The UK version is the latest in the lineup of Law & Order spin offs. The setup is the same though. First we have a couple of cops on the street, both of them detective sergeants although one of them, DS Ronnie Brooks, played by a surprisingly good Bradley Walsh, has been round the block a few times. He's had a couple of wives and a couple of daughters and is a recovering alcoholic.
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His sidekick is DS Mat Devlin, ably played by Jamie Bamber who shot to fame in the US with his portrayal of Apollo in the recent re-imagining of Battlestar Galactica. Devlin still has a lot to learn but loves his job and sees the law as very black and white. Either someone has broken the law or they haven't. |
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Heading up the team of cops back at the station is Detective Inspector Natalie Chandler, played by Harriet Walter. Chandler is a working mum which helps her bring a bit of emotion and empathy to the job. She also acts as the objective one when the boys maybe get too close to a case and manages to push them to do better at the same time as keeping them in check. |
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Once the bad guys have been brought in the we have the lawyers. Our resident prosecutor is James Steel, played by Ben Daniels. He used to be a defence barrister but circumstances brought him to take stock of his life with the birth of his first child and has now been with the Crown Prosecution Service for 8 years. |
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Steel can't do everything himself apparently so he has to have a beautiful assistant. She is called Alesha Phillips and is played by Freema Agyeman. You may recognise Freema as the newcomer who shot to fame by becoming The Doctor's assistant in Dr Who. Phillips trained as a solicitor but was rejected by several law firms in London before landing on her feet at the CPS. |
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Finally, we have the head of the CPS in London. George Castle is played by Bill Paterson and he runs his office with an iron fist and is not one noted for leniancy. Althought he drives his team hard, he is also fiercely protective of them. |
