Northern Pictures’ The Jury: Death on the Staircase takes inspiration from a smash-hit format from Channel 4 in the UK to provide insight and analysis on how juries work.
Over five unmissable episodes, the series re-enacts a real manslaughter trial* with actors reciting real court transcripts word-for-word. But just as in a real court, the new jury is made up of 12 everyday Australians. The jurors reflect contemporary Australian society – a diverse range of ages, cultures, and life experiences. Will they conclude the accused is an innocent man, or determine he is guilty? Will the new jury arrive at the same decision as the original trial?
The names dates, locations, and images have been changed to protect identities in the original trial.
Directed by Tosca Looby, The Jury: Death on the Staircase is based on a format created by ScreenDog Productions and distributed by Blue Ant Studios. The series had major production investment from Screen Australia and financial assistance from Screen NSW, which also supported post, digital, and visual effects.
It will air weekly from Wednesday, November 6 at 8.30pm on SBS with each episode then available to stream free on SBS On Demand.