BBC - BBC TV blog: Silk: Maxine Peake on playing Martha Post categories: actress , bbc one , drama Fiona Wickham | 09:21 UK time, Tuesday, 15 May 2012 Series two of Silk opens on BBC One tonight, with Martha Costello now a QC. Actress Maxine Peake answered our questions about the return of the courtroom drama. How has Martha's character developed in series two ? I don't know whether Martha has developed much as a character as we seem to stay well away from her personal life in this series and focus on her cases much more. I think if anything she's becoming tougher but it hasn't been easy. Maxine Peake as Martha Costello QC You said "it would be extremely challenging for me to play Martha" when series one came out. What was most challenging about it? I think convincing myself I could credibly play a barrister . When you have an accent as specific as mine people do tend to pigeon-hole you. Especially as far as class and education are concerned. I think people associate being middle class with a lack of accent. That is not the case, especially up north, and that a university education would neutralise any accent.

We really need to change our way of thinking! The amount of dialogue to learn too bordered sometimes on the impossible! How do you get into character? I have to create a detailed back story for each character I play. I find it really useful to use music, literature and art as keys to their personality. What they like to listen to, read. Art that stimulates them. I find a song or painting which I think represents them. A friend of mine, Lex Shrapnel, said to me after a Fleet Foxes concert that the beautiful thing about music is that you can tell a whole story in a few minutes and I think that goes for encapsulating a character's inner life. Peter [Moffat] very kindly would adapt his scripts to fit my back story too. Which was fantastic. Tell us a bit about Clive and Martha's relationship and how they test each other over the series. Martha and Clive are now the best of friends and as with the people you love the most, they challenge and taunt each other. I adore their relationship. As Rupert put it perfectly: they are like brother and sister who sometimes get a little confused! In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed.

Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions Martha annoys Clive by calling him a 'note taker' Did you do any further research for series two? I went back to the Old Bailey for a couple of days with Rupert this time and we sat in on a murder trial. I also met up with a female QC at a chambers in Manchester and she talked me through the highs and lows. With the cuts to legal aid it's very difficult at the moment and hopefully if Silk goes to a third series Peter might highlight that. How do you feel during this period between finishing shooting and the programme airing? I fortunately went straight into another job so didn't give it much thought. Although this year I felt we became much more of a team and did miss everyone a little. We had the fabulous Frances Barber , Indira Varma , Phil Davis and Shaun Evans on board so we all had to up our game. Can you enjoy watching your performance on screen or does it make you uncomfortable? I hate it! It sends me into the depths of despair! Which of the actors did you most enjoy working with? I love my scenes with Neil Stuke , he's such an open and energetic actor you just have to react to him.

I bloody love Rupert, he's funny and terribly self-deprecating and I was over the moon when Shaun Evans joined us. He's such a great actor and I've always had a wee bit of a crush on him, but don't tell him that! What was your personal highlight? Getting to finally meet Frances Barber. What a woman! Maxine Peake plays Martha Costello QC in Silk . Silk returns tonight at 9pm on BBC One and BBC One HD . For further programme times, please see the episode guide . Comments made by writers on the BBC TV blog are their own opinions and not necessarily those of the BBC. Martha Costello QC to become a US attorney as she swaps chambers for 'world's top law firm' - Legal Cheek Star of BBC legal drama to follow a reverse version of Amal Clooney’s career path in American re-make After having seemingly been confined to legal drama history, Martha Costello is back. It began so brightly for Britain’s finest fictional lawyer, as she beat off competition from chambers colleagues to become a QC in the first series of BBC legal drama Silk.

Newly made-up, the working-class-girl-made-good dazzled throughout Silk’s second and third series, wowing judges, fellow barristers and members of the public with her almost supernatural abilities. Costello — or, more accurately, the actress who plays Costello, Maxine Peake — even found time to delight real lawyers as she protested earlier this year against the legal aid cuts. And then, out of the blue, the BBC decided to axe Silk . Was this the end for Martha? Surely not, her fans prayed, hoping against hope that Shoe Lane Chambers’ top tenant would find some kind of reprieve. But the silence over the last few months has been deafening. Suddenly, though, out of the blue The Hollywood Reporter has announced that Silk is to be re-made for US TV — and will be based around “the journey of unorthodox and uncompromising attorney Martha Costello”! While no mention is made of the other Silk characters, Costello will move from the bar of England and Wales to become a US attorney at “the world’s top law firm”, “Crown & Royce” (below is how the firm’s logo might look).

Admittedly, Martha’s journey from legal aid barrister to associate at the very corporate-sounding C&R — which is billed as “secretive and elitist” — seems a rather far-fetched one, but that won’t bother regular Silk watchers, who have come to cherish the ridiculousness of the drama’s story lines. Actually, come to think of it, maybe Martha’s transatlantic switch isn’t so crazy: isn’t that what Amal Clooney did in reverse, going from New York corporate firm Sullivan & Cromwell to London legal aid set Doughty Street. And she went on to marry a Hollywood star… Anyway, the new show will apparently focus on Costello’s battle to survive the charged office politics of corporate law, using her “unstoppable blue-collar determination” to offset her charming lack of polish. No date has been given yet for the airing of Silk USA, but the production company, ABC, has disclosed that its original writer, ex-barrister Peter Moffat, will be retained as executive producer.

Silk: series 3, episode 1, BBC One, review - Telegraph TV and Radio reviews Silk: series 3, episode 1, BBC One, review The new series of Silk, Peter Moffat's barrister romp, was not as smooth as it should have been, says Neil Midgley 2 Follow Peter Moffat’s barrister romp Silk (BBC One), with its flirty duelling leads Maxine Peake and Rupert Penry-Jones , returned last night for a third series. This opening episode reintroduced the series’ characters efficiently, presented an intriguing case-of-the-week, and offered a juicy plot twist at the end. In other words, it was the kind of crime story that has kept BBC One’s viewers happy for decades. But TV drama has now moved on, and workmanlike shows like this suffer by comparison to the dark and subtle offerings from Scandinavia that we’ve been enjoying for the past few years. The plot revolved around young David Cowdrey (Alexander Arnold), who had been kettled at a demo – and duly pushed a police officer so hard that the officer fell over, cracked his head, and died.

Martha Costello, the salt-of-the-earth-but-passionately-bright QC played by Peake, was instructed to defend him. Her posh-but-sharp colleague Clive Reader QC, played by Penry-Jones, pitched in to help – not least because David was the son of their head of chambers. They argued about evidence: had the bent police fabricated it to frame David, and had he in fact lashed out in self-defence? But then came the big reveal. David was in fact schizophrenic, and had been told to attack by a menacing voice that only he could hear. Martha discovered David’s demons in a jail-cell scene that lasted precisely 60 seconds – and then agitatedly vowed to save him from a life in Broadmoor, regardless of the correct legal verdict. “I can’t be only a lawyer, Clive,” she wailed. Indeed, Martha dutifully vocalised every detail of how she felt about her case, her ethics and her main squeeze. Silk was an easy watch – viewers were spared the pregnant lacunae, the silent inferences and the prolonged ambiguities that they’d wrestle with in Nordic Noir.

Silk’s production, too, was as familiar as a nice British cup of tea. The familiarly reassuring lighting, photography and music could have been from Last Tango in Halifax or Truckers . And – worst of all – David’s mental illness was thrown away as a brisk plot point, and an excuse for an outbreak of sentimentality among the female barristers, rather than being handled with any depth or sensitivity. Of course, while Silk and its ilk continue to attract big ratings, BBC One can get away with undistinguished crime procedurals. But as legal drama from around Europe – and even from BBC Two – reaches ever higher standards, how long will that be for? The jury’s out. Related Articles Maxine Peake to play Martha Costello QC-style role in new animated short film - Legal Cheek Maxine Peake to play Martha Costello QC-style role in new animated short film Mar 5 2015 12:18pm WhatsApp Star of legal drama Silk is back as you’ve never seen her before Maxine Peake, the actress who plays Martha Costello in Silk, is to do the voiceover for a character reminiscent of the fictional top QC in a new animated film about legal aid superheroes.

‘Legal Aid Team’ — which will premiere on the Guardian website in April — features a host of cartoon lawyer-superhero hybrids, among whom is ‘Red Lawyer’ (pictured above), the Costello-like character. Peake has won real-life lawyers’ respect by campaigning actively against the government’s cuts to the legal aid budget, appearing at the demonstration at Westminster last year (pictured below) and last month at the protests outside the Global Law Summit. The actress — who is reported to be set to star in a US version of Silk later this year — joins comedians Kevin Eldon and Angela Barnes as the voices for the superheroes, with further big names set to be announced. Post by Legal Aid Team . Fred Grace, the producer of the film, told Legal Cheek: “We’re aiming to put the cuts to legal aid on the agenda before the general election as we think that they’ve largely been done under a cloak of boredom that has prevented people from outside the legal profession from taking an interest in something that will have serious repercussions for the justice system in this country.” He went on to provide some background about Legal Aid Team: “We’re delighted to have Maxine Peake on board to play one of the legal aid team.

We wrote this script over a year ago with the premise that legal aid lawyers are heroes so why not make them into superheroes. As a long time supporter of Justice Alliance . She has come on in the last few weeks to add her weight to the campaign and play one of the superhero team fighting to save legal aid.” As the company behind the production, Fat Rat Films, put the finishing touches to the video ahead of its 1 April launch, it is looking to secure funding to help with the costs of its project. Its funding page is here . Have you been watching ... Silk? | Television & radio | The Guardian TV and radio blog Have you been watching ... Silk? An improvement on an already strong first season, refreshingly, this legal drama has a female lead not constantly distracted by love interests Sans wigs ...

Billy (Neil Stuke), Martha Costello QC (Maxine Peake) and Clive Reader (Rupert Penry-Jones) in BBC1's legal drama Silk Photograph: Colin Hutton/BBC/Colin Hutton Share on Messenger Close While you might find television guilty of showing too many legal dramas, you should make an exception for the second series of Silk on BBC1 , starring Maxine Peake as uncompromising young QC Martha Costello and Rupert Penry-Jones as Clive Reader, her sneering posh-boy rival in chambers. Former barrister and writer Peter Moffat has a knack for combining the courtroom and the bedroom in just the right measures so that neither overtakes the other. There's nothing worse than tuning in for the cut and thrust of legal badinage only to find wall-to-wall wigs on light fittings, and professional law enforcers at it like over-sprung Zebedees. At the start of this second series, Martha has just taken silk, which for non-legal types means she has graduated to Queen's Counsel and gets to wear an even sillier wig and flowing robes in court. Peake plays her as a pragmatic idealist without making her seem pious or annoying.

And for a female lead, it's refreshing to see that she's not constantly being distracted by love interests. She and Clive have the odd look between them, but the chemistry is entirely competitive – and when she softens towards him it's not because she dreams of seeing his briefs. Her relationship with Billy (played with just the right amouth of restraint by Neil Stuke), the no nonsense clerk of her chambers, is a professional one but you can sense the affection between them. Clive, on the other hand, thinks of little else but sex and was duly punished for it in this week's episode whe he heard, unofficially, that his own silk application was rejected because he knobbed his own pupil. In between shagging George the voracious lady solicitor in a series of sordid and dangerous locations (a disabled toilet most recently) and making scandalous eyes at various others, he fits in the odd case and has now turned prosecutor – much to the distaste of Billy, who is simultaneously subordinate to and also completely in charge of the barristers, which makes for some interesting power play. Silk is very much a workplace drama with the action kept inside chambers and the courtroom.

Home life is suggested but it's not the main focus like so many other examples of the genre. The courtroom action so far has veered from gripping (Clive unraveling the lies of three public school nasties who attacked a young waitress) to ludicrous (Martha defending a mob henchman who plucked out the eyes of a chap who'd betrayed his boss). As a series opener, the inclusion of graphic descriptions of said eyeball plucking was certainly an attention-grabbing move – but it elicited more laughter than horror at the crucial moment. Series two has also been an improvement on an already strong first outing thanks to the casting of the magnificent Frances Barber as QC Caroline Warwick, also known as Lady Macbeth. Martha encounters her when they face off in court over the mob trial and immediately take a shine to each other. Combining a sisterly supportiveness behind the scenes with the utterly cold steel of rivalry in court, Warwick is already shaping up to be a fascinating addition to the cast. If you, like me, never did quite get over Channel 4's axing of North Square , Peter Moffat's first barrister-focused drama set in Leeds in 2000, you'll cling to Silk like a welcome old friend.

It's basically the same show with the same lead actor (Penry-Jones) and even features the brilliant Phil Davies as shady solicitor Mickey Joy. (He played the "Billy" role magnificently in North Square.) Are you a fan or does it fail to make the, ahem, (Silk) cut? Silk - Being a QC and 'At the Bar' is no Barrier to Success | The Culture Concept Circle May 24, 2012 Silk – Being a QC and ‘At the Bar’ is no Barrier to Success The whole history of the world is summed up in the fact that, when nations are strong, they are not always just, and when they wish to be just, they are no longer strong* Billy the crafty Senior Clerk of Shoe Lane Chambers (Neil Stuke) with Martha Costello Q.C.

(Maxine Peake) and Barrister Clive Reader (Rupert Penry-Jones) in the BBC 1 TV Drama Silk, which recently returned at London for its second season In March 2011 our correspondent at London provided us with information on the many and varied new television series, some short, some long, that were all seemingly churning out of that august city in the moment. Some really riveting stories were revealed in the first series of the six part television series out of the BBC at London – ‘Silk’. This one, it seemed, certainly was a cut above the rest as it gained momentum. Eventually it panned out to be a slick wonderful production that gathered you up and addicted you to its weekly stories so if you don’t want us to spoil it for you don’t read on. There was sex, drinking, drugs, pimps and rent boys in the upside down world of barristers and their clients. There was judges, juries, court clerks, chamber clerks and pupils learning. The pupils all started with stars in their eyes but soon become disillusioned as dreams dissolved and reality set in. It was an outstanding series that many could not wait to return, which it has in 2012.

If the first two episodes of Series 2 of Silk screening on May 15 in the UK is anything to go by, perhaps the best is yet to come. This is a truly outstanding show wonderfully acted and written. Being a barrister, according to Silk’s writer Peter Moffat, who should know as he was one, is about extreme pressure, hard choices, ethical dilemmas, the overlap between personal and professional, the principles fought for and those principles that are sacrificed in the name of justice. Then there is the Machiavellian angle – an end justifying the means style of politics. Moffat also says “life at the bar is the richest possible drama territory” Silk is a natural fibre created by worms, that when woven as cloth refracts light coming from all directions and produces different colours. It is an ideal metaphor for the legal profession with its shimmering slippery stories of being ‘at the Bar’, which is in no way a barrier to achieving success.

It is not just all about me, it's about my client says Martha to Clive her rival for Silk in Series 1 Written by BAFTA award winning writer Peter Moffat, the first six part series Silk was about a bevvy of junior barristers working in ‘chambers’ at London where they were attempting to “take silk” and become Queen’s Counsel (Q.C.). Then, and only then will they be allowed to wear the robes, made of coloured silk, that go with the position. In order to qualify a lawyer has to serve as a barrister, solicitor or, in Scotland as an advocate for at least ten years. Only one could win and Martha Costello, played so brilliantly by Maxine Peake, has a great new wig to wear. Martha Costello Queen's Counsel and Billy Lamb, Senior Clerk of Shoe Lane Chambers The cast playing alongside her is certainly impressive. Barrister Clive Reader is former Spook’s favourite (Rupert Penry-Jones), together with as Senior Clark of Shoe Lane Chambers Billy Lamb (Neil Stuke).

Nick Slade (Tom Hughes) and Niamh Cranitch (Natalie Dormer) were pupils in series 1 and together they all raised the bar very high indeed. In Series 2 the main protagonists are joined by Phil Davis as Micky Joy, who really knows how to define evil in a quiet way, and an acting heavyweight of the old school, Frances Barber. She plays Martha’s opposing Q.C., who appropriately is nicknamed Lady Macbeth on account of her ruthlessness. She warns Martha that while their personal relationship will be one thing, in court all that will change and she will use any, and all means at her disposal, to win her case. However, as it turns out she does misunderstand Martha’s total commitment to real justice, which is more than humbling as she fights to reveal the truth behind a vicious attack perpetrated by her client, who has clearly been manipulated in a horrible way. His proven innocence eventually costs him his life and leaves the viewer coping with the conundrum about how complicated life can really turn out to be and that juries have to struggle with so many issues to reach their decisions.

Martha Costello, everyone is innocent until proven guilty Photo from BBC/Phil Fisk In Silk, Maxine Peake plays the very driven Martha Costello, who lives by four words – innocent until proven guilty. Her resolve and mettle is constantly challenged by clients who are sometimes good, sometimes bad and sometimes positively evil. Writer Peter Moffat said in an interview for BBC News about the first series that he wanted to avoid the female lawyer so often portrayed by Hollywood – successful yet single, and unfulfilled. “I don’t think it’s just Hollywood,” he said. “Apart from Helen Mirren, you struggle to come up with a single character-led drama led by a woman. “And not have that woman have as her only big issues whether or not she’s going to be with the man she quite fancies, and whether or not a baby might get in the way of her professional existence. “It’s great to have Maxine Peake,” he continued. “She’s really real and not obviously barristerial”.

Are you quite sure, Martha is asking the accused Single minded and stoic Martha Costello, who we found out was pregnant in the first series, has no use at all for internal politics, other ambitious barristers, dirty cops, corrupt judges, and anything else standing in the way of natural justice. Even her baby, which she ended up losing, would not have compromised her true and moral self. Tragedy and drama abound in this amazing show, and Maxine is certainly at the ‘peak’ of her career. Her acting abilities are outstanding and she is very convincing. It is hard not to believe that you are actually in the court watching the proceedings first hand. She should gain an award for this work. There is much intelligence being bandied about as each episode grapples with very complex legal, moral and social issues. They are thought-provoking and focus attention on interesting legal dilemmas and moral ambiguities. It is well-crafted entertainment that’s both thought provoking and engrossing. The Old Bailey, where justice is served “For me Spooks set the bar very high” Penry-Jones reminisced when speaking to a BBC Entertainment reporter, “And, I don’t want to come in underneath that‘.

The world of the bar at London today seems very different to the world of Rumpole of the Bailey, well known author John Mortimer’s freelance freedom fighter, who was depicted in 42 episodes that ran from 1978 – 1992 on British and Australian television. Rumpole, a master barrister at the Old Bailey Starring Australian born British actor Leo McKern as the indefatigable barrister who defended any and all clients, Rumpole achieved almost legendary status and the greatest popularity in television history. Wearing wrinkled clothing and enjoying a tipple or two of his favourite wines – a low-rent claret Pommeroy’s Plonk or the more refined ‘Chateau Thames Embankment’ he was a passionate defender of civil liberty. In Rumpole’s eyes everyone was presumed innocent and deserved the best defense possible. Being ‘called to the bar’ or being ‘admitted to the bar’ is one of those terms that is a puzzlement for many, although they most likely associate it with those who practice law, or the legal profession in general.

The origin of the legal term ‘bar’ comes out of the Middle Ages when in a medieval European courtroom a ‘barrage’ was used as a barrier to separate the public from legal professionals and people on trial. It served the same purpose as a balustrade in a French King’s bedroom, where behind it only Princes of the blood could serve the King, while outside members of the public wishing to present petitions to the King, waited. In either case no way has the bar impended success, it was only about perceptions and wanting the law to remain untainted. Says Moffat, whose vulnerable and confused good looks belies what is going on inside, “As a ‘baby barrister’, you are thrown in at the deep end and have got nothing in terms of a brief. You might have one sheet of paper with a name, and the court time. It’s absolutely terrifying.” Nick Slade (Tom Hughes) and Niamh Cranitch (Natalie Dormer) in Series 1 of Silk, lambs being led to the slaughter - Photo from BBC/Phil Fisk The baby barristers in Series 1 of Silk were like babes in the woods, or lambs being led to the slaughter.

Those hunting the fox were in control at every turn and Billy Lamb (Neil Stuke), the aptly named Senior Clerk of the Chambers, has the power to ultimately decide who to send for Silk and who would stay behind and continue to make money for him. Nick Slade, played by Tom Hughes, was Martha’s pupil while Niamh Cranitch, played by Natalie Dormer, was Clive’s pupil. They were a very attractive pair. She was the tougher of the two. And her father a judge, so she knew about law. Nick, however, turned out to be more than he seemed, which included being a shoplifter and petty thief. It is hard not to feel sorry for the defendants when the brief is only placed in the barristers hand at 6pm the night before a trial when everyone else would be heading for home and hearth. There they are burning the midnight oil endeavouring to take in the information they need to provide at least a pretense at defense for their clients. In Series 2 actress Indira Varma has also joined the cast as the very principled solicitor George Duggan, who is a challenge for Clive Reader as she initially fails to react to his charms.

She has plenty of character and will continue to be a part of this cracking good show. Episode 2 of the second series sees Martha involved in a military court at a court martial and, as usual, everything is not what it seems and it takes a great deal of unravelling to get to the truth. Silk is known for its enduring quality. It is not static, retains a tensile strength and, based on the beginning of Series 2 it is certainly not expected to lose its lustre any time soon. Carolyn McDowall, The Culture Concept Circle, 2011 – 2012 BBC - Interview with Maxine Peake - Media Centre Series two of the courtroom drama starring Maxine Peake, Rupert Penry-Jones and Neil Stuke Interview with Maxine Peake Maxine plays QC Martha Costello in the returning series of Silk, for BBC One. What’s in store for Martha this second series? Martha has now got Silk. She’s become a QC and the cases are getting weightier.

She’s got a few more battles on her hands, so initially I don’t think she is more confident, because she’s trying to reassert her status, but you will see as the series goes on she does appear to become a lot more confident. She also has a lot more to prove this series. She feels a bit of tension in the Chambers since Clive didn’t get Silk, so there’s a little bit of friction there, although she does feel that she deserves it and she is very appreciative. She always wanted to become a QC, but sometimes it’s a bit frightening when you get what you wish for, isn't it… And how does Clive take it and how does it affect their relationship? I think Clive tries to convince himself Martha got Silk for the wrong reasons, because she’s a woman and they need more women at the Barr, or something like that. I think he’s managed to manipulate his own idea of why she’s got it, for his own benefit. But I don’t think Martha looks at it like that, she’s very humble about it, she knows it’s a big achievement; however it’s also a big weight on her shoulders, and I think this makes her feel a bit lonely.

Clive’s determined he’ll get Silk next time, so he’s off on a mission, but I think Martha feels like she has no one really to share it with. There are some new characters this series and Frances Barber appears with Martha in the first episode - how do they meet? They have a case against each other. Frances’ character CW (Caroline Warwick) is quite infamous for being a bit of a ball breaker, being brilliant at the job and being a woman who doesn’t take any messing because she is a top, top QC. Martha’s slightly petrified when she’s up against her in court, but I think she likes the challenge and I think she’s inspired - inspired because she’s a woman at the top of her game. I know everyone says it, but I’ve wanted to work with Frances for ages, obviously because she’s a brilliant actress and a lovely woman but also just great fun to be around. She brought a different dynamic to the set, which was brilliant. She kept us all entertained and she plays a fantastic character, she really grabbed it.

Martha comes up against Micky Joy (Phil Davis) in this new series, which goes on to affect her relationship with Billy, can you tell us a bit about that? Well Billy’s got himself involved with Micky Joy – he is one of these top solicitors who doesn’t play by the rules - but not in a good way. Martha doesn’t want any dealings with him. She doesn’t like the way he works and when she does get involved with the case things begin to go wrong. Billy, on the other hand, is also trying to save Chambers. When he gets himself into deep water it slightly compromises Martha’s friendship with him. What first attracted you to Silk as a drama series? Well I’d just done Criminal Justice with Peter (Moffat) and Hilary (Salmon), and I’d always thought Peter was a fantastic writer. I remember receiving the script and reading the first page where Martha is sat stuffing a robe into a plastic bag whilst lighting a cigarette. I just thought, oh great this is a legal drama, but, here we have a successful female who’s got her foibles and got her faults, but at the same time she’s quirky and she’s human.

And then, the more I continued to read the more I liked her - she’s not a typical TV barrister who ticks all the normal barrister boxes, she’s different. Why do you think legal dramas are so popular? They're similar to cop dramas and others alike, where the audience can really piece the events together, almost act like detectives themselves and decide how that did happen - who did what, or who’s guilty or not guilty. I find these dramas fascinating - it’s a world that many of us fortunately don’t dip into. The legal system is all around us, but the majority of us don’t have to go into a court, so it’s a way into another world that is unusual. I think with Silk there’s something there for everyone: it’s a legal drama, but it's human as well - you get to dip into the lives of the barristers and clerks. Do you think you could work in the legal world in real life? To be honest, when I was doing Silk I remember thinking I wish I’d known about this when I was younger as it might have been a possibility. But then again, I’m not really bright enough, and the amount of knowledge you’ve got to retain is incredible.

I find it fascinating but I don’t think I’m quite cut out for it! I think I’d get far too involved and that’s what you see with Martha. I think I’d find it really difficult to switch off at night and I think a lot of the barristers do - they seem to work hard and play hard - and I think you sort of have to, because people’s lives are in your hands. Finally, there are some great cases in each episode - are there any guest stars, who are going to pop up in this series that you can tell us about? We’ve been very lucky - we’ve got Shaun Evans who’s appearing as Daniel Lomas. He’s recently been in Endeavour playing the young Morse. There’s going to be an episode about a Court Marshall, which is really great because it’s a different court scenario again and Mathew McNulty is representing a soldier, Captain Ryan, and he is brilliant. We’ve also got Jamie Parker coming in that episode as well. We have some great people up coming up in that witness box!

Silk - Microsoft Store Silk Season 2 • 2012 • Drama • English • HD Unrated $19.99 Maxine Peake and Rupert Penry-Jones return in Peter Moffat's thrilling legal drama about the lives, loves and hard cases facing a group of top end barristers. Martha Costello is a brilliant, passionate defence barrister. She's also now a member of the Queen's Council - a QC. Which means the stakes are always high. Meanwhile in chambers Billy's way of dealing with tough times is to tout for work from solicitor Micky Joy - a man with a reputation for representing some very heavy criminals. And ... Buy HD $19.99 More from BBC TV episodes Maxine Peake and Rupert Penry-Jones return in Peter Moffat's thrilling legal drama about the lives, loves and hard cases facing a group of top end barristers. Martha Costello is a brilliant, passionate defence barrister. She's also now a member of the Queen's Council - a QC. Which means the stakes are always high.

Meanwhile in chambers Billy's way of dealing with tough times is to tout for work from solicitor Micky Joy - a man with a reputation for representing some very heavy criminals. And in the loneliness of reaching the top of her profession, Martha's love/hate relationship with Clive seems to be growing more important to her. Is it possible that their feelings for each other could finally lead somewhere or is Clive the one person she should never trust? Season 2 Watch now Resume episode Completed Season 2, episode 1, HD M Martha Costello is now a QC, but she learns fast that it can be lonely at the top. At Shoe Lane Chambers times are tough, and senior clerk Billy struggles to keep things afloat while Clive Reader tries to be stoic about his unsuccessful silk application. Martha is defending Brendan Kay, a member of one of London’s biggest crime outfits. He’s accused of blinding a man, who allegedly disrespected their ‘number two’. Martha’s job is made harder because Brendan’s solicitor, Micky Joy, is an old ... Buy HD $3.49 Watch now Resume episode Completed Season 2, episode 2, HD M Martha is representing Captain Peter Ryan in a Court Martial.

He’s accused of disobeying an order, resulting in the death of a 19 year old private. Under the watchful eyes of a distraught family who want answers, Martha navigates the army’s legal system with the help of Captain Cassidy, Ryan’s Unit Defence Officer. Doggedly seeking the truth, Martha slowly peels back the layers of past and present wounds, revealing the shocking reality of modern combat. Meanwhile temptation is never far away ... Buy HD $3.49 Watch now Resume episode Completed Season 2, episode 3, HD M Clive is in Oxford, prosecuting three students accused of sexually assaulting a waitress. Up against intimidating defence counsel, Clive begins to waver, but a chance encounter with an old friend helps him discover a passion for prosecuting he didn’t know he had. When the case is in danger of collapsing, Clive is faced with one of the biggest decisions of his career. Martha is defending Ricky Armitage who trashed his local mini-mart and attacked the shopkeeper. His level of violence and lack ...

Buy HD $3.49 Watch now Resume episode Completed Season 2, episode 4, HD M In a David and Goliath battle Martha represents the driver of a high security prison van. When some of his prisoners escape, Michael Ward opens the doors of his van to find another dead. With Ward and the security firm accused of causing the prisoner’s death, Martha fights to make Ward stand up for himself, lest he becomes the fall guy. Chambers take on a new pupil, Daniel Lomas, who helps Martha unlock her client. Clive meanwhile is struggling to get through to Fatima Ali, and Billy, still ... Buy HD $3.49 Watch now Resume episode Completed Season 2, episode 5, HD M At the Supreme Court Martha is representing Jackson Henderson in a death row case. Against a ticking clock and with Billy breathing down her neck, Martha faces the toughest legal argument of her career. Clive increasingly feels that he’s not the right barrister for Fatima Ali and at the risk of losing George, persuades Martha to take the brief, conveniently leaving him free to prosecute Jody Farr. Martha knows unless Fatima speaks up for herself, the truth won’t surface. Just as she thinks ...

Buy HD $3.49 Watch now Resume episode Completed Season 2, episode 6, HD M Reluctantly representing Jody Farr, Martha will do her job, but she won’t allow him or Micky to get under her skin. Fighting shifting power plays and an untenable defence she begins to feel that Jody isn’t getting a fair trial and suspects foul play. Setting a dangerous trap, can Martha uncover the unbelievable truth? The date of his tribunal looming, Clive focuses all his efforts on prosecuting Jody Farr, despite the apparent lack of support. In the face of an uncertain future, Billy finds ... Buy HD $3.49 Silk, BBC One: a lawyer's verdict - Telegraph TV and Radio Silk, BBC One: a lawyer's verdict Sarah Palin, a barrister, says that Peter Moffat's new BBC One legal drama is an impressive portrayal of life at the Bar.

Maxine Peake stars in BBC One's Silk Photo: BBC 12:44PM GMT 22 Feb 2011 Comments As a barrister, I – along with my colleagues – have been eagerly awaiting Silk, a new legal drama series shot last summer in and around the Temple in London, where many of our chambers are based. Luckily, from the episodes I’ve seen in advance, we’re unlikely to be disappointed: despite the odd far-fetched plotline, Silk offers a realistic insight into the frenetic goings on inside the ancient Inns of Court. Its writer, Peter Moffat, a former barrister, has written two of the best and most accurate legal dramas seen on television: Kavanagh QC and the lamentably short-lived North Square, which was set in a criminal set of chambers in Leeds. In his new drama, Moffat returns to the daily trials and tribulations of a group of young criminal barristers, while at the same time offering an insight into the ethical clashes which confront them. “I wanted Silk to be full of politics and intrigue.

From my experience at the Bar, I felt life in chambers had all of those components, with big stories and lots of courtroom drama – but I wanted to make it as much about barristers and their life in chambers as about the trials,” says Moffat. Gone is the irreverence and cynicism of North Square, to be replaced by a more sober, yet still entertaining, portrayal of the profession. The central conceit is that the two main characters are applying to become Queen’s Counsel, or to “take silk” – a term deriving from the silk gowns they wear if successful. The selection panel will only recommend the appointment of one barrister from their chamber, pitting the two against one another. Related Articles Silk, BBC One, preview 22 Feb 2011 Maxine Peake plays Martha Costello, a passionate defence barrister in her late 30s, who is struggling with the demands of her job and her desire to have a family. Her rival in the race for silk is the arrogant, self-assured and venally ambitious Clive Reader (Rupert Penry-Jones). Central to the barristers’ careers and lives is the senior clerk, Billy Lamb, played by Neil Stuke.

Not quite the grotesque exaggeration that was his counterpart in North Square, Billy Lamb is the tough but warm-hearted senior clerk who takes a percentage of all the barristers’ fees and does the wheeling and dealing to bring in the briefs and allocate them to his sparring barristers. Through the travails of the characters, Moffat’s objective is no less than to “tell it as it really is. Silk is based on my experience at the Bar.” The opening episodes do a good job of capturing the relentless pressure of the criminal Bar, the late-night briefs and trial preparation in the early hours, the quick thinking on your feet in court, the snatched conferences with clients under acute stress, the clash between driven self-employed individuals and the familial collective of chambers. The competition for silk, while a useful plot device, also accurately reflects the fiercely competitive nature of the Bar - even if the characters featured are a little more youthful than their real-life counterparts tend to be. Some allowance inevitably must be made for dramatic excess – for instance, a pupil barrister shop-lifting his wig and gown strikes an absurd note. Nonetheless, from the episodes I saw, Moffat gives the viewer a real insight into life in chambers.

“I wanted to make sure that every big case, every trial in every episode, brings with it a really meaty, complex ethical or moral dilemma, which will affect the barristers in their professional and even personal lives,” says Moffat. “Martha only defends, that’s her reason for being a barrister. I wanted to explore how her ideals hold up given the number of people she’s represented who have done very bad things. It throws up the question, what’s it like representing someone who you know is guilty – and what does that mean for you personally?” This question is a dinner party staple for barristers, and the programme does indeed attempt to answer it, if a little self-consciously. Moffat effectively shows how sometimes the law has little to do with natural justice or discovering the truth, and how a barrister’s personal opinions and desire to win can throw up various moral problems. It will be interesting to see, as the series develops, whether the characters are sufficiently well-drawn and the dialogue sharp enough to make consistently compelling viewing out of such ethical dilemmas. For many, the zip and wit that made North Square so entertaining will have been replaced by something disappointingly earnest.

However, if most people’s knowledge of the English legal system comes from watching TV dramas, and with the most radical review of legal funding and the provision of legal representation underway by the Government, the premium on portraying the profession accurately has never been higher. Sarah Palin is a barrister practising in media law at One Brick Court, Temple. Silk begins tonight on BBC One at 9.00pm.

Question: Who plays Martha Costello QC in the BBC’s legal drama Silk?
Answer: Maxine Peake