Mr Bates vs The Post Office
{{Short description|2024 British television series}}
{{About|the TV drama|the legal case|Bates & Others v Post Office Ltd}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox television
| image = MrBatesvsThePostOffice.jpg
| caption = Title card
| genre = Drama
| creator =
| based_on =
| writer = Gwyneth Hughes
| screenplay =
| story =
| director = James Strong
| starring = {{Plainlist|
}}
| narrated =
| theme_music_composer = Vince Pope
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| num_series = 1
| num_episodes = 4
| executive_producer = {{Plainlist|* Patrick Spence
- Gwyneth Hughes
- Natasha Bondy
- Ben Gale
- James Strong
- Joe Williams
}}
| producer = Chris Clough
| editor =
| cinematography =
| runtime = 3 hours 10 minutes
| company = {{Plainlist|
- ITV Studios
- Little Gem
}}
| budget =
| network = ITV
| first_aired = {{Start date|2024|01|01|df=yes}}
| last_aired = {{End date|2024|01|04|df=yes}}
}}
Mr Bates vs The Post Office is a four-part British television drama series for ITV, written by Gwyneth Hughes, directed by James Strong and starring an ensemble cast led by Toby Jones. The series is a dramatisation of the British Post Office scandal, a miscarriage of justice in which hundreds of subpostmasters were wrongly prosecuted (privately and publicly) for theft, false accounting or fraud due to a faulty computer system called Horizon. It was broadcast on four consecutive days from 1 January 2024.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/mr-bates-vs-the-post-office-itv-b2465992.html|title='We all secretly think they're spinning it out so everyone dies before they get their money': Inside Mr Bates vs the Post Office|website=The Independent|last=Harrison|first=Ellie|date=1 January 2024|access-date=1 January 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2024/01/01/mr-bates-vs-post-office-tells-true-story-post-office-scandal-20030162/|title='I'm the real Mr Bates – my battle against the Post Office isn't over yet'|website=Metro|last=Willix|first=Pierra|date=1 January 2024|access-date=1 January 2024}}
The series takes its name from the court case instigated by the former subpostmaster Alan Bates and others.
Synopsis
A faulty IT system called Horizon, developed by Fujitsu, creates apparent cash shortfalls that cause Post Office Limited to pursue prosecutions for fraud, theft and false accounting against a number of subpostmasters across the UK. In 2009, a group of these, led by Alan Bates, forms the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance. The prosecutions and convictions are later ruled a miscarriage of justice at the conclusion of the Bates & Others v Post Office Ltd judicial case in 2019.{{cite web|url=https://virginradio.co.uk/entertainment/128150/will-mellor-mr-bates-vs-the-post-office-unbelievable-story|website=Virgin Radio|access-date=4 December 2023|title= 'You can't believe it's true' - Will Mellor on the frightening real-life story behind Mr Bates vs the Post Office|date=1 December 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://bradfordzone.co.uk/2023/05/itvs-mr-bates-vs-the-post-office-filming-begins-for-gripping-drama-exposing-uks-biggest-miscarriage-of-justice/|website=Bradford Zone|access-date=4 December 2023|title= ITV's Mr Bates vs. The Post Office: Filming begins for gripping drama exposing UK's biggest miscarriage of justice|date=22 May 2023}}
Cast
- Toby Jones as Alan Bates
- Monica Dolan as Jo Hamilton
- Julie Hesmondhalgh as Suzanne Sercombe
- Alex Jennings as James Arbuthnot
- Ian Hart as Bob Rutherford
- Lia Williams as Paula Vennells
- Will Mellor as Lee Castleton
- Amy Nuttall as Lisa Castleton
- Susan Brown as Min Howard
- Krupa Pattani as Saman Kaur
- Amit Shah as Jas Singh
- Colin Tierney as Martin Griffiths
- Clare Calbraith as Gina Griffiths
- Shaun Dooley as Michael Rudkin
- Lesley Nicol as Pam Stubbs
- John Hollingworth as James Hartley
- Adam James as Patrick Green QC
- Katherine Kelly as Angela van Den Bogerd
- Isobel Middleton as Kay Linnell
- {{Interlanguage link|Ifan Huw Dafydd|lt=Ifan Huw Dafydd|cy}} as Noel Thomas
- Mark Arends as Richard Roll
- Andrew Havill as Stuart Wentworth QC
- Pip Torrens as Lord Justice Fraser
- Nadhim Zahawi as himself{{Cite web |title=Why is Nadhim Zahawi in Mr Bates vs The Post Office? Cameo explained |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/nadhim-zahawi-mr-bates-post-office-cameo-explained/ |first=David|last=Craig|date=2 January 2024|access-date=6 January 2024 |website=Radio Times}}
- James Naughtie as himself{{Cite web |date=3 January 2024 |title=Zahawi appears in Post Office scandal TV drama |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-67873197 |access-date=6 January 2024 |website=BBC News}}
- Dana Haqjoo as Behrouz Heydari
Episodes
{{Episode table |background=#CCBCBC |overall= |title= |titleR= |director= |directorR= |writer= |writerR= |airdate= |airdateR= |viewers= |country=UK |episodes=
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 1
|Title = Episode 1
|DirectedBy= James Strong
|WrittenBy= Gwyneth Hughes
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|2024|01|01|df=yes}}
|Viewers = 9.20
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = CCBCBC
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 2
|Title = Episode 2
|DirectedBy= James Strong
|WrittenBy= Gwyneth Hughes
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|2024|01|02|df=yes}}
|Viewers = 9.48
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = CCBCBC
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 3
|Title = Episode 3
|DirectedBy= James Strong
|WrittenBy= Gwyneth Hughes
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|2024|01|03|df=yes}}
|Viewers = 9.99
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = CCBCBC
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 4
|Title = Episode 4
|DirectedBy= James Strong
|WrittenBy= Gwyneth Hughes
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|2024|01|04|df=yes}}
|Viewers = 10.31
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = CCBCBC
}}
}}
Production
Written by Gwyneth Hughes and directed by James Strong, the series was produced by Chris Clough for Little Gem and ITV Studios.{{cite web|author= Creamer, Jon|url=https://www.televisual.com/news/toby-jones-joins-itv-post-office-drama/|website=Televisual|access-date=28 February 2024|title= Toby Jones joins ITV Post Office drama|date=19 May 2023}} Filming began in May 2023{{cite web|url=https://britishperioddramas.com/news/mr-bates-vs-the-post-office-lesley-nicol-toby-jones-monica-dolan/|website=British Period Dramas|access-date=4 November 2023|title= Lesley Nicol from 'Downton' joins ITV drama 'Mr Bates vs. The Post Office'|date=24 May 2023}} and took place in Llandudno, Conwy, and Tatsfield, Surrey.{{cite web|url=https://www.northwaleschronicle.co.uk/news/23964799.trailer-mr-bates-vs-post-office-filmed-llandudno/|website=North Wales Chronicle|access-date=4 December 2023|title= Trailer for Mr Bates vs The Post Office filmed in Llandudno|date=3 December 2023|first=Suzanne|last=Kendrick}} Former member of the Business Select Committee Nadhim Zahawi had a small role, playing himself.{{cite web|url=https://www.stratford-herald.com/whats-on/more-drama-for-stratford-mp-9320887/|website=Stratford Herald|access-date=4 December 2023|title= Nadhim Zahawi to play himself in upcoming ITV drama about the Post Office Scandal, Mr Bates Vs The Post Office|date=10 July 2023|first=Gill|last=Sutherland}}
Journalist Nick Wallis, who has written extensively about the scandal, was a consultant on the series.{{cite news |last1=Tobitt |first1=Charlotte |title=Attention to Post Office Horizon IT scandal follows 14 years of dogged journalism |url=https://pressgazette.co.uk/news/post-office-horizon-it-scandal-journalists/ |access-date=10 April 2024 |work=Press Gazette |date=9 January 2024}}
=Financial losses=
Although the series had been watched by an estimated 13.5 million people as of late-April 2024, ITV said it had made a loss of around £1 million on the production. Kevin Lygo, ITV's managing director of media and entertainment, partially blamed the lack of international appeal in the subject matter for these losses.{{cite news |last1=Youngs |first1=Ian |title=Mr Bates vs Post Office drama lost £1m, ITV boss says |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c84z0lk0019o |work=BBC News |date=24 April 2024|access-date=13 September 2024}}
Broadcast
The series was shown on ITV1 from 1 to 4 January 2024, and was released in full on ITVX on the same date.{{cite web|website=Radio Times|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/itv-christmas-day-2023-schedule-newsupdate/|title=ITV confirms Christmas TV schedule including Vera and The Masked Singer|first1=James|last1=Hibbs|first2=Lidia|last2=Molina-Whyte|date=5 December 2023|access-date=5 December 2023}} In the United States, the series premiered on PBS's drama anthology Masterpiece in April 2024.{{Cite web |last=Goldbart |first=Max |date=29 January 2024|title=PBS Masterpiece Snaps Up Game-Changing ITV Post Office Drama That Has Generated Headlines In The UK For Weeks |url=https://deadline.com/2024/01/itv-post-office-drama-pbs-masterpiece-1235807610/ |access-date=29 January 2024|website=Deadline }} In Australia, the series premiered in February 2024 on Channel Seven.{{cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-12/mr-bates-vs-the-post-office-how-to-watch-australia/103441764 |archive-date=9 May 2024 |access-date=9 May 2024 |date=12 February 2024 |first=Velvet |last=Winter |work=Associated Press, Reuters, ABC Entertainment |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240509131425/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-12/mr-bates-vs-the-post-office-how-to-watch-australia/103441764 |url-status=live |quote=Channel 7 will be broadcasting the four-part series in two-episode chunks over a fortnight. Catch the first half at 8:30pm on February 14 and the second half at the same time on February 21. The full series will also be available to watch on 7Plus after broadcast. |title=Mr Bates vs the Post Office exposed an international scandal to millions. Now it's coming to Australia}} In Germany and France the series was shown on Arte in March 2025 and is available on the Arte Mediathek until 24 June 2025. https://taz.de/Neue-Arte-Serie-Unschuldig/!6074650/ https://www.arte.tv/de/videos/RC-026307/unschuldig-mr-bates-gegen-die-post/
Immediately after the final episode, ITV broadcast a documentary Mr Bates vs the Post Office: The Real Story.
Reception
The series was well received by critics and awarded four out of five by reviewers in The Times, The Daily Telegraph and The Guardian. Martin Robinson, writing in the Evening Standard, said: "The Kafka-esque situation is thoroughly humanised by the performances".{{cite web|website=BBC News|access-date=3 January 2024|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-67861886.amp|title= Mr Bates vs The Post Office: Critics praise real-life ITV drama|first=Emma|last=Saunders|date=2 January 2024}} On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 94% of 16 critics gave the film a positive review, with an average rating of 8.3/10. The website's critics' consensus reads, "Dramatizing a grave injustice with terrific acting and plain-spoken righteousness, Mr Bates vs the Post Office shines much-needed light on a national scandal."{{Cite web |title=Mr Bates vs The Post Office: Limited Series |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/mr_bates_vs_the_post_office/s01 |access-date=April 19, 2024 |website=Rotten Tomatoes |publisher=Fandango Media}} On Metacritic, the series holds a weighted average score of 80 out of 100 based on seven critics.{{Cite web |title=Mr Bates vs the Post Office |url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/mr-bates-vs-the-post-office/ |access-date=April 19, 2024 |website=Metacritic |publisher=Fandom, Inc.}}
=Accolades=
The series won the Jury Prize at the 2024 Broadcasting Press Guild Awards.{{cite web|url= https://deadline.com/2024/03/bpg-awards-happy-valley-the-crown-andy-harries-1235864283/ |website=Deadline Hollywood|accessdate=21 March 2024|title='Happy Valley' Wins Big At UK Broadcasting Press Guild Awards; 'The Crown's Andy Harries Honored|first=Max|last=Goldbart |date=March 21, 2024}} The series won the Judges' Prize at the Royal Television Society Programme Awards in March 2024.{{cite web|title= Hannah Waddingham, 'Happy Valley,' Bella Ramsey Among Winners of Royal Television Society Awards|website=Hollywood Reporter|accessdate=27 March 2024|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/royal-television-society-program-awards-2024-winners-1235859466/|first=Giorg|last=Szalai|date=26 March 2024}} At the National Television Awards in September 2024, Toby Jones won the Drama Performance, and the series won the Impact Award and New Drama.{{Cite web |last=Awards |first=National Television |title=Winners {{!}} National Television Awards |url=https://www.nationaltvawards.com/winners |date=11 September 2024 |website=www.nationaltvawards.com |access-date=12 September 2024}} That month, the series won the Sky Arts Award for Television.{{cite web|url=https://news.sky.com/story/amp/sky-arts-awards-the-last-dinner-party-fern-brady-and-melvyn-bragg-win-gongs-13216739~|website=Sky.com|accessdate=19 September 2024|title= Sky Arts Awards: The Last Dinner Party, Fern Brady and Melvyn Bragg win gongs|first=Bethany|last=Minelle|date=17 September 2024}} At the 2024 Venice TV Awards, it received the award for Best TV Series.{{cite web|url=https://lbbonline.com/news/winners-announced-for-the-2024-venice-tv-award~|website=lbbonline.com|accessdate=26 September 2024|title= Winners Announced for the 2024 Venice TV Award|date=24 September 2024}}
It was nominated for Best Limited Series at the 30th Critics' Choice Awards in February 2025.{{cite web|url= https://tvline.com/awards/critics-choice-awards-2025-winners-full-list-1235407047/|website=TV Line|accessdate=8 February 2025|title= Critics Choice Awards 2025: The Penguin, Nobody Wants This and Matlock Among Winners|first=Rebecca|last=Luther|date=February 7, 2025}} The series was awarded a special recognition award at the 2025 Broadcast Awards and "Jo watches as the numbers on her screen increase as she is on the phone to Horizon IT support" won TV Moment of the Year. The series was also nominated for Best Drama Series or Serial.{{cite web|url= https://broadcastawards.co.uk/shortlist-2025|website=Broadcastawards.co.uk|accessdate=14 January 2025|title=Shortlist 2025}}{{cite web|url= https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/broadcast-awards-2025/winners |website=Broadcastawards.co.uk|accessdate=6 February 2025|title=Winners 2025}} That scene was also nominated for Most Memorable moment at the 2025 British Academy Television Awards.{{cite web|website=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gp6ljnq23o.amp|accessdate=12 March 2025|title= Bridgerton or Strictly? Bafta opens vote on best TV moments of 2024|first=Steven|last=Macintosh|date=12 March 2025}} It was nominated for Best Single Drama or Limited Series, and Monica Dolan was nominated for Leading Actress at the Royal Television Society Programme Awards in March 2025.{{cite web|accessdate=17 March 2025|url= https://rts.org.uk/article/nominations-rts-programme-awards-2025-announced|title= Nominations for the RTS Programme Awards 2025 announced|date=11 March 2025}} That month, it was nominated at the 2025 British Academy Television Awards for Best Limited Drama, with Toby Jones and Monica Dolan nominated in the Leading Actor and Actress categories.{{cite web|url= https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/mar/27/bafta-tv-awards-2025-nominations |website=The Guardian|accessdate=27 March 2025|title= Bafta TV awards 2025 nominations: full list
|date=27 March 2025}}
=Impact=
The series was credited for igniting public interest in the scandal and led to demands for the former Post Office CEO Paula Vennells to have her CBE withdrawn; a petition that accrued more than 1.2 million signatures.{{cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2024/01/mr-bates-vs-the-post-office-inspires-demand-ceo-to-lose-cbe-1235696738/|title=Moving UK Post Office Drama Inspires Demand For CEO To Be Stripped Of Her CBE Award|work=Deadline|first=Caroline|last=Frost|date=6 January 2024|access-date=8 January 2024}}{{cite news|url=https://news.sky.com/story/mr-bates-vs-the-post-office-justice-secretary-examines-how-to-clear-names-of-workers-caught-up-in-horizon-it-scandal-13043410|title=Mr Bates vs The Post Office: Sunak condemns 'appalling miscarriage of justice' of Horizon scandal|work=Sky News|first1=Connor|last1=Sephton|first2=Tim|last2=Baker|date=7 January 2024|access-date=8 January 2024}}{{cite news|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/met-police-post-office-scandal-mr-bates-newsupdate/|title=Met police looking into Post Office scandal following ITV drama Mr Bates|work=Radio Times|first=Patrick|last=Cremona|date=6 January 2024|access-date=8 January 2024}}
Vennells issued a statement on 9 January 2024 that she would "return [her] CBE with immediate effect".{{Cite news |first1=Kiran |last1=Stacey |first2=Rowena |last2=Mason |first3=Daniel |last3=Boffey |date=9 January 2024 |title=Former Post Office chief hands back CBE as Horizon scandal intensifies |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/jan/09/former-post-office-boss-paula-vennells-to-return-cbe-amid-horizon-scandal |access-date=28 February 2025 |newspaper=The Guardian|issn=0261-3077}} However, this had no formal and immediate effect, as only the monarch can revoke or annul honours.{{Cite web |title=Post Office scandal live: Former Post Office boss Paula Vennells to hand back CBE over Horizon scandal |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-67922410 |date=9 January 2024|access-date=9 January 2024 |website=BBC News}}{{Cite web |date=30 September 2021 |title=Having honours taken away (forfeiture) |url=https://www.gov.uk/guidance/having-honours-taken-away-forfeiture |access-date=8 January 2024 |website=GOV.UK}} Vennells’s appointment as CBE was formally revoked by King Charles III on 23 February for "bringing the honours system into disrepute".{{cite journal |url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/4558744 |title=Honours and Awards |date=23 February 2024 |journal=The London Gazette |issue=64326 |page=3758 |access-date=24 February 2024}}{{cite web |title=List of individuals who have forfeited their honour (since August 2023) |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/individuals-whose-honours-have-been-revoked-by-the-sovereign/list-of-individuals-who-have-forfeited-their-honour-since-august-2023 |access-date=23 Feb 2024 |website=GOV.UK}}{{Cite news |date=2024-02-23 |title=King strips CBE from former Post Office boss Paula Vennells |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/feb/23/king-strips-cbe-from-former-post-office-boss-paula-vennells |access-date=2024-02-25 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}
Such was the impact of the drama that the scandal became a major news story, and on the following day Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced new legislation to exonerate wrongly convicted subpostmasters and said there would be a "new upfront payment of £75,000 for some of those affected".{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/post-office-scandal-bates-horizon-latest-b2476133.html|title=Post Office scandal – live: Rishi Sunak announces new law to quash convictions of Horizon victims|newspaper=The Independent|first=Maryam|last=Zakir-Hussain|first2=Adam |last2=Forrest|first3=Jane |last3=Dalton|date=10 January 2024b|access-date=28 February 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://news.sky.com/story/new-law-to-be-introduced-to-exonerate-wrongly-convicted-post-office-scandal-victims-13045242|title=Horizon scandal: Post Office scandal victims to be exonerated and compensated as Rishi Sunak proposes new law|first=Tim|last=Baker|website=Sky News|date=10 January 2024|access-date=11 January 2024}}
Post Office Minister Kevin Hollinrake said £1bn had been budgeted for compensation payments. Lead actor Toby Jones spoke of being "very proud" of the impact the drama had, telling BBC Radio Stoke that "there have been many dramas in the past that have had a political influence, but not quite as urgently and directly as this" and that the drama was "brilliantly dramatised by the writer and the fact that it was being spoken about in Parliament within three weeks is absolutely extraordinary."{{cite web|first=Matt|last=Lee|date=19 February 2024|title=Toby Jones proud of effect of Post Office drama|website=BBC News|accessdate=20 February 2024|url= https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cw542yg2032o.amp}}
=Consequential legislation=
The Post Office (Horizon System) Compensation Act 2024 received royal assent on 25 January, authorizing compensation payments.{{cite legislation UK |type=act |year=2024 |chapter=1 |act=Post Office (Horizon System) Compensation Act 2024 |mode=cs1}}
Another Act, the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Act 2024, was passed on 24 May, the Friday a week before Parliament was dissolved for the general election, and came into force the same day.{{cite legislation UK |type=act |year=2024 |chapter=14 |act=Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Act 2024 |mode=cs1}} For commencement, see section 11. On 13 June a similar Act of the Scottish Parliament received royal assent to deal with offences that came within its legislative competence, coming into force the next day.{{cite legislation Scotland |type=act |year=2024 |chapter=6 |act=Post Office (Horizon System) Offences (Scotland) Act 2024}} These Acts quashed all convictions where–
- it was made before the Act came into force;
- it was prosecuted in England and Wales by the Post Office or Crown Prosecution Service, or in Northern Ireland by the police, the Director of Public Prosecutions or the Public Prosecution Service, or in Scotland;
- it was alleged to have been committed between 23 September 1996 and 31 December 2018;
- it was for false accounting, fraud, handling stolen goods, money laundering, or theft, or in Scotland embezzlement, fraud, theft, or uttering, or for attempting, conspiring, encouraging, inciting, aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring any of those offences;
- the defendant was operating a post office business or working in a post office, and the offence was alleged to have been carried out in connection with that work; and
- the post office in question was using Horizon at the time.
The non-Scottish Act made an exception for offences which had been considered by the relevant Court of Appeal. The two Acts also ordered records of cautions and other alternatives to conviction relating to relevant offences to be expunged.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{official website|https://www.itv.com/watch/mr-bates-vs-the-post-office/10a0469}}
- {{IMDb title|27867155}}
- [https://www.littlegem.tv/ Little Gem]
{{Gwyneth Hughes}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mr Bates vs. The Post Office}}
Category:2024 British television series debuts
Category:2024 British television series endings
Category:2020s British crime drama television series
Category:2020s British television miniseries
Category:British English-language television shows
Category:ITV television dramas
Category:Television series by ITV Studios
Category:Television series set in the 21st century