Set amidst the iconic landscapes of modern Edinburgh, new BBC One crime drama Case Histories brings Kate Atkinson’s novels to screen, starring Jason Isaacs as hero Jackson Brodie. A former soldier and policeman, Jackson’s tough-guy exterior belies a deeply empathetic heart. He’s unable to resist coming to the rescue and is a magnet for the bereaved, the lost and the dysfunctional.
Episode 1
Sunday 5th June 2011, 9pm
Jackson is called to the home of one of his clients, Binky Rain, when one of her cats goes missing. He is intrigued to hear a woman crying next door. Unable to resist, he is dragged into world of the Land sisters, Julia and Amelia. They beg Jackson to investigate the mystery of their three-year-old sister, Olivia, who disappeared without a trace more than 30 years ago.
Later at his office Jackson meets Theo Wyre. Jackson knows him from his days in the force. Theo’s daughter, Laura, was murdered in broad daylight in her father’s office. Theo begs Jackson to help him…
Episode 2
Monday 6th June 2011, 9pm
Before leaving hospital, private detective Jackson Brodie visits Theo Wyre, the father of murdered daughter Laura. Theo is still devastated over Laura’s death. Jackson floats an idea to Louise of a possible stalker who bought Laura a pink teddy bear. A comment from Louise clicks in Jackson’s mind and he pays a visit to Laura’s neighbour, Stuart Lappin.
Meanwhile, Shirley Manning tells Jackson that her older sister, Michelle, became pregnant at school and married the father, Keith Fletcher. But she snapped and killed him. Jackson presumes Shirley wants him to find her sister since her release from prison. However, it is actually the baby, Tanya, she’s seeking.
Binky’s nephew, Quintus Rain, visits Jackson thinking he’s conning her. He later attacks Jackson with a knife but is left with a broken arm. Jackson awakes with a start when his phone rings. Amelia Land tells him Binky’s dead…
Episode 3
Sunday 12th June 2011, 9pm
Jackson sees a female body floating in the water while out running. He tries to retrieve the body but fails, and notices she’s wearing religious earrings.
Crime novelist Martin Canning has a house guest, comedian Richard Moat. Martin later witnesses a vicious road-rage attack and hits the assailant with his bag. The hospital wants Martin to accompany the attack victim who, because of his head injury, shouldn’t be left alone.
Meanwhile, Gloria Hatter is told that her husband, Graham, is in hospital suffering a heart attack after a dominatrix session with Tatiana. Tatiana is wearing the same religious earrings as the dead girl. Martin, seeing Tatiana in the hospital, has a flashback to a girl in a hotel room. Martin tells Jackson that he once slept with a prostitute in Moscow and accidentally killed her in a struggle. Martin’s charge Paul Bradley is asleep. Suspicious, he rifles through his bag and finds a gun…
Episode 4
Monday 13th June 2011, 9pm
DI Louise Munroe and Marcus Stewart join private detective Jackson Brodie at Martin Canning’s house where Jackson has found a body battered to death. Jackson thinks the road-rage attacker, Terrence Smith, has killed Martin. However, Jackson is surprised to hear a familiar voice – it’s Martin. The dead man is Richard Moat, and he’s wearing Martin’s trousers and watch.
Jackson’s assistant, Deborah, has tracked down the road-rage car to Graham Hatter, of Hatter Homes, who also owns the cleaning company. He is Gloria’s husband. Gloria is burning clothes in the garden. It looks to Jackson like she’s planning a new start. He spots a picture of Smith, the road-rage man, in the house.
Jackson and Martin discover that Hatter’s cleaning company is forcing girls to work as prostitutes. Smith frightens Gloria when he turns up agitated at her house looking for her husband. She suspects Terrence of killing the drowned girl…
Episode 5
Sunday 19th June 2011, 9pm
Whilst investigating a routine ‘cheating wife’ case, Jackson is caught up in a terrible train accident that brings yet another lost little girl into his life. This sets off a series of seemingly unconnected events that will have a far greater impact on his life than he realises.
Episode 6
Monday 20th June 2011, 9pm
Jackson is released from jail, his arrest having triggered a connection with the Joanna Hunter case. But will he be able to find her before something really bad happens? Meanwhile, Marcus has become caught up in the cheating wife case that Jackson just can’t shake.