ITV to air true story drama ‘I Fought The Law’ starring Sheridan Smith

ITV has unveiled its highly anticipated drama I Fought The Law, a four-part series starring Sheridan Smith as Ann Ming, whose determination changed British legal history. The first episode will air at 9pm on Sunday, 31 August, followed by episode two at 9pm on Monday, 1 September, launching a two-week broadcast across ITV and STV, with all episodes also available on ITVX and STV Player.

I Fought The Law tells the true account of Ann Ming’s 15-year battle to overturn the UK’s centuries-old double jeopardy law after her daughter Julie Hogg’s murderer was acquitted. Refusing to accept this outcome, Ming waged a relentless campaign that eventually led to a legal change allowing retrials in cases with new and compelling evidence. In 2006, this shift resulted in the killer receiving a life sentence.

The drama is based on Ming’s memoir For the Love of Julie and written by Jamie Crichton. Ann Ming herself welcomed the project, describing it as a powerful way to honour her daughter’s memory. Sheridan Smith expressed her own privilege in portraying a mother whose resilience altered a law that had remained untouched for 800 years.

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Sheridan Smith leads the series as Ann Ming, joined by Daniel York Loh as her husband Charlie and Enzo Cilenti as DS Mark Braithwaite. The supporting cast includes Marlowe Chan-Reeves, Olivia Ng, Jake Davies, Kent Riley, Jack James Ryan, Victoria Wyant, Andrew Lancel, and Rufus Jones.

Behind the camera, the series is produced by Hera Pictures, with Liza Marshall and Charlotte Webber serving as executive producers, directed by Erik Richter Strand, and produced by Mark Hedges.

To complement the drama, ITV will also release a documentary titled I Fought The Law: The Ann Ming Story, offering viewers a factual exploration of her campaign and its rise to national attention.

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The series maintains a tightly staged release: two episodes in the first week and two in the following week, each airing on Sunday and Monday evenings. For those who prefer streaming, ITVX and STV Player will house all four episodes after their debut broadcasts.

Viewers were given a first glimpse in late July and early August through promotional images and a trailer that highlighted both the cast and the real-life inspiration.