2013 has been quite a year for David Tennant. First there was the phenomenal benchmark setting Broadchurch in which he starred alongside Olivia Colman, then came The Politician's Husband and now he stars in The Escape Artist is a new three-part legal thriller for BBC One.
Written and created by David Wolstencroft and set in the world of criminal law, The Escape Artist, which contains one of the best opening episodes to a drama I've seen on the BBC in a long time.
David Tennant (Doctor Who, Broadchurch, True Love), plays Will Burton, a talented junior barrister who specialises in spiriting people out of tight legal corners, hence his nickname of 'The Escape Artist'.
Will is in high demand as he has never lost a case. But when his talents acquit the prime suspect in a horrific murder trial, that brilliance comes back to bite him with unexpected and chilling results. David Tennant is quickly becoming one of my favourite Television actors, and he doesn't disappoint in this. However it's not just his great performance in The Escape Artist that makes it great, there is of course a very brilliant script involved. A script written by David Wolstencroft, creator of Spooks.
Speaking to the BBC, Wolstencroft said “The law often seems like an intellectual exercise, but scratch under the surface, and it’s all blood and guts. I wanted to write a thriller set in the legal world that’s as much about those primal feelings as it is about the twists and turns of the case. David Tennant is one of the most accomplished and iconic actors of his generation. Seeing him in Will's shoes is incredibly exciting."
So if one thing's for certain, it's that for the next three week's The Escape Artist is going to have you gripped. Burton may appear to have the perfect family life and never loses a case but when he comes into contact with serial killer Liam Foyle, his life may be a different story.
We're used to seeing Dramas about the law, but The Escape Artist is very different. The programme you think you're tuning in to watch at the start of the first episode is very different to the programme you're watching at the end. Unfortunately I can't (and wouldn't want to) reveal what that massive plot twist is that changes the mood of the piece so dramatically, but what I can say is stick with it. When said thing happened I screamed. Like a girl. It happens.
The Escape Artist isn't just about Tennant though. There are also excellent performances from Toby Kebbell (Black Mirror), playing serial killer, Liam Foyle, Sophie Okonedo (The Slap, Criminal Justice) playing Will's courtroom rival Maggie Gardener, and Ashley Jensen (Extras, Love And Marriage) playing Will's wife Kate.
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