<P> The British courtroom drama television series Judge John Deed, starring Martin Shaw as a maverick High Court judge, began with a pilot episode called "Exacting Justice", which was first broadcast on BBC One on 9 January 2001 . The series proper began on 26 November 2001 . The first to third series contained four 90 - minute episodes, the fourth and fifth were extended to a six - episode run and the latest series comprised two 120 - minute episodes split into two parts on broadcast . When it began, the programme followed an episodic format, though later series have developed a serialised format, with plots developing over a number of stories . </P> <P> As of the end of the sixth series in 2007, the number of episodes is 29 . The possibility of more episodes was in doubt after Shaw became involved in other projects, and the series had been officially cancelled by the BBC by 2009 . The pilot and all 6 series have been released on DVD in the UK (minus episodes 24 & 25). The pilot and first series were released in North America in March 2010 . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Episode </Th> <Th> Title </Th> <Th> Written by </Th> <Th> Directed by </Th> <Th> Original airdate </Th> <Th> Viewers (millions) </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> "Exacting Justice" </Td> <Td> G.F. Newman </Td> <Td> Alrick Riley </Td> <Td> 9 January 2001 (2001 - 01 - 09) </Td> <Td> 6.6 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="6"> Judge John Deed takes the case of Maurice Haart, a father accused of murdering the man who killed his daughter . Haart tells his barrister, Jo Mills, that he shot the man because he saw him driving the same lorry that he hit his daughter with, but he refuses to plead provocation . Deed's daughter Charlie introduces him to Rory, an environmental activist, and they are later arrested when they destroy GM crops . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> "Rough Justice" </Td> <Td> G.F. Newman </Td> <Td> Mary McMurray </Td> <Td> 26 November 2001 (2001 - 11 - 26) </Td> <Td> 9.1 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="6"> An MI5 informant is on trial for causing grievous bodily harm to his wife and Deed is pressured by the Lord Chancellor's Department and Police Commissioner Row Colemore to release the man, but Deed refuses without investigating the matter further . He conducts a Newton hearing, hearing evidence and acting as his own jury . This causes a clash with Sir Ian Rochester of the LCD (with whose wife Deed is having an affair). Deed also sits on the case of date rape against three men . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> "Duty of Care" </Td> <Td> G.F. Newman </Td> <Td> Jonny Campbell </Td> <Td> 3 December 2001 (2001 - 12 - 03) </Td> <Td> 7.4 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="6"> Corporate manslaughter charges are brought against the managing director of a construction company whose health and safety breaches result in a worker being killed on a building site . Charlie steals a dog from an animal testing laboratory and leaves her with Deed for safety, but there is trouble when it is found . Deed has to contend with Rochester's urges for him to drop the manslaughter case because of the defendant's political affiliations, as well as with George's contempt in the courtroom . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> "Appropriate Response" </Td> <Td> G.F. Newman </Td> <Td> Jane Powell </Td> <Td> 10 December 2001 (2001 - 12 - 10) </Td> <Td> 7.1 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="6"> Romero, a serial rapist and former defendant in Deed's court, is released from prison and seeks revenge on the judge . Deed makes an enemy of the police when he tries two police officers for GBH and refuses bail when he suspects tampering with the main witness . Romero poisons Rosie and leads Deed to an abandoned warehouse, under the pretence he has kidnapped Charlie, enraging the judge . Deed's actions force him to reassess the actions of a boxer on trial for GBH, and his relationship with Jo is strained at a reception . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 5 </Th> <Td> "Hidden Agenda" </Td> <Td> G.F. Newman </Td> <Td> Jane Powell </Td> <Td> 17 December 2001 (2001 - 12 - 17) </Td> <Td> 7.1 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="6"> A GP stands trial for the murder of a patient when it is revealed he left everything to her in his will . Though the jury finds her not guilty, the doctor insists to Deed that she did kill her patient, despite an expert witness stating that was not possible . The Lord Chancellor's Department continues surveillance of Deed when it suspects he is having an affair with the doctor . Meanwhile, Charlie becomes involved in the case of an HIV mother who refuses to have her child tested, and seeks her father's help in the matter . </Td> </Tr> </Table>

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