PLANS FOR SECOND SERIES OF BBC TWO'S DEFENDING THE GUILTY SCRAPPED

Episode one consolidated (28 day) to an audience of 1.5m / 9.2 percent share, an increase of +31 percent on its Tuesday night slot average.

The series followed Will Sharpe (Giri/Haji, Flowers), as Will Packham - an idealistic pupil barrister being shown the ropes by his cynical, worldly-wise pupilmaster Caroline, played by Bafta Award-winner Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd, Humans). Initially believing his role is to serve justice, Will is regularly disillusioned as he learns to manipulate a tricky and underfunded system that refuses to fit his moral assumptions.

A spokesperson for production company Big Talk told British Comedy Guide: "Unfortunately, Defending The Guilty will no longer return for its planned second series. This is due to cast availability being impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic."