This Outstanding British Drama Starring Peter Capaldi Needs to Be Your Next Netflix Binge
If you’re looking for a gripping British drama to squeeze into your watchlist before it disappears from Netflix, Accused is worth your attention. The acclaimed BBC anthology series is leaving the streaming service on 9 September, giving viewers only two weeks to make their way through both seasons.
Created by award-winning writer Jimmy McGovern, the writer behind the acclaimed crime drama Time, Accused brings together an impressive cast that includes Peter Capaldi, Olivia Colman, Sheridan Smith and Christopher Eccleston.
Originally broadcast across two seasons in 2010 and 2012, the series takes a different approach to the traditional courtroom drama. Every episode follows a new character who has found themselves accused of a crime and is waiting to discover their fate.
The story gradually reveals what happened, how the individual ended up in the dock and, ultimately, whether they are innocent, guilty or somewhere in between.
What is Accused about?
Each episode of Accused stands alone, telling the story of an ordinary person whose life has led them into the criminal justice system.
The series asks whether these people really belong in the dock and what circumstances brought them there. As each hour-long episode unfolds, viewers are taken through the events that led to the accusation before discovering whether the accused will walk free or face the consequences.
That format allows the series to explore a wide range of characters and situations, with each story offering a different perspective on guilt, responsibility and the choices people make.
Season one opens with Christopher Eccleston playing a “decent man in turmoil.” The second episode stars Mackenzie Crook in a story about two friends who join the British Army and discover that refusing to follow orders can have deadly consequences.
In the third episode, Juliet Stevenson and Peter Capaldi portray parents whose son suffers a fatal workplace injury.
The fourth episode stars Andy Serkis as a cab driver who is “desperate to escape the drudgery of his life”.
The fifth story features Marc Warren as a father who chooses to act against his better judgment. In the sixth and final episode, Naomie Harris and Warren Brown play parents whose falling-out eventually leads to foul play.
A cast packed with familiar faces
One of the biggest draws of Accused is its remarkable ensemble cast.
Alongside Capaldi, Colman, Smith and Eccleston, the series features Mackenzie Crook, Juliet Stevenson, Andy Serkis, Marc Warren, Naomie Harris, Sean Bean and Stephen Graham.
The cast also includes Anne-Marie Duff, John Bishop, Robert Sheehan, Moir McCallum and Anna Maxwell Martin, making the anthology an especially strong showcase for British acting talent.
Peter Capaldi appears in the first season, while Olivia Colman is among the stars featured in the second.
Viewers and critics praised the series
Accused received strong reactions when it first aired, with viewers particularly impressed by its performances and writing.
One viewer described the drama as “absolutely outstanding”, while another praised its “excellent” performances and script.
The series also earned significant recognition from the television industry. It won Best Drama Series at the 2011 International Emmy Awards and picked up two awards at the 2013 Royal Television Society Awards.
Its success in Britain eventually led to an American adaptation being commissioned by Fox. That version featured Suits actor Patrick J. Adams, How I Met Your Mother star Cobie Smulders, comedian Whitney Cummings and others.
When is Accused leaving Netflix?
There isn’t much time left to catch up.
The BBC drama will leave Netflix on 9 September, so viewers have roughly two weeks to watch both seasons before they are removed from the platform.
If you don’t manage to finish the series in time, Accused is also available to stream on ITVX.
With its standalone stories, acclaimed writing and an exceptional cast, the series offers plenty to get through before its Netflix departure.