Channel 4’s gritty legal reality show lands second series despite viewer complaints – and bosses plan even bigger case

THE verdict is in – and Channel 4 bosses have decided to bring gritty legal reality show The Jury back for a second run.

The unique TV experiment, which will be returning to our screens, was based on a real-life murder trial, with actors playing the judge, barristers, defendant and witnesses.

Proceedings were watched by two separate juries, each unaware the other existed.

It aimed to establish whether the jurors would reach different verdicts despite being presented with the same evidence.

While names, dates and locations were changed in the dramatisation, the facts were otherwise based on official transcripts from the case.

But it made for divisive telly, with some viewers praising the experiment and others branding the jurors “wannabes playing up for the camera”.

There is no hung jury over at Channel 4, though, as I can reveal bosses already have a gritty case in mind for the next series.

At this stage, execs plan to stage a terrorism trial.

Explaining the purpose behind the show, bosses at Channel 4 said: “It is an innovative, true-crime experiment that gives the public an insight into the British jury system.

“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.”

In the first series, which was filmed in a former courthouse in Essex, the two juries — comprising 24 ordinary members of the public — were asked to rule on whether a man should be found guilty of murdering his wife by striking her with a hammer.

The accused admitted he killed her, but his defence was 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.

The defendant in the real trial was convicted of manslaughter.

VERNON Kay and Big Brother’s AJ Odudu are teaming up for a new ITV1 show, M&S: Dress The Nation.

Wannabe designers will compete for a design role with the high street retailer.

A panel of celebrity guests and experts will pick the winner, with the series expected to air autumn.

BIGGINS: CBB KILLS CAREERS

CHRISTOPHER Biggins has slammed Celebrity Big Brother as a career killer – and is warning his friends to steer clear of it.

The actor was ejected just days into the show eight years ago for making a Nazi joke towards Jewish X Factor singer Katie Waissel.

Speaking as he attended the launch of Priscilla The Party! in London’s West End this week, he said of the latest CBB series: “I thought it was pretty bad.

“I don’t understand what people see in it.

“People are so horrible, and everyone’s pretending to be someone they’re not in order to win.

“Don’t touch it with a barge pole if you want a career.”

RITA ON QUEEN TEAM

FORMER EastEnder Rita Simons has signed up to join the cast of new ITV reality series Drama Queens.

The line-up of soap royalty – who will let cameras follow the highs and lows of their work and family lives – posed together for the first time this week.

Rita will star alongside Corrie’s Ellie Leach, Lucy Fallon and Brooke Vincent, Emmerdale’s Amy Walsh, Roxy Shahidi and Laura Norton and Hollyoaks’ Jorgie Porter and Jamelia.

New mum Lucy said: “I’m excited for viewers to see a real behind the scenes of my chaotic life as an actress and a first-time mum.”

The series is set to air on ITVBe later this spring.

ALL TOO FOO-LISH FOR DAVE

FOO Fighters legend Dave Grohl was left unimpressed with Jonathan Ross after watching the telly host and chef Gordon Ramsay try to beat a world record.

The rocker joined Russell Howard on the ITV talk show 14 years ago.

But as host Jonathan and Gordon got busy trying to build the tallest poppadom tower, Dave looked on in dismay from the green room.

Russell revealed on his Wonderbox podcast: “It was the first time I’d done a big telly thing and I was there with Reese Witherspoon and Dave – an Oscar winner and a rock star – [I had] real imposter syndrome.

“Gordon Ramsay was the other guest, and he and Jonathan had about 30 poppadoms on top of each other.

“Dave leans over and asks me, ‘When does this show go out?’

“I said, ‘About 10:45pm’, and he was like, ‘Yeah, you’d have to be pretty tired to watch this’.”

PRESENTER Romesh Ranganathan will return with a fourth series of The Weakest Link on BBC One later this year.

It’s another show the comedian is working on, after confirming a second series of comedy drama Avoidance is to return next month.

Avoidance will air on April 5 on BBC One.

SUE HAS BIG ROLE FAMILY

ACTRESS Sue Johnston could never be described as a one-trick pony.

Launching her career on Liverpool-based soap Brookside, she went on to appear in crime series Waking The Dead, period drama Downton Abbey and, of course, comedy The Royle Family.

Now 80, Sue still refuses to be tied down to one genre.

She has revealed she has been working on a Channel 4 horror series.

Sue said: “I can’t talk about it at the moment, however it was such great fun to do.

“Let’s just say I was four and a half hours in make-up – I think people will love it.

“Also, I’ve done an episode of [police drama] The Responder with Martin Freeman for the BBC.”