duty call
‘So false!’ rage The Jury: Murder Trial fans as stars of Channel 4 series branded ‘wannabes playing up for the cameras’
Others blasted the inaccuracies on the programme as they insisted "it's not like this"
VIEWERS of brand new Channel 4 show The Jury: Murder Trial have been left slating the programme and have insisted it is "so false" despite the hype around its launch.
The unique programme features two sets of juries watching the same court proceedings side-by-side unaware that either is there.
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The purpose of the show is to see if both juries come to the same decision surrounding the trial.
Across the episodes, a real murder trial is played out on-screens using actors who imitate the real-life case to determine if a man should be found guilty of murdering his wife by striking her with a hammer.
Filming took place in a real-life former courthouse in Essex in order to make the trail feel as authentic as possible.
Names, dates and locations are changed in the dramatization, but the rest is based on transcripts from the case.
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The original trial is re-enacted word for word, with actors playing the witnesses and legal teams and the two juries given all original evidence.
The man on trial admits he killed his wife, but his defence is that he lost control.
This would allow him to be convicted of the lesser charge of manslaughter, which does not carry an automatic life sentence.
Both juries wrestle with how to determine this.
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However, so far, the series has fallen extremely flat with viewers insisting the show is jam-packed with "wannabes" desperate to be on the TV.
They have also taken aim with what they describe as many inaccuracies within the hotly-anticipated show.
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Fuming after watching the first episode, one person plainly insisted: "This is so false."
They then added: "The jury would be with other people, possibly on other juries, during breaks and are instructed not to discuss the trial like this.
"They are formulating opinions before hearing evidence. I've done jury service, it's not like this.”
Someone else seethed: "As I expected. Just wannabes playing up for the camera."
A third swiped: "Sadly The Jury resembles the court proceedings of Judge Rinder more than a real social experiment."
Before a fourth wrote: “Would a real jury stop every five minutes to discuss the case?"
As a fifth added: “This programme isn't showing the jury system as it is.
“It's playing to a Whodunnit TV audience & making jury service look like a Big Brother experience.”
Explaining the purpose behind the show, Bosses at Channel 4 said: "The show is an innovative true crime experiment that gives the public an insight into the British jury system.
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"Our campaign spotlights how, for example, a juror being hungover or tired might be as likely to sway a verdict as the facts of the case.
"With one trial and two juries, it’s fascinating to see whether the same verdict will be reached by both.”
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