Channel 4's new six-part crime drama Pierre, starring David Harewood, premieres Monday, October 5 at 9pm, with the full box set available to binge immediately after the first episode ends.
The 'gripping' show follows the West London duty solicitor who must juggle his career ambitions, moral compass and strained personal life as he attempts to find answers following the death of his young Black client, Michael. The synopsis continues: 'As Pierre challenges the police's portrayal of Michael as a criminal, he unravels a chilling web of institutional corruption… when you come at the system… the system comes at you…'
Cast and critical acclaim
The series also stars Michele Austin as joint managing partner Michele Austin and Jason Flemyng as Pierre's best friend DS Ronnie Miller, alongside Dean-Charles Chapman, Nikkita Chadha and Christopher Fairbank. If the trailer is anything to go by, there's betrayal, health scares and a single-minded mission to bring his late client to justice – with the tension reaching a heart-pounding climax.
The Guardian dubbed it a 'superb legal drama [that] somehow pulls off being very funny and devastatingly compelling,' adding that David 'cuts a suave, wry figure' as our burdened hero. The Telegraph shared that the 60-year-old actor 'takes a flawed character… and invests him with a kind of old-fashioned integrity that feels as if it's masking deeper troubles underneath.'
Harewood on his layered role
David himself has spoken about how layered this character is, a real gem of a role for the screen star to sink his teeth into. 'The script allowed me to play a full human being. He's a husband, he's funny and he's a best mate. In the early stages of my career you just weren't allowed the chance to play all facets of a character,' he told Radio Times.
The upcoming show also deals with racism within the police head-on, an issue David is all too familiar with. 'I've got friends of mine who, when I spoke to them about the show, would say, 'Oh, yeah, standard. Arrested, cells, a couple of digs, and then you're released three or four hours later.' But it was endemic and systemic,' he recalled to NME.
Legal dramas to watch after Pierre
For those seeking similar fare, The Split Up focuses on the interpersonal struggles of a family of lawyers in a Manchester firm navigating career-destroying legal drama and affairs, available on BBC iPlayer. War, an anthology plunging into cutthroat legal dynasties in London, follows the explosive divorce trial between a high-profile couple portrayed by Dominic West and Sienna Miller, available on Sky and NOW. Believe Me, based on the true story of the legal fight for justice for victims of a serial rapist after they were failed by police, is available to stream on ITVX.
