Series synopsis
The Bench is a drama television series that premiered on October 17, 2001. It stars Mark Lewis Jones, Eiry Thomas, Brian Hibbard and Eluned Jones.
The Bench is an English-language legal drama series set in a Welsh magistrate's court, produced by BBC Wales, initially broadcast on BBC One Wales and later repeated across the BBC network in an afternoon slot.
The series won three BAFTA Cymru awards in 2003, with Eiry Thomas winning Best Actress, Bill Broomfield winning Best Director of Photography - Drama and William Oswald winning Best Editor.
Premise
The Bench is an English-language legal drama series set in a Welsh magistrate's court, produced by BBC Wales, initially broadcast on BBC One Wales and later repeated across the BBC network in an afternoon slot.
The series won three BAFTA Cymru awards in 2003, with Eiry Thomas winning Best Actress, Bill Broomfield winning Best Director of Photography - Drama and William Oswald winning Best Editor.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Mark Lewis Jones as Des Davies
- Eiry Thomas as Cheryl Cates
- Brian Hibbard as Ralph Jenkins
- Eluned Jones as Val Sullivan
- Lesley Vickerage as Katharine Tyrell
- Philip McGough as Peter Mansell
- Roger Evans as Hugh Evans
- Phaldut Sharma as Ranjit Singh
Guest cast
- Dean Davies as Leigh Dee
- Stephen Marzella as Arnie Parkman
- Mal Henson as Pats Lewis
- Martin Cole as Wayne Hayward
- Simon Ludders as Nick Hopkins
- Cari Jones as Lauren Cole
- Ifan Huw Dafydd as Brandon Lewis
- Erica Eirian as Dawn Walters
- Amy Staples as Jade Latcham
- Ruth Lloyd as Donna Greene
- Huw Davies as Tony Palmer
- Kerry Joy Stewart as Sandra Dewick
Episodes
This series spans 2 seasons with 20 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 10 | October 17, 2001 | December 19, 2001 |
| Season 2 | 10 | April 12, 2002 | June 14, 2002 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Episode #1.1 Leanne tries to make a new life for herself, but her previous boyfriend has other plans. |
October 17, 2001 |
| 2 |
Episode #1.2 Hungover Des expects his defense of a local pub owner to be an easy victory. But when he underestimates the skills of new prosecutor Cheryl Cates, his law experience is put to the test. |
October 24, 2001 |
| 3 |
Episode #1.3 A family is left devastated after the death of a daughter in a road accident. |
October 31, 2001 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Episode #2.1 The first in a new series of this legal drama set in a magistrates' court. A mother and daughter are both on trial and must decide who takes the blame. Defence solicitor Des Davies can't resist being mean to a new rival. |
April 12, 2002 |
| 2 |
Episode #2.2 When two desperate parents fight to get their children out of the care of social services, the magistrates must make a tough and heartbreaking decision. Katharine faces a crisis in her personal life |
April 19, 2002 |
| 3 |
Episode #2.3 When a defendant arrives drunk and disorderly for his trial, proceedings dissolve into chaos. Meanwhile, a loyal grandmother tries every trick in the book to win her grandson bail. |
April 26, 2002 |
Production
Release
| First aired | October 17, 2001 |
|---|---|
| Last aired | June 14, 2002 |
| Status | Returning Series |