The fifth series of Law and Order UK features the first major personnel changes since the show started in 2009. James Steel and George Castle on the Prosecutor's side of the story are replaced by Jacob Thorne, played by Dominic Rowan and Henry Sharpe, played by Peter Davison. I thought the new boys settled in well, but I still cannot get past thinking Doctor Who whenever Peter Davison appears!
We have six shows this time round to go with the 26 previous episodes. Apparently the way it works is that 13 shows are commissioned at a time and these are shown as one series in the USA. However, in the UK, they are split into two series, one of 6 episodes and one of 7 so Series 6 is next which is seven episodes. These continue to be sourced from the long running US series, which are screened for stories which will translate well to a UK setting. The US source shows for Series 5 were originally screened between 1990 and 1996, and frankly I did not remember the plots though I imagine I must have seen them all over the years. Having said that I really do not see why we should not have some written for the UK scripts at some stage.
The format of the programmes is as previously. There is criminality which is investigated by the police, apprehension of the alleged perpetrator and then the legal procedure and outcome. Sometimes it does seem that 60 minutes is really not enough for all this and extended shows, perhaps to two hours would work better. Unusually, though, this time round the final show contains a shocking event, and the first show of the sixth series carries on from there, so this is the first two parter. In the main, this is absorbing stuff and very good entertainment. Apparently no shows have been commissioned yet beyond the sixth series but hopefully there will be more Law and Order UK.