Bristol. I for one want to return as soon as possible.”