Judge John Deed S1 DVD Review

All rise!

Court’s in session for the honorable Judge John Deed (2001-07), the longest-running legal drama in BBC’s history. Martin Shaw takes on the titular role London Times are calling “the heroic James Bond of the law”.

The DVD features all four episodes as well as the pilot episode “Exacting Justice”, which is similar to A Time to Kill, where the case of a father seeking revenge against his daughter’s murderer bring racial strife in and out the courtroom. John Deed does share the character traits of Bond (he fancies the ladies a lot), but he’s also has the traits of The Duke himself John Wayne (he loves watching cowboy movies where justice was plain black and white).

Deed is an honorable idealistic judge that sets out to bring law and justice for the common people such as the abused wife of a MI5 informant (“Rough Justice”) and the grief-stricken mother of a 19-year-old against a powerful businessman (“Duty of Care”). He fights a corrupt system and bureaucrats that care more about the politics than the protection and rights of the innocent, the latter that Deed chooses — making him a thorn to high-ranking officials and judges that will stop at nothing to take him down.

The only objection is there are no extras on this DVD like audio commentaries and interviews with cast and crew on these episodes, the series, and more.

The final verdict is that season one of Judge John Deed is clear of all charges and is free to continue his lone crusade.

Case dismissed!

Garrett Godwin

Garrett Godwin is an entertainment journalist, who writes for NewsBlaze about television and people in the entertainment industry, from his home state of Michigan. Contact Garrett by writing to NewsBlaze.