:Scott & Bailey

{{Main|List of Scott & Bailey episodes}}

{{:List of Scott & Bailey episodes}}

{{Main|List of Scott & Bailey characters}}

• Lesley Sharp as Detective Constable Janet Scott, a Detective Constable within Syndicate 9 who also briefly acts as Detective Sergeant during Series 3.
• Suranne Jones as Acting Detective Inspector Rachel Bailey, an officer within Syndicate 9 who serves as a Detective Constable from Series 1-3 before being promoted to Detective Sergeant and Deputy Senior Investigating Officer of Syndicate 9 in Series 4. She is later promoted to Acting Detective Inspector in Series 5 and concurrently serves as the Senior Investigating Officer of Syndicate 9.
• Amelia Bullmore as Detective Chief Inspector Gill Murray (Series 1–4), the Senior Investigating Officer of Syndicate 9.
• Nicholas Gleaves as Detective Sergeant Andy Roper (Series 1–2), a Detective Sergeant and the Deputy Senior Investigating Officer of Syndicate 9.
• Danny Miller as Detective Sergeant Rob Waddington (Series 3–4), a Detective Sergeant and the Deputy Senior Investigating Officer of Syndicate 9.
• Pippa Haywood as Detective Superintendent Julie Dodson (Series 5; supporting, Series 2–4), an officer who serves as a Detective Chief Inspector and Senior Investigating Officer of Syndicate 3 in Series 2. She is later promoted to Detective Superintendent by Series 3 and gains oversight of multiple syndicates, including Syndicate 9, within the Murder Investigation Department.

• David Prosho as Detective Constable Ian "Mitch" Mitchell, a Detective Constable within Syndicate 9.
• Delroy Brown as Detective Constable Lee Broadhurst, a Detective Constable within Syndicate 9.
• Tony Mooney as Detective Constable Pete Readyough, a Detective Constable within Syndicate 9.
• Ben Batt as Detective Constable Kevin Lumb (Series 1-3), a Detective Constable within Syndicate 9.
• Rupert Graves as Nick Savage (Series 1), a CPS barrister.
• Sean Maguire as Police Constable Sean McCartney (Series 2-3), a Police Constable within Manchester Metropolitan Police and later boyfriend/husband of Rachel Bailey.
• Steve Toussaint as Detective Superintendent Will Pemberton (Series 4), a Detective Superintendent within the Vice Unit and boyfriend of Rachel Bailey.
• Danny Webb as Detective Constable Chris Crowley (Series 4), a Detective Constable within Syndicate 9 and later boyfriend of Janet Scott.
• Jing Lusi as Detective Constable Anna Ram (Series 5), a Detective Constable within Syndicate 9.

• Sally Lindsay as Alison Bailey, the daughter of Sharon Bailey and sister of Rachel and Dominic Bailey.
• Harriet Waters as Taisie Scott, the daughter of Adrian and Janet Scott.
• Tony Pitts as Adrian Scott (Series 1-3), the husband of Janet Scott and father of Taisie and Elise Scott.
• Vincent Regan as Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Murray (Series 1-2), the Head of the Review Unit whose team are occasionally called in to review the progress of Syndicate 9 in murder enquiries. He is also the ex-husband of Gill Murray.
• Kevin Doyle as Geoff Hastings (Series 1-2), an old school friend of Janet Scott who brings a cold case to her attention.
• Julia Deakin (Series 2) & Judy Holt (Series 3-5) as "Scary" Mary Jackson, a Home Office pathologist.
• Judith Barker as Dorothy Parsons (Series 2-5), the mother of Janet Scott.
• Shannon Flynn (Series 1) & Olivia Fenton (Series 2-4) as Elise Scott, the daughter of Adrian and Janet Scott.
• Liam Boyle as Dominic Bailey (Series 2), the son of Sharon Bailey and brother of Rachel and Alison Bailey.
• Tracie Bennett as Sharon Bailey (Series 3-4), the mother of Rachel, Alison and Dominic Bailey.
• Nicola Walker as Helen Bartlett (Series 3), a person of interest in an investigation surrounding her parents Joe and Eunice Bevan.
• George Costigan as Joe Bevan (Series 3), a person of interest to Syndicate 9 following the death of his wife Eunice Bevan.
• Gabrielle Reidy as Assistant Chief Constable Karen Zelinski (Series 3), a senior ranking officer within the Manchester Metropolitan Police.
• Ellie Haddington as Evie Pritchard (Series 4), a person of interest to Syndicate 9 following the death of a missing man near her farm.
• Gregg Chillin as Detective Sergeant Neil Simpson (Series 5), an officer within the Serious Crime Unit.

Scott & Bailey was commissioned after the concept was introduced to executive producer Nicola Shindler, who brought it to writer Sally Wainwright. The series is produced by Manchester-based Red Production Company and is largely filmed in the Greater Manchester area.

Scott & Bailey is based on an original idea by Suranne Jones and Sally Lindsay, with Jones commenting that there needed to be more roles for women "that weren't wife-of, sidekick-to, mother-of, mistress-to, etc."{{Cite news|author=Will Martin|url=http://www.cultbox.co.uk/interviews/exclusives/1057-suranne-jones-scott-a-bailey-interview |publisher=CultBox |title=Suranne Jones ('Scott & Bailey') interview|date=17 May 2011|access-date=6 July 2011}} Jones remarked, "We were just chatting away over a bottle of wine in a pub" when the idea came to fruition.{{cite news|author=Ian Wylie|url=http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/tv_and_showbiz/s/1421676_suranne-jones-is-upbeat-and-on-the-beat|newspaper=Manchester Evening News|title=Suranne Jones is upbeat and on the beat|date=25 May 2011|access-date=7 July 2011}} Lindsay, a fan of television programmes such as Cagney & Lacey, was interested in the concept of a programme detailing the lives of two professional women. Jones later spoke of the programme, saying it is "the Cagney & Lacey of Manchester",{{cite magazine|url=http://www.whatsontv.co.uk/soaps/coronation-street/interviews/suranne-its-the-cagney-lacey-of-manchester/12859|magazine=TV Times|title=Suranne: "It's the Cagney and Lacey of Manchester|date=24 May 2011|access-date=8 July 2011}} though she acknowledged that Scott & Bailey as a drama was more "gritty" and "real".

Upon taking the idea to Nicola Shindler of Red Productions, Shindler contacted Sally Wainwright, who wrote a script for an episode and, according to Jones, they "loved it".{{Cite news|author=David Collins|url=http://www.tvchoicemagazine.co.uk/interviewextra/suranne-jones-scott-bailey?tvgShowID=12944&tvgPageNumber=1 |publisher=TV Choice |title=Suranne Jones, Scott & Bailey|date=24 May 2011|access-date=7 July 2011}} Despite the positive reaction, the project "kind of got a bit lost" until ITV discovered it and requested that Wainwright rewrite the script.

Subsequently, Wainwright paired up with Diane Taylor, a former Detective Inspector from Greater Manchester Police, to create the programme, and the production expanded from Jones and Lindsay's original concept. From Taylor's perspective, police procedurals were often filled with not only technical inaccuracies, but what she felt were inaccuracies of how officers behaved, saying: "that's what really irritates me in other dramas – detectives crying over dead bodies and getting drunk senseless. You'd last about two weeks".{{cite news|author=Helen Tither |url=http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/tv_and_showbiz/s/1424488_tv-cop-dramas-irritated-me-so-i-made-my-own-says-the-former-detective-inspector-behind-scott-and-bailey|newspaper=Manchester Evening News |title=TV cop dramas irritated me, so I made my own, says the former Detective Inspector behind Scott And Bailey |date=22 June 2011|access-date=8 July 2011}} She said, of her time as a police officer in comparison to portrayals on television, that "reality is much more interesting. I could pull a thousand cases out of my head people would say would never happen. People need drama because they would not believe the reality".

Scott & Bailey is produced by Manchester-based Red Production Company, which itself is majority owned by StudioCanal following an acquisition estimated at £30 million in December 2013.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/dec/05/last-tango-halifax-sells-stake-red-studiocanal|title=Last Tango in Halifax producer sells majority stake to French company|newspaper=The Guardian|date=5 December 2013|access-date=12 February 2014|first=Mark|last=Sweney}} Nicola Shindler, who founded the company in 1998, is the programme's executive producer alongside writer Sally Wainwright and Tom Sherry. When speaking of Shindler, Wainwright said: "Nicola is just a genius. She makes you raise your game. So if you're good, she'll make you better".{{Cite news|url=http://www.itv.com/documents/doc/ScottBailey2.doc|publisher=ITV|title=Scott & Bailey|access-date=13 February 2014}}

The role of producer was undertaken by Yvonne Francas for Series 1, and from Series 2–3, Tom Sherry. Sherry, who has worked for Red Productions for over 15 years, described his job as "the opportunity to meddle in all departments – it's about being able to have a passable stab at everyone's job and to be able to empathise with what they're trying to achieve".{{cite news|author=Jessamy Calkin|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/9158540/True-crimes-on-set-with-Scott-and-Bailey.html|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|title=True crimes: on set with Scott & Bailey|date=24 March 2012|access-date=2 April 2012}} For the production of Series 4, Sherry undertook the role of executive producer alongside Wainwright and Shindler, while the position of producer is staffed by Juliet Charlesworth.{{Cite news|url=http://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/scott-bailey-reunited-fourth-series|publisher=ITV|title=Scott & Bailey reunited for a fourth series|date=24 April 2014|access-date=15 July 2014}} For the fifth series, filmed in 2015, Suranne Jones became an executive producer alongside Shindler.

The involvement of Diane Taylor as a consultant producer is credited with maintaining Scott & Bailey{{'}}s "rigorous authenticity". According to Jessamy Calkin of The Telegraph, "the attention to detail is more extreme on this series, say many of the crew, than others they have worked on". During the filming of Unforgiven in 2008 (written by Wainwright and also starring Suranne Jones), Wainwright was told to meet Taylor by Grant Montgomery, the show's designer.{{Cite news|url=http://www.itv.com/documents/doc/scott%20bailey%20production%20notes%20%5B2%5D.doc|publisher=ITV|title=Scott and Bailey|access-date=12 February 2014}} After meeting, the production was given the green light by ITV and the script was largely re-written, with Wainwright commenting: "I wasn't writing a single line of dialogue that Diane hadn't influenced". Wainwright is responsible for writing the majority of episodes.

Amelia Bullmore, who plays Gill Murray, wrote three episodes; Wainwright had wanted to get other writers involved in the process. For her first episode as writer, "Bullmore was given a brief – that everything must be from Scott and Bailey's point of view – and she was given a murder". Though she had been a professional writer for almost two decades, Scott and Bailey marked the first instance of Bullmore writing and starring in the same production.{{cite web|url=http://www.sundaypost.com/tv-showbiz/tv/scott-bailey-star-amelia-bullmore-enjoying-the-gritty-writing-1.572723|title=Scott & Bailey star Amelia Bullmore enjoying the gritty writing|work=Sunday Post|date=14 September 2014|access-date=3 August 2015}} Due to Wainwright's increased workload on her other drama series Last Tango in Halifax and Happy Valley, Bullmore was chosen to be the head writer for Scott and Bailey{{'}}s fourth series in 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2014-09-10/scott--bailey-lesley-sharp-suranne-jones-and-amelia-bullmore-reveal-all-about-the-new-series|title=Scott & Bailey: Lesley Sharp, Suranne Jones and Amelia Bullmore reveal all about the new series|work=Radio Times|publisher=Immediate Media Company|last=Brown|first=David|date=10 September 2014|access-date=3 August 2015}} She was joined on the writing team by Lee Warburton, who wrote two episodes of the fourth series.{{cite web|url=http://www.whatsontv.co.uk/tv-news/news/i-was-so-ungrateful-on-corrie-reveals-scott-bailey-star-amelia-bullmore|title="I was so ungrateful on Corrie!" reveals Scott & Bailey star Amelia Bullmore|work=What's on TV|date=14 September 2014|access-date=3 August 2015}} and returned to write Scott & Bailey's fifth series in 2015.{{cite web|url=http://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/itv-commissions-new-episodes-scott-bailey|title=ITV commissions new episodes of Scott & Bailey|work=ITV|date=31 July 2015|access-date=3 August 2015}}

The directing of Scott & Bailey is undertaken in a method whereby "each director directs a 'block' of two or three episodes, dictated by the schedule – when each episode has finished shooting, the director goes into the edit and a new director takes over for the next block", according to Calkin. The most prolific director of Scott & Bailey is Morag Fullerton, who directed seven episodes.

Jones, who had always envisaged herself playing Rachel Bailey when the idea of the project came in to mind, was given the role, though at the programme's pre-production stages the character had a different first name, Cathy.{{Cite news|url=http://www.itv.com/presscentre/pressreleases/programmepressreleases/itvannouncesthreenewdramacommissionsfor2011/default.html|publisher=ITV|title=ITV announces three new drama commissions for 2011|date=28 August 2010|access-date=13 July 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110630130705/http://www.itv.com/presscentre/pressreleases/programmepressreleases/itvannouncesthreenewdramacommissionsfor2011/default.html|archive-date=30 June 2011}} It was originally intended that Lindsay would star with Jones in Scott & Bailey, but she became pregnant with twins, so the role of Janet was given to Lesley Sharp instead; Lindsay received the smaller role of Rachel's sister, Alison. Lindsay approved of Sharp playing the role; Jones also felt pleased at the prospect of working with Sharp, saying "I was really excited on the day of the read-through". Regarding the casting of her husband Nicholas Gleaves as Scott's lover DS Andy Roper, Sharp stated that it was not a contributing factor in his casting, stating: "Nick's an actor and I'm an actress — we don't have the same agent. There's a script with a role in it that was right for him and it so happened that there was a role that was right for me and we both got cast, but it wasn't a conversation that we had that it would be a good idea if we did a television series together because that's not the way life works".{{cite web|author=Catriona Wightman|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a369683/scott--bailey-suranne-jones-lesley-sharp-interview.html|website=Digital Spy |title='Scott & Bailey' Suranne Jones, Lesley Sharp interview|date=12 March 2012|access-date=13 March 2012}}

Both Rachel and Janet are Detective Constables in the Major Incident Team of the fictional Manchester Metropolitan Police Service, with the team headed by DCI Gill Murray (Amelia Bullmore), who is loosely based on Diane Taylor.{{cite news|author=Ian Wylie|url=http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/tv_and_showbiz/s/1425069_back-home--former-coronation-street-star-amelia-bullmore-turned-scott--bailey-cop|newspaper=Manchester Evening News |title=Back 'home' – former Coronation Street star Amelia Bullmore turned Scott & Bailey cop|date=29 June 2011|access-date=6 July 2011}} Producers were undecided on what age DCI Murray would be, but had originally pictured an actress older than Bullmore. After auditioning, Bullmore returned a month later, intent on playing Murray "tough", however, when meeting casting director Beverley Keogh in the toilets beforehand, Bullmore recounted that Keogh said to her: "That's not what we've got you back for. We were interested in seeing a warmer side".

Danny Miller joined the cast as series regular Rob Waddington in series 3{{cite web|author=Charlotte Grant-West|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s12/emmerdale/news/a447181/former-emmerdale-star-danny-miller-joins-scott--bailey.html|website=Digital Spy|title=Former 'Emmerdale' star Danny Miller joins 'Scott & Bailey'|date=24 December 2012|access-date=28 February 2012}} and Tracie Bennett also appeared in the third series as DC Bailey's estranged mother, Sharon.{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a439228/spooks-star-nicola-walker-tracie-bennett-for-scott--bailey.html|title='Spooks' star Nicola Walker, Tracie Bennett for 'Scott & Bailey'|website=Digital Spy|last=Jeffrey|first=Morgan|date=19 November 2012|access-date=29 January 2013}} In a continuing story arc for the third series, Nicola Walker was cast in the role of Helen Bartlett, a character driven to emotional instability by past events unearthed by the Manchester Metropolitan Police. In preparation for the role Walker visited a psychologist in order to build upon her characterisation.{{cite web|url=http://www.virginmedia.com/tvradio/news/story/2013/04/25/nicola-walker-psycho-scott-and/|title=Nicola Walker's psycho Scott and Bailey research|publisher=Virgin Media|date=25 April 2013|access-date=26 May 2013}}

File:Barclays Bank Bury.jpg branch in Bury served as the police station exterior in the first three series]]

Principal photography for the first series took place in a twelve-week window from November 2010 onwards, it was reported by Female First.{{Cite news|url=http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/tv/news/Filming+On+Scott+Bailey+Gets+Underway-59349.html|publisher=Female First |title=Filming on Scott & Bailey Gets Underway|date=22 November 2010|access-date=8 July 2011}} The series was filmed on location in and around Greater Manchester.{{cite news|author=Dianne Bourne|url=http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/tv_and_showbiz/s/1404489_coming_to_a_screen_near_you_manchester_is_the_rising_star_for_film_and_tv|newspaper=Manchester Evening News|title=Coming to a screen near you: Manchester is the rising star for film and TV

|date=6 January 2011|access-date=8 July 2011}} Jones mentioned that "On the first day of filming [she and Sharp] were stuck in a car on the moors". Oldham was another location chosen for filming, with local press reporting that Beal Lane in Shaw was used for filming.{{Cite news|url=http://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/8/news-headlines/53539/chronicle-helps-our-suranne-crack-crime|publisher=Oldham Evening Chronicle|title=Chronicle helps our Suranne crack crime|date=4 March 2011|access-date=15 August 2011}} The Oldham Evening Chronicle supplied specially mocked-up newspapers to be used as props in filming. Other locations such as Manchester Crown Court were used for filming. The Major Incident Team's headquarters for the first three series were filmed in an old Barclays branch on Silver Street, Bury. The filming location used the team's new station, the fictional Oldham Road police station, took place at former Greater Manchester Police Grey Mare Lane police station in Beswick.{{Cite news |author=Greater Manchester Police |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/gmpolice1/15013303149 |publisher=Flickr|title=Scott and Bailey with the Rainbow Car |date=4 September 2014 |access-date=22 September 2014}} A local mortuary was also used for filming scenes. The programme was also granted permission to film in HM Prison Risley in Cheshire, where locations manager James Muirhead and a crew of 35 filmed for a day.

When discussing the filming of Scott & Bailey, Jones said "I can't pretend it wasn't a tough shoot, both emotionally and physically, because it was",{{cite news|author=Mark Jefferies|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2011/07/02/suranne-jones-on-her-hit-new-tv-show-scott-bailey-115875-23241097/|newspaper=Daily Mirror|title=Suranne Jones on her hit new TV show Scott & Bailey|date=2 July 2011|access-date=8 July 2011}} before adding that on the last day of filming she had to shoot a gruelling scene involving her chasing a suspect from a crime scene, while Sharp and Bullmore "were having massages and facials ready for the wrap party".

When Scott & Bailey was recommissioned for a second series it was announced that production on the series would commence at the end of October 2011, to be aired in 2012.{{Cite news|url=http://www.redproductioncompany.com/latest-from-red/scott-and-bailey-second-series|publisher=Red Production Company|title=Scott & Bailey second series|date=26 July 2011|access-date=30 December 2011}} In November it was reported that while filming on Hamilton Road, Whitefield—the set of DC Scott's home—that an emergency call was made after a member of the television crew, a lighting technician, became stranded on top of a "cherry-picker style platform" 12 metres (39 ft) above the ground.{{cite news|author=Jennifer Williams and Catherine Shannon|url=http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1464937_suranne-jones-tv-cop-show-scott-and-bailey-eclipsed-by-moon-rescue-drama|newspaper=Manchester Evening News|title=Suranne Jones' TV cop show Scott and Bailey eclipsed by 'moon' rescue drama|date=12 November 2011|access-date=30 December 2011}} Fearing the mechanism could fail and cause the crew member to fall to the ground, they sought assistance from firefighters, who safely brought the technician to the ground.

Filming for series 3 began in November 2012, with an airing date scheduled for May 2013.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}} As the fourth series had a different air date (its television broadcast began in September, unlike May for the three previous series) it became the first series not to be filmed in the winter months.{{cite news|author=Catrin Carrucan|url=http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/tv-radio/507334/Suranne-Jones-plays-Rachel-Bailey-in-Scott-and-Bailey|newspaper=Daily Express|title=Scott and Bailey actress Suranne Jones: 'I like to shock people'|date=6 September 2014|access-date=22 September 2014}} A longer break in production between series 3 and 4 was the reason that the fourth series was instead filmed in summer.

:Scott & Bailey: Season 1, 279 (270 + 9 bonus) minutes; 17 June 2014

:Scott & Bailey: Season 2, 370 (359 + 11bonus) minutes; 16 September 2014

:Scott & Bailey: Season 3, 382 (364 + 15 bonus) minutes; 6 October 2015

:Scott & Bailey: Season 4, 359 (363 + 17 bonus) minutes; 15 March 2016

:Scott & Bailey: Season 5, 130/135 (135 + 0 bonus) minutes; 11 October 2016

{{Quote box|width=25em|align=left|quote=This series promises so much more than the usual oft-time lazy ITV Sunday cop drama.|source=Euan Ferguson, The Observer{{cite news|author=Euan Ferguson |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2011/jun/05/scott-bailey-britains-got-talent-queen?INTCMP=SRCH|newspaper=The Observer |title=Rewind TV: Scott & Bailey; Britain's Got Talent; Queen – Days of Our Lives; Bird on the Wireless |date=2011-06-05|access-date=2011-07-08}}}}

Scott & Bailey has received generally good reviews. Tom Sutcliffe of The Independent remarked that although it was a "less-than-courageous decision" for ITV to commission a detective drama for Sunday nights, Scott & Bailey had "genuine signs of life in the thing".{{cite news|author=Tom Sutcliffe |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/the-weekends-tv-scott-amp-bailey-sun-itv1brpaul-mertons-birth-of-hollywood-fri-bbc2-2290736.html|newspaper=The Independent |title=The Weekend's TV: Scott & Bailey, Sun, ITV1. Paul Merton's Birth of Hollywood, Fri, BBC2 |date=30 May 2011|access-date=2 July 2011}} Sam Wollaston of The Guardian, however, questioned the plausibility of the idea that the character of Rachel would not realise her partner of two years was already married, considering she was a detective, and described the series as "Lewis with skirts on".{{cite news|author=Sam Wollaston |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2011/may/29/scott-bailey-tv-review|newspaper=The Guardian |title=TV review: Scott & Bailey; Welly Telly – the Countryside on Television; and Britain's Secret Seas|date=29 May 2011|access-date=2 July 2011}} However, Grace Dent, also of The Guardian, described it as "of great televisual comfort".{{cite news|author=Grace Dent|author-link=Grace Dent|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2011/jun/11/grace-dent-tv-od-scott-and-bailey?INTCMP=SRCH|newspaper=The Guardian |title=Grace Dent's TV OD: Scott & Bailey|date=11 June 2011|access-date=2 July 2011}} Alexandra Heminsley, another writer for The Guardian, described it as "a genuinely gripping crime series" and added: "what about a second series?"{{cite news|author=Alexandra Heminsley|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2011/jul/01/itv1-scott-and-bailey|newspaper=The Guardian |title=Have you been watching... Scott & Bailey?|date=1 July 2011|access-date=2 July 2011}} Euan Ferguson of The Observer stated that it was "actually rather gripping". Horatia Harrod, reviewing the third series for The Daily Telegraph, praised the programme's script and its likeness to reality in portraying the professional conduct of modern policing, stating: "this is a beautifully engineered programme: it's both pleasingly sudsy and deliciously grisly, but manages to transcend both the soap and detective genres [...] Somehow Sally Wainwright, the show's creator and writer, has made the traditionally dull quality of professional competence seem positively thrilling".{{cite news|author=Horatia Harrod|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/tv-and-radio-reviews/9970112/Scott-and-Bailey-ITV-review.html|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|title=Scott & Bailey, ITV, review|date=3 April 2013|access-date=26 May 2013}}

John Preston of The Daily Telegraph gave a mixed review: though he commended the acting of Sharp and Jones, he stated that "it badly needs some shape and tension".{{cite news|author=John Preston|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8555664/Egypts-Lost-Cities-BBC-One-review.html|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |title=Egypt's Lost Cities, BBC One, review|date=5 June 2011|access-date=12 July 2011}} The Metro took a decidedly critical stance, with its reviews getting progressively worse with each new episode; first describing it as "comforting but could have been so much better",{{cite news|author=Keith Watson |url=http://www.metro.co.uk/tv/reviews/864772-scott-bailey-was-comforting-but-could-have-been-so-much-better|newspaper=Metro |title=Scott & Bailey was comforting but could have been so much better|date=30 May 2011|access-date=6 July 2011}} then later quipping that "Scott & Bailey will never be compelling TV",{{cite news|author=Rachel Tarley |url=http://www.metro.co.uk/tv/reviews/867541-scott-bailey-will-never-be-compelling-tv|newspaper=Metro |title=Scott & Bailey will never be compelling TV|date=26 June 2011|access-date=6 July 2011}} and that the programme was "a mediocre crime drama amidst a saturated market of mediocre crime dramas".{{cite news|author=Rachel Tarley |url=http://www.metro.co.uk/tv/reviews/866827-scott-bailey-is-a-mediocre-crime-drama-in-a-saturated-market|newspaper=Metro |title=Scott & Bailey is a mediocre crime drama in a saturated market|date=19 June 2011|access-date=6 July 2011}}

One of the more persistent criticisms of the show (especially its first two series) has been its indifferent or decidedly negative depiction of male characters. Dianne Butler, who reviewed the programme upon its airing in Australia, made a similar point, questioning the relevance of the show's male characters: "there are some men in this but they're fairly incidental".{{cite news|author=Dianne Butler|url=http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/television/tonight-on-tv-with-dianne-butler/story-e6frfmyi-1226142745228#ixzz1ZfyRAczB|work=News.com.au |title=Tonight on TV with Dianne Butler|date=23 September 2011|access-date=7 December 2011}} The Guardian{{'}}s John Crace expressed his belief that most of the programme's male characters are deficient in some way, writing: "surely it must be possible to make a show with women lead characters without having to make every male a complete dork? From Janet's useless husband and Rachel's idiot brother who can't boil an egg without burning down the kitchen".{{cite news|author=John Crace|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2012/mar/13/scott-and-bailey?newsfeed=true|newspaper=The Guardian |title=TV review: Scott & Baily; China: Triumph and Turmoil; This World: Interviews Before Execution|date=13 March 2012|access-date=13 March 2012}}

The performances of Amelia Bullmore and Nicola Walker in the Series 3 finale were highly praised. Julia Raeside of The Guardian commented that both "give an incredible acting masterclass that will take your breath away. Truly gripping and the jewel in ITV's increasingly impressive drama crown. Splendid stuff."{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2013/may/22/scott-and-bailey-the-apprentice|title=TV highlights 22/05/2013|newspaper=The Guardian|date=26 May 2013|access-date=26 May 2013}} The series was nominated for the BAFTA TV award for Best Drama Series in both 2012 and 2013.{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a378086/bafta-television-awards-2012-the-nominees-in-full.html|title=BAFTA Television Awards 2012: The nominees in full|website=Digital Spy|last=Goodacre|first=Kate|date=24 April 2012|access-date=24 April 2012}}

File:ScottandBaileyratings.png

Since Scott & Bailey{{'}}s debut it has fared well in the ratings. The programme's closest rival was a broadcast of the film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, which received 20.9% of the audience share.{{cite web|author=Paul Millar|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a322175/scott--bailey-makes-strong-debut.html|website=Digital Spy|title='Scott & Bailey' makes strong debut|date=30 May 2011|access-date=12 July 2011}} Scott and Bailey aired as the follow-on programme from Britain's Got Talent, which had received 9.86 million viewers and a 40.4% audience share in its timeslot.

The Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB) later released consolidated information stating that the first episode had received 8.31 million viewers on ITV,{{cite web|url=http://www.barb.co.uk/viewing/weekly-top-30?|title=Weekly Top 30 Programmes: ITV1 w/e 29 May 2011|website=Broadcasters' Audience Research Board|access-date=2 July 2011}} with a further 801,000 tuning in on ITV HD,{{cite web|url=http://www.barb.co.uk/viewing/weekly-top-10? |title=Weekly Top 10 Programmes: ITV1 HD w/e 29 May 2011 |website=Broadcasters' Audience Research Board |access-date=2 July 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130113222519/http://www.barb.co.uk/viewing/weekly-top-10 |archive-date=13 January 2013}} and 310,000 on ITV1+1,{{cite web|url=http://www.barb.co.uk/viewing/weekly-top-10? |title=Weekly Top 10 Programmes: ITV1+1 w/e 29 May 2011 |website=Broadcasters' Audience Research Board |access-date=2 July 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130113222519/http://www.barb.co.uk/viewing/weekly-top-10 |archive-date=13 January 2013}} totalling the viewing figures to 9.42 for the first episode. The episode was 2011's fourth highest-rating drama broadcast, as well as the highest-rating broadcast for a new drama.{{cite news|last=Conlan |first=Tara |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/dec/20/x-factor-final-royal-wedding|newspaper=The Guardian|title=X Factor final Pips royal wedding to become most-watched show of 2011|date=6 June 2011|access-date=12 July 2011}} By episode two it was reported that Scott & Bailey had dropped nearly 1.8 million viewers from episode one, with overnight figures suggesting 6.14 million (23.6%) tuned in, though it was still the number-one-rated programme in its timeslot.{{cite web|last=Laughlin |first=Andrew |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a323355/scott--bailey-sheds-almost-18m.html|website=Digital Spy|title='Scott & Bailey' sheds almost 1.8m|date=20 December 2011|access-date=29 December 2011}} The programme continued to outperform its competitors in its timeslot until the end of its first series, beating competition including BBC One dramas Case Histories and Stolen.{{cite web|last=Laughlin |first=Andrew |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a324696/jenson-buttons-dramatic-f1-win-grabs-5m.html|website=Digital Spy|title=Jenson Button's dramatic F1 win grabs 5m|date=13 June 2011|access-date=12 July 2011}}{{cite web|last=Laughlin |first=Andrew |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s153/popstar-to-operastar/news/a325796/melody-thorntons-popstar-exit-seen-by-3m.html|website=Digital Spy|title=Melody Thornton's 'Popstar' exit seen by 3m|date=20 June 2011|access-date=12 July 2011}}{{cite web|last=Laughlin |first=Andrew |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a326998/top-gear-return-revs-up-5-million.html|website=Digital Spy|title='Top Gear' return revs up 5 million|date=27 June 2011|access-date=12 July 2011}}{{cite web|last=Laughlin |first=Andrew |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a328131/wimbledon-mens-final-serves-up-55m.html|website=Digital Spy|title=Wimbledon men's final serves up 5.5m|date=4 July 2011|access-date=12 July 2011}}

Random House published a novel based on the characters of Scott & Bailey in 2012.Dead To Me: Scott & Bailey

By Cath Staincliffe

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Category:2010s British drama television series

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Category:Television shows set in Manchester

Category:Television shows shot in Manchester