PAUL MARQUESS – EXECUTIVE PRODUCER M.I.T.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF MURDER DRAMAS?
The taking of someone’s life is the most dramatic situation of all so it has basic appeal. I’m interested in the investigation rather than murder. Modern life is very complicated and we spend a lot of our time applying logic to very complicated human problems, such as war, and working out people’s motivations. Just like the murder squad do.

DOES M.I.T GO FOR REALISM?
The brief was to be as realistic as possible, so all of the procedures are real. The audience feels that they’re detectives and can join in with the investigation. They only know what the main characters know so it unfolds for everyone at the same pace. There’s no tricking the audience and the storytelling is very straightforward.

HOW IS M.I.T. DIFFERENT FROM OTHER POLICE DRAMAS?
It’s only about murder. There are no soapy bits. The series is entirely procedural and I don’t think that’s true of other crime dramas. In the past year it struck me how police procedure is developed over years because of the situations they face. Even the most straightforward murder provides the police with an enormous amount of information. How many people has the victim spoken to today? How may people did they know? And that’s before the forensic evidence. It’s all part of a complex jigsaw puzzle and there’s a set procedure to decode it and turn it into leads. That’s what this series is about.

IS M.I.T. A SPIN-OFF OF THE BILL?
No. It springs out of The Bill and the first murder victim is a police officer from Sun Hill, but the other seven cases are not linked to The Bill. It’s a much more tightly focused programme – with the investigation of a single murder every week.

HOW QUICKLY WAS THE SHOW GIVEN THE GREEN LIGHT?
In one meeting - it was on the back of the success of The Bill. 

HAVE YOU COME ACROSS ANY CHALLENGES WHILST PRODUCING M.I.T.?
The writing has been really hard work – there are so many streams of information. The murders can only be so complicated or they wouldn’t fit into an hour. The issues are so complex we need to ensure we’re giving the audience the information they need but not overwhelming them.

IS THE PROGRAMME BASED ON REAL LIFE?
The story lines are usually based on something we’ve read about, but then we take them off in another direction. All dramas need to feel true on screen but, that doesn’t mean it’s happened. Our story consultant, Jackie Malton, is also a fund of stories, having worked in the Metropolitan Police’s Murder Investigation Team for around 30 years.

WAS M.I.T. EMOTIONALLY CHALLENGING TO MAKE?
It has all happened so fast that we haven’t had much time to get emotional! It’s probably been more emotional for the actors. When playing a cop you have to be quite detached, but then you find yourself face to face with a victim’s mother - it’s incredibly emotional as you know it happens in real life. The real police find themselves right in the middle of someone’s tragedy – the worst moment of their lives – which is both a nightmare and a privilege.

SHOULD THIS BE SEEN BY A PRE-WATERSHED AUDIENCE?
We were always told it would be post-watershed but it’s not gratuitously gory and there’s no sex or bad language. However it is very powerful and emotionally challenging, which is what makes it good drama.

WHY DID THE NAME CHANGE FROM THINK MURDER TO M.I.T.?
Originally it was called Murder Squad but we thought it sounded too much like Police Squad. It was changed to Think Murder because, when you find a body, you ‘think murder’. There are quite a few crime dramas with murder in the title so we changed it to M.I.T. I think that if a programme is strong, the title doesn’t matter.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE SONG A SWEET BITTER LOVE FOR THE END CREDITS?
It’s a very emotional song. Throughout the programme we’re shown that murder is a business and that, to the M.I.T., it’s just a job - the body, the murder site, chopping people open. Then at the end the song reminds people that every murder is a tragedy.


Thanks Paul....Paul Marquess is Head of Drama for Thames Television
 

SEASON ONE (May - June 2003)
Episode 1

· A busy street in Sunhill turns into a crime scene when a drive-by shooting leaves a local policeman and a teenager dead.

· Officers are overwhelmed by the shock of losing one of their own and are joined by the Murder Investigation Team (M.I.T.) who try to establish who the intended victim was – copper or kid.

· The investigation, headed up by DI Vivien Friend (Samantha Spiro) and DC Rosie MacManus (Lindsey Coulson) reveals that the murdered teenager had a criminal record and the dead policeman had several skeletons in his closet. Evidence from his neglected daughter and some of his less law-abiding acquaintances suggest that his behaviour was not always on the side of the law that he enforced. Could his past finally have caught up with him?

· Some familiar faces from Sunhill get involved in the investigation as it’s revealed that they may have known more about the victim’s less charming habits than they were letting on.
Guest artists
Sgt Matthew Boyden - TONY O’CALLAGHAN
Amy Boyden - SASHA PICK
Dexter Barnes - ANTHONY FLANAGAN
MS Obugeli - YVONNE GIDDEN
Shirley - MARVA ALEXANDER
Mr Pickering - STEPHAN BESSANT
Kevin Dunwoody - LOUIS DECOSTA JOHNSON
Gary Hinchcliffe - CORNELIUS MACARTHY
Michael Whittington - PAUL CHILD
Supt Adam Okaro - CYRIL NRI
DI Samantha Nixon - LISA MAXWELL
PC Nick Klein - RENE ZAGGER
Insp Gina Gold - ROBERTA TAYLOR
Graham Yates - IAN SANDERS
Darren Kingston - GARY STONER
Sir Trevor McDonald - SIR TREVOR McDONALD


Episode 2

· A three-year-old, unsolved missing persons’ case develops into a murder investigation when construction workers discover the preserved body of a young woman, Lucy Seabrook, in a concrete tomb at a demolition site.

· The M.I.T. dredge through mountains of old evidence from when Lucy was first reported missing.

· The team discover that Lucy had an admirer, Paul Wainwright (PETER LEE-WILSON), a regular in her parents’ pub, who can’t provide an alibi because he’d been so drunk on the night Lucy disappeared.

· The victimology suggests that Lucy was a fun-loving 19-year old student with a close relationship with her parents, Phil (BRADLEY WALSH) and Celia (TRACIE BENNETT – Coronation Street). 

· However, further evidence reveals that Lucy was pregnant and led a double life as a loner who tried to buy friends by giving out drugs, funded by prostitution. But what had happened that made her feel the need to resort to such an existence and was it linked to her death? 
Guest artists
Phil Seabrook - BRADLEY WALSH
Celia Seabrook - TRACIE BENNETT
Paul Wainwright - PETER LEE-WILSON
Maureen Hopgood - SU ELLIOTT
Della Waterman - ONY UHIARA
Olivia Bryson - CHRISTOPHER DUNCAN
Darren Gibbs - PAUL MARK ELLIOTT
Dean Guthrie - PAUL McNEILLY
Builder - DEAN ASHTON



Episode 3

· The discovery of a partially dismembered body of a child dumped amongst the rubbish on a Thames refuse barge, leads the Murder Investigation Team to a painstaking search through tons of rancid and decaying rubbish in the hunt for clues.

· A gruesome revelation during the post mortem makes the team wonder whether the boy may have been the victim of a ritual sacrifice.

· The M.I.T. are called to a church where an asylum-seeking family are in hiding. Their two children have been reported missing – and DI Vivien Friend (SAMANTHA SPIRO) and DS Rosie MacManus (LINDSEY COULSON) realise it is their eldest child who is lying in the mortuary.

· The missing children’s parents are acting suspiciously and are removed from the church and taken in for questioning. Their unstable asylum status makes them wary of the police - so how will the meticulous Viv handle the very sensitive and political nature of the situation? 

· With the younger child still missing (and as yet no body) the team realise that every minute could be the difference between life or death. It’s a race against time for the M.I.T., who for once have the chance to be involved in saving a life -rather than to be there at the end of one.

Guest artists

Agnes Welsh - JEILLO EDWARDS
Farah Sena - MEDINA AJIKAWO
Andy Gleeson - TIM FARADAY
Rudy - COURTNEY PHILLIPS
Darren - CARL WRIGHT
Mani Sena - TAS EMIABATA
Richard - STEVE KNIGHTLY
Peg - SALLY SANDERS
Dr George Maynard - ERIC CARTE
Mr Clemence - TIM HUDSON
Mr Terry - SAM PARKS
Amos Joseph - WILLIE JONAH
Owen Gleeson - ALEXANDER CAMPBELL

Episode 4

· The M.I.T. are called to a lake where the body of a vagrant has been discovered. Within minutes the team are made aware of a second body – that of a young local teacher, Mark Ramsey, who appears to have been pushed from his 5th floor window. It soon becomes apparent that the murders may well be linked.

· The M.I.T. discover that Ramsey had made enemies since giving evidence against an ex pupil Raoul Jiminez (CURTIS FLOWERS) in a court case of a local gang stabbing. 

· The investigation reveals that the case had made Ramsey a changed man – abusive to both his estranged wife and lover, and a cheat at work.

· The victim had recently asked for a transfer at work and M.I.T. find that the future of the school itself is not looking bright. What was Ramsey’s involvement and had people been scared enough about what he might say to kill him?

· Evidence from one of the murders leads the M.I.T. to a key witness in the other - and things start to fall into place for the team.

Guest artists

John Pembrey - JOHN DUTTINE
Pupil 3 - CHERELLE AMO
Sandra Ramsey - ELIZABETH CONBOY
Pupil 1 - STEPHANIE DI RUBBO
Raoul Jiminez - CURTIS FLOWERS
Ringleader - CASSIE GILL
Andrea Weaver - GANIAT KASUMU
Jamie Small - TOM LUDLOW
Kirsten Hughes - LAURA MCNAIR
Pupil 2 - LAUREN PRAAG
Mrs Small - SONIA RITTER
Jed Whitby - DICKON TOLSON 

Episode 5

· A mother and son out walking in riverside woodland discover the maggot-infested body of a red-haired woman, Penny Wake, who has been garrotted and cleaned with bleach - inside and out.

· The M.I.T. are led to suspect the victim’s husband, Neil Wake (BEN TAYLOR) but he provides a concrete alibi which mean the team need to look elsewhere for leads.

· The team hear of another red-haired woman, Kathleen Munro (ANNA FARNWORTH) who has been taken to hospital, drugged and disorientated - the M.I.T. see the connection. 

· They track down a man seen with the drugged victim, Lee Kemp (LEE WARBARTON – Coronation Street, Casualty) and discover that he worked as a window cleaner in Penny’s street after being sacked from the local hospital.

· The M.I.T. uncover that his job, transporting bodies to the mortuary, fueled Lee’s disturbed sexual preferences. But has his obsession with his fantasy life driven him to murder?

Guest artists

Lee Kemp - LEE WARBURTON
Alison London - DEBBIE ARNOLD
Barbara Dunn - SHIRLEY CHERITON
Kathleen Munroe - ANNA FARNWORTH
Personnel Manager - ANNIE FARR
Nurse Delphine White - RACHEAL JOSEPH
Hospital Administrator - ROBIN KERMODE
Cheryl Kemp - PENNY LAYDEN
Simon Ellis - KEMAL SYLVESTER
Salma Azziz - SHIREEN SHAH
Neil Wake - BEN TAYLOR


Episode 6

· The M.I.T. are called to the bank of the Thames where a bloated and disfigured body is washed up.

· The team discover that the body is that of Natasha McKay, a 32-year old ex glamour model and wife of nouveau riche property tycoon, Dennis McKay (GARY KEMP).

· As they build up a picture of Natasha’s life the M.I.T. realise that she was a frivolous wildcard with expensive tastes. She’d recently embarked on an email relationship with an old school friend (DARREN TIGHE) but it seems that both parties had very different ideas about where their relationship was going.

· Some old acquaintances reveal that Natasha had recently gone back to modelling to fund her increasingly expensive lifestyle. But with such a financially successful husband, why has she resorted to such a life and was it a precursor to her death?

Guest appearances in this episode include: Gary Kemp, Daniel Schutzmann – Biagi in Footballers’ Wives and Paul Bown from Watching / Mersey Beat.

Dennis McKay - GARY KEMP
Clare - CLAIRE ANDREADIS
Gary Sutcliffe - PAUL BOWN
Editha - DIANA FAIRFAX
Road Boy - KELSON LABORDE
Jenny Sutcliffe - WENDY MORGAN
Builder - RUSSELL SAUNDERS
Jonathan - DANIEL SCHUTZMANN
Simon Crookshank - DARREN TIGHE
Terry Sands - CONNIE WALKER
Kaye Robinson - SHELLEY WILLETTS


Episode 7 

· A convicted paedophile, Dominic Morton, has been murdered and mutilated – it looks like the work of vigilantes.

· The M.I.T. find it hard to see him as a victim but DI Vivien Friend (SAMANTHA SPIRO) is insistent that the team put aside their feelings and remain objective to ensure they solve the case.

· The M.I.T. have difficulty generating leads and tracking down suspects as all of the victim’s police files and personal records appear to be missing – and the children that he abused do not exist. Why does the victim not appear to exist on paper? Did someone take them to cover up their crime?

· As the team dig deeper they are stunned to discover that Dominic, or rather Peter Taylor, was an undercover police officer. The M.I.T. must be wary of who they trust as they investigate suspects who are disturbingly close to home.

Episode 8

· The M.I.T. are called to the scene of a savage murder in which a young woman, Ellen, has been viciously slashed and stabbed to death in a deserted shop on a busy market street.

· The murder technique of ‘tramlining’ suggests links to a gangland killing. A post mortem reveals that the missing murder weapon was made from two stanley knife blades glued together via a small piece of matchstick – a vicious gangland trick which prevents the wound being stitched.

· The Murder Investigation Team struggle to find witnesses who are willing to come forward. But how can a woman be slashed to death so violently in the middle of a busy market in broad daylight without anyone having seen anything?

· The team discover that Ellen was an investigative journalist who had been writing a feature on the local racial tension – delving deep into a long history of fighting between the local Bangladeshi community and a gang of racists.

· The M.I.T. come across a web of lies, deceit and conspiracy around the gangs and it seems that Ellen, too, had made some discoveries of her own. She was close to a major scoop which would put her on the journalism map. Unfortunately for her, there were a lot of people who didn’t want the truth to come out.

· Years of abuse had left the community shrouded in bitterness and, whilst the physical scars had faded, the mental ones hadn’t – with tragic consequences for the M.I.T.