Miniseries · BBC One
Ordeal by Innocence
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Bill Nighy
Leo Argyll
3 eps
Anthony Boyle
Jack Argyll
3 eps
Anna Chancellor
Rachel Argyll
3 eps
Morven Christie
Kirsten Lindstrom
3 eps
Crystal Clarke
Tina Argyll
3 eps
Christian Cooke
Mickey Argyll
3 eps
Alice Eve
Gwenda Vaughan
3 eps
Matthew Goode
Philip Durrant
3 eps
Ella Purnell
Hester Argyll
3 eps
Eleanor Tomlinson
Mary Durrant
3 eps
Luke Treadaway
Dr. Arthur Calgary
3 eps
Brian McCardie
Bellamy Gould
3 eps
Frances Grey
Lydia Gould
3 eps
Stuart McQuarrie
Doctor
1 eps
James E. Thompson
Blake (uncredited)
1 eps
Sandy Batchelor
Simon
1 eps
Sammy Moore
Clive
1 eps
Sandy Welch
Dr. Edwin Morsuch
2 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How Ordeal by Innocence actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
Ordeal by Innocence reads strongest on Serialized, Tension and Bingeability.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
The story
What it's about
The black sheep of the Argyll family, Jack Argyll, was accused of murdering their matriarch a year ago, but now a man shows up on their doorstep claiming Jack’s innocence. The family must come to terms with this news and the fact that the real killer might still be among them.
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S01E01
Episode 1
Heiress Rachel Argyll is murdered at her family estate. Eighteen months later, as her widower prepares to marry again, the identity of the murderer is thrown in doubt.
- Directed by Sandra Goldbacher
- Written by Sarah Phelps
S01E02
Episode 2
Calgary is determined to prove that Jack died an innocent man, but his alibi puts him in perilous danger of his own.
- Directed by Sandra Goldbacher
- Written by Sarah Phelps
S01E03
Episode 3
The devastating events that led up to Rachel's murder are revealed, and the true identity of her killer is finally unmasked.
- Directed by Sandra Goldbacher
- Written by Sarah Phelps
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- James PrichardExecutive Producer
- Karen ThrussellExecutive Producer
- Gaynor HolmesExecutive Producer
- Basi AkpabioExecutive Producer
- Damien TimmerExecutive Producer
- Sarah PhelpsExecutive Producer
Writing
- Sarah PhelpsWriter
Direction
- Sandra GoldbacherDirector
Cinematography
- John LeeDirector of Photography
Music
- Stuart EarlOriginal Music Composer
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- Amazon Prime VideoStreaming
- Amazon VideoBuy
- Apple TV StoreBuy
- Britbox Apple TV Channel Streaming
- BritBoxStreaming
- BritBox Amazon ChannelStreaming
- Amazon Prime Video with AdsStreaming
If you liked this
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Where to go from here
Watch Next
Our editors' suggestion for the show you should start tonight — and why.
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Never stop watching
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