By Troy Ribeiro

Dec 10: Series: 'Showtrial' (Streaming on: Lionsgate Play); Duration: Averaging 55 minutes per episode

Director: Zara Hayes

Cast: Celine Buckens, Tracy Ifeachor, Abra Thompson, Sinead Keenan, Joseph Payne, Lolita Chakrabarti.

IANS Rating: ***

This five-episode series streaming on Lionsgate Play is a simple, straightforward crime procedural drama where the yin and yang of the story are the accused and the prosecution, debating on a murder.

Set in Bristol, Hannah Ellis (Abra Thompson), a bright and promising university student, goes missing. She was last spotted walking home after a student ball where she served drinks.

The case lands in the hands of DI Paula Cassidy (Sinead Keenan). Like all missing person's cases, Paula along with her colleagues, pour into Hannah's phone records and finds out that she had received intimidating text messages from her classmate Talitha Campbell (Celine Buckens), the estranged daughter of a well-known property developer.

Talitha is called for questioning at the police station, where she is assigned Cleo Roberts (Tracy Ifeachor), the solicitor on duty, as her lawyer. During the questioning, Talitha's juvenile, prudish and arrogant attitude makes her the prime suspect.

Hours later, Hannah's body is found dumped into the river. The police claimed that her body was disposed of with cruel indifference, and Talitha is now booked, as a suspect for murder.

Further delving into the case Talitha's best friend Dhillon Harwood (Joseph Payne), son of a shadow Cabinet Minister (Lolita Chakrabarti), is pulled into the case. On further questioning, he confesses to his involvement.

The first three episodes delve into the technicalities of the prosecution. Every angle; lust, jealousy, and hate, are explored, and the subplots borrowed from real-life cases are too frivolous, to even hold your interest. There are scenes between the police and the Crown Prosecution Service ensuring that the case becomes a watertight case. The last two episodes are more of courtroom drama, with the lawyers playing tug-of-war to convince the Jury.

But it is Celine Buckens who keeps you hooked with her 'poor little rich girl' act. She has drug and daddy issues and is also sexually active with one of her professors. Her demeanour from the very beginning is intriguing, and Buckens essays her histrionics brilliantly.

Matching Buckens is Tracy Ifeachor, who balances the act with her straitjacket behaviour. Sinead Keenan as DI Paula Cassidy is sincere but trite. All other actors in a supporting role deliver what is expected of them, but none break the glass ceiling. Their acts are all perfunctory. One can't blame them for this. It's the writing that is at fault.

Also, the denouement is so formulaic and predictable.

'Showtrial' has its moments, but overall, it is neither a tense nor an exciting series.