BBC1 plans new crime thriller series

BBC One is making a new five-part crime thriller starring Ben Whishaw and Pete Postlethwaite to air this summer.

Criminal Justice centres on Ben Coulter, who finds himself being prosecuted for murder after waking up in bed next to an attractive young woman who has been stabbed to death.

Coulter, played by Whishaw (Perfume, I'm Not There), finds himself on a "rollercoaster ride" through the criminal justice system. Ending up in prison, he has to learn to survive alongside tough inmates including Postlethwaite's character, Hooch.

The series is from award-winning writer Peter Moffat, whose credits include BBC productions Hawking and Macbeth.

Kate Harwood, the BBC's head of series and serials, said: "This is not a prison, legal or police drama. Peter Moffat has created something beyond these labels. He has delivered an exceptional and audacious piece of writing - full of colour, texture and humour."