The show saw defendant Simon Davis, a university lecturer, be tried for the murder of his estranged wife, who had been strangled in her home.
The programme was described by Channel 4 as a social experiment, which examines the thought-process behind the British jury system.
While the defendant was an actor as were the witnesses, the jurors are ordinary members of the public.
However, those watching at home struggled to understand what part of the trial was real and who was acting.
One baffled person asked: “#TheTrial .. whats real n whats fake in this show?! Do they really think hes accused of murder? (sic)”
A second reiterated: “Is this programme real or fake? #thetrial.”
“If it was a real trial would the jurors really be so jovial? Also I’m not really understanding #thetrial,” a third questioned.
While a fourth tweeted: “#thetrial I’m sorry…..just too confused as to what’s real and what’s acting….beginning to lose a bit of interest.”
The case itself is a construct, however, the trial was held in a real court with a retired judge and real barristers acting as the defence and prosecution teams.
The Trial: A Murder in the Family continues tomorrow at 9pm on Channel 4.
Daily Express :: TV and Radio Feed
