Trial & Retribution

Disc 1

Volume XV: Rules of the Game

Part 1

When high-priced call girl Sofia Petrenko is found nude and strangled inside a trunk at London’s Heathrow Airport, DCS Mike Walker ignores diplomatic warnings and arrests the trunk’s owner, Ukrainian billionaire Vitali Malikov. After the well-connected suspect walks, Walker is embroiled in a high-stakes game of politics and murder.

 

Part 2

Malikov brings charges against Maryna, another prostitute, for assault. She claims self-defense, and Walker’s obsession with Malikov and the death of Sofia redoubles. DCI Roisin Connor doubts the Ukrainian’s involvement in the crime, and steers the investigation in a new direction.

 

Volume XVI: Kill the King

Part 1

Walker’s friend Dr. Jonathan Carlisle, a famous pediatric surgeon, is killed. As Walker investigates, he learns that Carlisle had recently taken out a restraining order on the grieving father of a young girl who had died in his care. The suspect vanishes, sending Walker on a chase that leads to a tense confrontation.

 

Part 2

With no available suspect, the investigation delves more deeply into the victim’s personal affairs. Details emerge of a darker secret life for Dr. Carlisle, and currents of revenge and infidelity change the team’s focus. Even so, the death of the girl on the operating table may be crucial to the case.

 

Disc 2

Volume XVII: Conviction

Part 1

Ex-con Terry Dyer maintains his innocence even upon release, but the angry father of his alleged victim wounds him in an attempt at revenge. The violence brings Walker and Connor onto the case, and facts come to light that indicate a new suspect and a different motive in the 12-year-old crime.

 

Part 2

Dyer is implicated in another murder investigation by DS Satchell, muddying the waters of the reopened case against him. Meanwhile, Walker is told a new version of what happened on the night of the original killing, a murder is confessed, and old files yield undiscovered evidence.

 

Volume XVIII: The Box

Part 1

On leave in Glasgow, Walker is drawn into the search for an old friend’s missing sister. He also investigates the disappearance of a woman’s daughter, only to find that both women were married, at different times, to the same man: Kevin Reid. Working with local police, he uncovers grisly evidence.

 

Part 2

The diary of one of the missing women indicates a new suspect in the case. The journal entries’ authenticity falls into question, and the seeming dead end leads to the threat of a new killing. Video evidence sets Walker on a course with a deadly conclusion.

Packaging: Boxed set

Run Time: 368 minutes

Format: Widescreen

Number of discs: 2

Language: English

Subtitles: No

Color or B&W: Color

CC: No

SDH: Yes

Region Code: 1

Aspect Ratio: 16:9

Rating: NR; Contains nudity, disturbing images, and coarse language.

 

“Superb crime series” — The Sunday Times(UK)

 

“Engrossingly complex plots” — Daily Record(UK

"Smartly crafted and acted" -San Francisco Chronicle

Disc 1
VOLUME XII:Paradise Lost
The brutal rape and murder of a young white teacher looks like an open-and-shut case. The victim’s black boyfriend has a criminal record and a feeble alibi, and the forensic evidence seems damning. But has unconscious racism distorted Connor’s view of the facts? With accusations poisoning the atmosphere, she and her colleagues must find the killer in a community increasingly hostile to the police.

Disc 2
VOLUME XIII:Curriculum Vitae
Harried single mom Suzy MacDonald returns home from a business trip to find her precious 18-month-old daughter dead in her crib. Connor and Walker focus their attention on the recently hired nanny, who has vanished with Suzy’s car. But the mysterious young lady proves particularly adept at covering her tracks.

Disc 3
VOLUME XIV:Mirror Image
A small fortune in missing jewels at a murder scene suggests a botched burglary. The victims’ wealth and status—a police commander and his magistrate wife—put added pressure on Walker and Connor to find the perpetrator, fast. But as the police probe the family’s unsavory secrets, Connor’s suspicions fall on the couple’s sons, despite their apparently airtight alibi.

• Biography of creator Lynda La Plante
• Photo galleries
• Cast filmographies

Packaging: Boxed set
Run Time: 408 minutes
Format: Widescreen
Number of discs: 3
Language: English
Subtitles: N/A
Color or B&W: Color
CC: No
SDH: Yes
Region Code: 1
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Rating: NR

"Full of great writing and great acting"—EW.com

"A British spin on the Law & Order format"—The Boston Globe

"Gritty crime-drama series"—Evening Standard(London)

"Great crime series"—NPR

"Think of it as a grittier (no surprise there) "Law & Order."…Stylistically though, "Trial" is more innovative"—The Washington Times

"Smartly crafted and acted"—San Francisco Chronicle

"So damn addictive that you can't stop watching them"—Film.com

"Absolutely gripping, all the way down the line"—DVD Talk

"Superior to Law & Order thanks to its depth of realism and emotion, on par with La Plante's earlier series, Prime Suspect"—FilmMonthly

"Adapts the Dick Wolf show's format to the British system -- normally a recipe for yawns, but in this case it energizes it in fascinating and compelling ways….Distinguished by great writing and acting... as if there's any other kind in the UK."—IGN Digigod Blog

A "Riveting and convincing drama"—Campus Circle Magazine

"Superb. The best in television."—Elnsiders.com

"This series is masterfully written, and an absolute joy to watch. Lynda La Plante has created an absolute masterpiece."—Blogger News Network

"Top quality crime drama, more brutal than Midsomer Murders but easily its equal in the entertainment stakes."—MemorableTV.com

Trial & Retribution, Set 1:

BAFTA TV Award Nomination for Best Editing (Fiction/Entertainment, 1998)

BAFTA TV Award Nomination for Best Original Television Music (1998)

Royal Television Society Award (UK) Nomination for Best Single Drama (1998)

Liverpool Echo Arts Award for Best Television Writer (Lynda La Plante, 1997)

Disc 1
Volume IX -The Lovers
On honeymoon in London, Mark Harrington goes out for coffee and disappears from busy Covent Garden. Convinced that officials aren’t taking the case seriously, Harrington’s distraught bride searches the streets herself and pleads for help through the media. Meanwhile, her wealthy, well-connected father pressures DCS Mike Walker for results. When Walker’s assistant deduces that they might be dealing with a serial killer, police race against time to find the madman and his abductees.

Disc 2
Volume X -Sins of the Father
Emily Harrogate seems to have it all: beauty, brains, athletic talent, and a loving family. But when the teenager dies from a fall down the stairs, it looks like murder. DCI Connor begins to reveal cracks in the Harrogates’ happy-family façade: an obsessive-compulsive mother, an adulterous father, and a jealous stepbrother. Although Connor remains suspicious of the family, the investigation focuses on Emily’s secret boyfriend, apprentice electrician Michael Summerby—who adamantly professes his innocence.

Disc 3
Volume XI -Closure
After two months investigating the brutal rape and murder of a schoolgirl, DCI Connor has no leads, no DNA evidence, and one highly unreliable witness. A review of similar unsolved cases suggests a serial killer at work, with a string of victims stretching back years. Under relentless badgering from her boss, Connor enlists the help of a famous American profiler to get inside the mind of an elusive murderer.

• Behind-the-scenes documentary with cast and crew interviews (46 minutes)
• Biography of creator Lynda La Plante

Packaging: Boxed Set
Run Time: 412 minutes
Format: Widescreen
Number of discs: 3
Language: English
Subtitles: N/A
Color or B&W: Color
CC: No
SDH: Yes (main program only)
Region Code: 1
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Rating: N/A

"Gritty crime-drama series"—Evening Standard(London)

"Great crime series"—NPR

"Smartly crafted and acted"—San Francisco Chronicle

"A British spin on the Law & Order format"—The Boston Globe

Trial & Retribution, Set 1:
BAFTA TV Award Nomination for Best Editing (Fiction/Entertainment, 1998)

BAFTA TV Award Nomination for Best Original Television Music (1998)

Royal Television Society Award (UK) Nomination for Best Single Drama (1998)

Liverpool Echo Arts Award for Best Television Writer (Lynda La Plante, 1997)

Disc 1
Volume V

Skeletons keep turning up at 34 Hallerton Road in North London. The bones belong to three young women killed more than 17 years earlier, when a respectable, church-going family ran a bed-and-breakfast there. Led by Michael Walker, investigators focus on Mrs. Dorothy Norton and her daughter Kathleen—the former B&B’s surviving proprietors—and Graham Richards, their erstwhile boarder. While probing the house’s long-buried secrets, Walker feels increased pressure at home as his partner, Pat North, copes with the aftereffects of her miscarriage and the continuing demands of Walker’s estranged wife.

Disc 2
Volume VI

After a young mother gets abducted in the woods, a sweep of known sex offenders produces a prime suspect: Bob Brickman, who quickly confesses to raping and murdering the woman. But he doesn’t fit the eye witnesses’ description, and he can’t lead police to the body. Nonetheless, DI Pat North and her team investigate Brickman, his surly brother, and his musically gifted son. Meanwhile, Michael Walker deals with his estranged wife’s abusive new boyfriend in an escalating confrontation that eventually threatens Walker’s family and his very life.

Disc 3
Volume VII

Back in uniform and stuck at a desk job, DCS Michael Walker looks into the disappearance of Diane Harwood, the daughter of the judge who presided over his murder trial. Professional tensions increase when Walker’s ambitious, hostile former subordinate, DCI Roisin Connor, sets up shop in Walker’s station to investigate a woman’s severed hand found on a nearby riverbank. The two investigations converge, and Walker sees the opportunity to get his career back on track—if he can convict Diane’s murderer, whom Walker believes is feigning psychosis.

Disc 4
Volume VIII

A beautiful young woman falls from a luxury high-rise onto the hood of a car, sparking an inquiry into a private sex club that caters to wealthy, powerful men with kinky predilections. When DCS Michael Walker steps in to oversee the case at the behest of his superiors, DCI Roisin Connor openly suspects that Walker will cover for his prominent friends. While Walker becomes romantically involved with an informant, Connor goes undercover at the sex club to ferret out the killer.

• Interviews with David Hayman, Victoria Smurfit, and Colin Salmon
• Text description of the Criminal Investigation Department
• Biography of Lynda La Plante

Packaging: Boxed Set
Run Time: 731 minutes
Format: Widescreen
Number of discs: 4
Language: English
Subtitles: N/A
Color or B&W: Color
CC: No
SDH: No
Region Code: 1
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Rating: N/A

A "Riveting and convincing drama"—Campus Circle Magazine

"Superb. The best in television."—Elnsiders.com

"Gritty crime-drama series"—Evening Standard(London)

"A British spin on the Law & Order format"—The Boston Globe

"This series is masterfully written, and an absolute joy to watch. Lynda La Plante has created an absolute masterpiece."—Blogger News Network

"Top quality crime drama, more brutal than Midsomer Murders but easily its equal in the entertainment stakes."—MemorableTV.com

Trial & Retribution, Set 1:
BAFTA TV Award Nomination for Best Editing (Fiction/Entertainment, 1998)

BAFTA TV Award Nomination for Best Original Television Music (1998)

Royal Television Society Award (UK) Nomination for Best Single Drama (1998)

Liverpool Echo Arts Award for Best Television Writer (Lynda La Plante, 1997)

Disc 1
Volume I

When five-year-old Julie Harris goes missing from the playground of a public housing project in East London, the police launch a desperate search that brings results too late. DS Michael Walker joins DI Pat North in the subsequent murder investigation. They target Michael Dunn, a disheveled, unemployed alcoholic who lives in a squalid flat in the neighborhood. Although circumstantial evidence against Dunn mounts, the police still lack a crucial link between him and the crime—even as the case nears trial.

Disc 2
Volume II

After a prostitute’s tortured, mutilated body turns up on a garbage heap, DS Michael Walker and DI Pat North know they face an exceptionally sadistic psychopath. Two other women soon suffer similar attacks, and one miraculously survives. Struggling bravely, she leads police to Damon Morton, owner of an electronics repair business. But three of Morton’s employees confess to the crimes and seem intent on protecting him, even if it means going to prison. What mysterious hold does Morton have on these men? And can it survive at trial?

Disc 3
Volume III

Petite, 15-year-old Cassie Booth vanishes in the midst of her newspaper delivery route. DS Michael Walker’s hopes of finding her alive fade when an anonymous tip leads to grisly clues and eventually to a suspect. Meanwhile, DI Pat North—now working on the vice squad and living with Walker—responds to a complaint from wealthy businessman Stephen Warrington, whose pursuit of her turns increasingly persistent and sinister. After North uncovers links between her stalker and Cassie’s kidnapping, two men go to trial—each pointing an accusing finger at the other.

Disc 4
Volume IV

DI Pat North joins a team reopening an eight-year-old case involving James McCready, convicted of murdering his live-in partner. Citing new evidence, barrister and MP candidate Robert Rylands wants to overturn McCready’s conviction as a gay rights issue and stir up media interest to his political advantage. Personal and professional pressures mount when North uncovers irregularities involving her lover, DS Michael Walker, who led the original McCready investigation. Suspended from duty, Walker sets off to save his relationship, clear his reputation, and keep the convicted killer behind bars.

• Interview with creator Lynda La Plante
• Biography of Lynda La Plante
• Glossary of terms

Packaging: Boxed Set
Run Time: 804 minutes
Format: Full screen
Number of discs: 4
Language: English
Subtitles: N/A
Color or B&W: Color
CC: No
SDH: No
Region Code: 1
Aspect Ratio: 4:3
Rating: N/A

"So damn addictive that you can't stop watching them"—Film.com

"Absolutely gripping, all the way down the line"—DVD Talk

"Gritty crime-drama series"—Evening Standard(London)

"Superior to Law & Order thanks to its depth of realism and emotion, on par with La Plante's earlier series, Prime Suspect"—FilmMonthly

"A British spin on the Law & Order format"—The Boston Globe

"The mysteries are smartly crafted and acted all the way."—San Francisco Chronicle

"Adapts the Dick Wolf show's format to the British system -- normally a recipe for yawns, but in this case it energizes it in fascinating and compelling ways….Distinguished by great writing and acting... as if there's any other kind in the UK."—IGN Digigod Blog

"Think of it as a grittier (no surprise there) "Law & Order."…Stylistically though, "Trial" is more innovative"—The Washington Times

BAFTA TV Award Nomination for Best Editing (Fiction/Entertainment, 1998)

BAFTA TV Award Nomination for Best Original Television Music (1998)

Royal Television Society Award (UK) Nomination for Best Single Drama (1998)

Liverpool Echo Arts Award for Best Television Writer (Lynda La Plante, 1997)