'Pierre' Rounds Out Cast as First Images Released

British mysteries, no matter when they are set, consistently find an audience in the U.S. The same cannot be said about legal dramas, Rumpole's success in the early 1980s notwithstanding. Period piece legal dramas do ok, especially ones attached to Agatha Christie-style whodunits. But contemporary legal dramas don't do nearly as well. From Law & Order UK to Silks, shows about British solicitors just don't fly. Whether it's the difference in the two countries' legal systems, or the idea that in the Year of Our Lord 2025, a group of wealthy grown adults don wigs and robes before arguing over £50m, it just does not work for U.S. viewers. 

However, Channel 4's latest commission, Pierre, has something going for it that may well solve the issue. The series cast David Harewood, a household name in America for his work on Showtime, as the show's titular character, who serves as a Duty Solicitor (the British term for a court-appointed lawyer). When the series was first announced as part of Channel 4's ambitious 2025 slate, writer John Donnelly spoke about the British legal system and the role of the Duty Solicitor. “Duty solicitors are the unsung heroes of the legal profession. Overworked, underpaid. They can be called out at any time, never knowing who or what lies in store for them. They are full of stories, it's a thrill to tell them.”

Filming has commenced on the series in West London, and Channel 4 has revealed the rest of the cast along with the first two images.

Here's the synopsis:

West London duty solicitor Pierre is a force of nature: charming and funny, a glamorous character in an unglamorous profession, juggling the pressures of his job, a fragile personal life and just keeping his head above water financially. His resilience is tested when he begins investigating the suspicious death of a young black client, Michael. As Pierre challenges the police's portrayal of Michael as a criminal, he unravels a chilling web of institutional corruption… When you come at the system, the system comes at you…

This contemporary legal drama will follow Pierre as he risks everything—his career, his family, and his sense of self — to expose the truth. Each episode will also feature individual legal stories with unexpected twists that push Pierre and his team to their limits. Against the backdrop of legal aid cuts, the practice struggles to survive, often bending the law to fight for their clients' rights.

Harewood will co-star with Michele Austin (This is Going to Hurt) as Charlotte Manners, Pierre’s joint managing partner of their solicitor’s firm, as well as Jason Flemyng (Boiling Point) as Pierre’s best friend, DS Ronnie Miller. The supporting cast includes Dean-Charles Chapman (1917), Nikkita Chadha (Hijack), Christopher Fairbank (Andor), Sara Powell (Vanity Fair), Cherrelle Skeete (The Midwich Cuckoos), and newcomers Dylan Ennis and Ezrae Maye. 

The six-part series is written by Roy Williams (Soon Gone: The Windrush Chronicles), the Award-winning Black British playwright, and co-written with John Donnelly. Director Sarmad Masud (Boarders) helms all episodes with Jo Johnson as producer. Harewood, Williams, and Donnelly executive produce with Hilary Salmon for The Lighthouse.

Pierre does not yet have an American distributor.