I Fought the Law

If this were fiction, you would think it a bit over the top, however it is true and beggars' belief.

Sheridan Smith portrays Ann Ming, a woman of true strength and conviction, a mother fighting for justice.

Ann reports her daughter Julie missing, but she knows that something is very wrong as she is convinced that Julie would never have disappeared overnight of her own volition.

The police are no help and treat Ann's concerns with flippancy at the beginning and then with condescension when she raises hell (displaying the grit of a working-class Yorkshire woman).

I cannot say too much for those of you who are not familiar with the events of Ann Ming's life, watch it without too much research beforehand and it will hit you between the eyes.

I was not familiar with the whole story, but as the series unfolded, I recalled seeing bits and pieces in the news.

This is a standout series, extremely well-acted, and written.

Ann took on the police, the law, and the politicians in battle that lasted 17 years, she literally made history.

As a resident of Billingham I remember the case well. The drama follows the tragic events very accurately and you cannot but admire Ann's stubbornness and perseverance. It has echoes of the woman who fought for justice after Hillsborough. Working class women who took on the establishment and government. Ann changed a law that had stood for 800 years!

This is a fantastic drama , what a courageous lady she was. A brilliant story well told this has fantastic acting throughout. Sheridan Smith is a fantastic actress and she embodies every character she plays. I love watching her. Don't hesitate to watch this drama. You will not be disappointed. It's very poignant and emotional.

In ITV's I Fought the Law, Sheridan Smith doesn't just star... she ignites a four-part fury that redefines true-crime heart.

As Ann Ming, the unyielding Billingham mum battling a broken system for her daughter's justice, Smith channels raw devastation into a blazing crusade, her Teesside grit and lip-quivering resolve making every scene a gut-wrench. From 1989's shattering loss to 2000s legal showdowns, the series weaves family fractures - Daniel York Loh's quietly crumbling Charlie adds poignant depth - with institutional slapstick, all grounded in Northeast pub anthems and line-dancing levity that stings sweetly.

Jamie Crichton's script, drawn from Ann's memoir, smartly prioritizes human shrapnel over courtroom drudgery, while Erik Strand's direction traps you in the Mings' intimate hell, no exploitative gloss. Jack James Ryan's shadowy menace simmers just right, and Victoria Wyant's warm flashbacks keep the stakes soul-deep.

It's not perfect - finale softens the edge, pacing occasionally lags - but this is telly with teeth, celebrating one woman's law-shattering will amid UK true-crime sludge.

8/10: A gritty, grief-fueled gem that demands sequels for every unsung fighter.

Sheridan Smith has absolutely portrayed Anne Ming brilliantly & surpassed herself. What a courageous woman Anne Ming is and this was apparent throughout the drama. I thoroughly enjoyed this drama & loved Sheridan. Anyone going into acting should be inspired by Sheridan. She deserves an Oscar.

It definitely showed the incompetence of the law at that time and the government of the day. Thank goodness for forensic science and how it's developed over the years.