Sheridan Smith Takes On Britain's Most Shocking True Crime Story In I Fought The Law

ITVX quietly dropped a new true-crime drama today, and it is not a casual watch. I Fought the Law stars BAFTA winner Sheridan Smith and tells the true, frankly jaw-dropping story of Ann Ming, who spent 15 years forcing the British justice system to fix its own mess after her daughter was murdered. It is already getting strong reviews, and yes, all four episodes are up to stream right now.

What it is (and why this story matters)

Based on Ann Ming's memoir 'For the Love of Julie', the series follows the Ming family after the murder of 22-year-old Julie. When early police failures threaten to let the killer slip away, Ann refuses to let the case die.

That determination ultimately leads her to take on the Crown Prosecution Service, the Law Commission, big-name defense barristers on TV, the Government, the Lord Chancellor, the Attorney General, and two Home Secretaries. If that sounds like a lot of inside baseball, it is — because the obstacle was the old double jeopardy rule, which meant you could not be tried twice for the same crime. Ann pushed to change it. The show is about that fight as much as it is about the murder itself.

'I cannot wait for people to see how inspiring Ann is, and to know her story... I really hope everyone takes a little bit of Ann with them in their lives, she’s amazing.'

— Sheridan Smith

When and where to watch

All four episodes are streaming now on ITVX.

ITV1 rollout: Episode 1 is set for Sunday 31 August at 9pm, with Episode 2 following on Monday 1 September in the same slot. It will then continue across two consecutive weeks on ITV1 and STV. Yes, those dates are a little odd on the calendar — keep an eye on your EPG just in case, but that is the schedule being flagged alongside the drop.

The cast

• Sheridan Smith (Cilla, Four Lives, Mrs Biggs, The Teacher) as Ann Ming
• Victoria Wyant (Foundation) as Julie, Ann's daughter
• Daniel York Loh (Strangers) as Charlie Ming, Ann's husband
• Olivia Ng (Phoenix Rise) as Angela, Ann's other daughter
• Marlowe Chan-Reeves (Doctor Who) as Gary, Ann's son
• Jake Davies (Grace) as Matthew, Julie's ex-partner
• Kent Riley (Mr Bates vs. The Post Office) as DI Keith Arnold
• Andrew Lancel (Unforgotten) as Guy Whitburn QC
• Rufus Jones (Hijack) as Lord Goldsmith
• Jack James Ryan (Passenger, Vera) as William Dunlop, Julie's killer

Why Sheridan Smith is the right call

Smith has been open about being completely in awe of Ann Ming and wishing she had her strength and determination. Ann, for her part, said she was overwhelmed to have someone as iconic and talented as Smith playing her. That mutual respect matters here — the role is less about grandstanding and more about relentless, procedural persistence, which is exactly in Smith's wheelhouse.

I Fought the Law is streaming now on ITVX, with the ITV1/STV run starting this week. If you like your true crime with real stakes and actual change at the end of it, this is the one to queue up.