First in a six-part drama series starring Ian McShane

When John Madson is released from prison, after serving eight years for a murder he did not commit, he is determined to discover the truth behind his arrest and false imprisonment.
(Stereo) (Subtitled)
Ian McShane, a life in the pictures: page 18

[NB as noted in the following week's Radio Times, this episode was actually written by Ian Kennedy Martin]

Madson 9.30pm BBC1
Ian McShane returns in his first major series since Lovejoy, marking a major shift of gear from the light-hearted, lovable antiques dealer. John Madson is a darker, more troubled character who, after spending eight years in jail, wins his appeal and is released. Black and white flashbacks reveal a past as a professional gambler, sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his wife Elizabeth. Madson didn't waste his time in prison: he gained a law degree and is now struggling to get a job as a solicitor. But there is a problem: no respectable law firm will employ an ex-con whose only contact with the legal world is a handful of criminal croneys. Does glamorous Polish solicitor Magda (Joanna Kanska) hold the key to a new life? Read more about Ian McShane on page 18.