Judge John Deed
Judge John Deed

Judge John Deed

2001 7 Seasons 28 Episodes ⭐ 6.8 War & Politics Drama Crime

Judge John Deed is a British legal drama television series produced by the BBC in association with One-Eyed Dog for BBC One. It was created by G.F. Newman and stars Martin Shaw as Sir John Deed, a High Court judge who tries to seek real justice in the cases before him. It also stars Jenny Seagrove as the barrister Jo Mills, frequently the object of Deed's desire. A pilot episode was broadcast on 9 January 2001, followed by the first full series on 26 November 2001. The sixth and last series concluded on 18 January 2007. The programme then went on an indefinite break after Shaw became involved in another television programme, and he and Seagrove expressed a wish for the format of the series to change before they filmed new episodes. By 2009, the series had officially been cancelled. The six series produced make it the longest-running BBC legal drama. The factual accuracy of the series is often criticised by legal professionals and journalists; many of the decisions taken by Deed are unlikely to happen in a real court. The romanticised vision of the court system created by Newman caused a judge to issue a warning to a jury not to let the series influence their view of trials—referring to an episode where Deed flouts rules when called up for jury duty. Another episode led to complaints about biased and incorrect information about the MMR vaccine, leading the BBC to ban repeats of it in its original form. All six series have been released on DVD in the UK.

Judge John Deed is a British legal drama television series produced by the BBC in association with One-Eyed Dog for BBC One. It was created by G.F. Newman and stars Martin Shaw as Sir John Deed, a High Court judge who tries to seek real justice in the cases before him. It also stars Jenny Seagrove as the barrister Jo Mills, frequently the object of Deed's desire. A pilot episode was broadcast on 9 January 2001, followed by the first full series on 26 November 2001. The sixth and last series concluded on 18 January 2007. The programme then went on an indefinite break after Shaw became involved in another television programme, and he and Seagrove expressed a wish for the format of the series to change before they filmed new episodes. By 2009, the series had officially been cancelled. The six series produced make it the longest-running BBC legal drama. The factual accuracy of the series is often criticised by legal professionals and journalists; many of the decisions taken by Deed are unlikely to happen in a real court. The romanticised vision of the court system created by Newman caused a judge to issue a warning to a jury not to let the series influence their view of trials—referring to an episode where Deed flouts rules when called up for jury duty. Another episode led to complaints about biased and incorrect information about the MMR vaccine, leading the BBC to ban repeats of it in its original form. All six series have been released on DVD in the UK.

Watch Free Now

Seasons & Episodes

EP 1

Rough Justice

A charismatic MI5 informer appears in Deed's court charged with battering his wife, and the judge comes under pressure f

EP 2

Duty of Care

Deed presides over the case of a young man's death on a building site, in which the well-connected construction company

EP 3

Appropriate Response

Romero, a serial rapist sentenced by Deed to twelve years imprisonment, is out on parole after serving eight years. As a

EP 4

Hidden Agenda

Deed presides over a murder trial. An old man suffering from cancer died from a morphine overdose, and his attractive yo

EP 1

Political Expediency

After a call girl is found dead in a skip, an Arab sheikh's chauffeur is charged with killing her, but the evidence poin

EP 2

Abuse of Power

After a young woman is battered to death, the mentally retarded Gary Patterson confesses and the police consider the cas

EP 3

Nobody's Fool

Deed rekindles his old love affair with Francesca Rochester, and at first he fails to notice that she is making use of h

EP 4

Everyone's Child

Deed has to give judgement in a court battle between a child and his parents. Jason Powell (who is represented by Jo Mil

EP 1

Health Hazard

Deed has two difficult new cases in his court. In one, a woman with a brain tumour claims it was caused by using her mob

EP 2

Judicial Review

Deed gets angry when a brother judge deals leniently with a man convicted of political offences from whom the judge has

EP 3

Conspiracy

Jo Mills leads for the prosecution and Brian Cantwell for the defence when a British member of parliament, Alan Roxborou

EP 4

Economic Imperative

The case of Diana Hulsey, a single mother with terminal brain cancer who is suing a telephone company, is concluded in D

EP 1

Lost and Found

Jo Mills was planning to take time off work, but then she agrees to defend a man who escaped trial sixteen years before

EP 2

Above the Law

Deed has three drug-dealers in his court accused of a vicious gang killing, and he comes under pressure from government

EP 3

In Defence of Others

Deed has the case before him of a man charged with killing a paedophile, but the jury find the defendant not guilty. Aft

EP 4

Defence of the Realm

Deed's fling with a woman claimant in his court gets him into hot water. His brother judges are appalled, and Deed finds

EP 5

Separation of Powers

Deed has an environmental case before him, in which a company operating a large-scale waste incinerator is accused of da

EP 6

Popular Appeal

An angry contestant in a TV show kills another competitor on camera, and the show's producers face charges of manslaugh

EP 1

Hard-Gating

Deed questions an unpleasant prison officer closely about the death of Paul Settle, a young prisoner who was stabbed to

EP 2

My Daughter, Right or Wrong

In a case in Deed's court, his daughter Charlie is the junior counsel defending Henry Free - an animal rights activist c

EP 3

Lost Youth

Deed has to judge a case concerning Jo's boyfriend, Marc Thompson. Marc wants to take the decision not to resuscitate a

EP 4

Silent Killer

In court, Deed has to judge the case of a couple who are fighting their local council over a police communications mast

EP 5

One Angry Man

Deed's superiors want him out of the way, and they arrange for him to be called for jury service on a case which will no

EP 6

Heart of Darkness

In Deed's court, Jo Mills acts for a mother whose former husband, Paul Robson-Alan, wants their baby to be given the 'MM

EP 1

War Crimes (1)

Deed's involvement in the case of a far-right British National Party councilor brings him to the notice of terrorists wh

EP 2

War Crimes (2)

Continuing the story of a war crimes trial in The Hague. Deed finds the defendant is a victim of the British government'

EP 3

Evidence of Harm (1)

Deed risks a constitutional crisis in pursuit of justice for a soldier?s family. Jo Mills asks him to review the withdra

EP 4

Evidence of Harm (2)

Deed delves deeper into why funding for the soldier to sue the pharmaceutical company was withdrawn and makes ever more

Popular Cast