Crime of Passion TV series

Crime of Passion

1970 - United Kingdom

Playwright Ted Willis had been responsible for some of television's most successful plays and series. In Crime of Passion the creator of such typically British police shows such as Dixon of Dock Green and Sergeant Cork turned to France to reconstruct some of the true life cases that have qualified for that description. 

In France crime passionnel (or crime of passion) was a valid defence during murder cases; during the 19th century, some cases could result in a custodial sentence for two years for the murderer. Each play in the series was based on fact and was both a courtroom confrontation and a human drama. The story started by showing the crime in question before moving on to the trial and tracing the criminal act to its emotional roots. At the end of each episode the judge delivered his verdict. 

President of the Court was played by Anthony Newlands, while the grave-faced figures of prosecutor Maitre Lacan and defence council Maitre Savel were respectively played by John Phillips and Daniel Moynihan. Bernard Archer as Maitre Dubois appeared in the last series. Each episode was named after the person on trial.

Published on December 5th, 2018. Written by Laurence Marcus for Television Heaven.

Read Next...

Gangsters tv series

Hard hitting crime drama series inspired by the movie The French Connection.

Also tagged Crime Drama

The Mary Tyler Moore Show

Independent career woman moves to Minneapolis, and is offered the position of associate producer for a radio station's Six O'Clock News.

Also released in 1970

Redgauntlet

Redcoats versus Jacobites in an adaptation of Sir Walter Scott's romantic swashbuckler.

Also released in 1970

Arrest and Trial

Courtroom drama in two parts - the first shows the police investigation and consequential arrest, while the second shows the suspects trial.

Also tagged Courtroom Drama

Shadow Squad

Frustrated by the rules and regulations that hampered his criminal investigations, Detective Vic Steele turns his back on Scotland Yard and the Flying Squad to set up his own private detective agency.

Also tagged Crime Drama

Justice TV series

Courtroom drama series based on a one-off play.

Also tagged Courtroom Drama

Shoestring

Radio host is also a private investigator. Not so much a private eye - but a 'private ear.'

Also tagged Crime Drama