The BBC has made a last-minute schedule change to its long-running forensic drama Silent Witness, pulling two planned episodes in the wake of a violent incident in Birmingham. The decision was confirmed by the broadcaster just hours before the show was due to air.
Unexpected Episode Replacement
Series 29 of Silent Witness returned last week with its first two episodes, featuring the return of forensic pathologist Nikki Alexander, portrayed by Emilia Fox, and her colleague Jack Hodgson, played by David Caves. Fans were anticipating the next two-part story, titled The Enemy, with its first episode scheduled for Monday, February 9, on BBC One.
However, viewers were surprised when an entirely different episode aired instead. The scheduled plot, The Enemy Within, was set to revolve around the forensics team investigating a fatal stabbing that appears racially motivated, with the discovery of evidence leading to escalating racial tensions in a city.
Connection to Birmingham Attack
The BBC has stated that the schedule change is directly linked to a horrific incident that occurred in Birmingham over the weekend. On Saturday night, two teenagers were attacked with a machete outside a shop and rushed to hospital. A 14-year-old suffered life-altering injuries, while a 15-year-old was punched.
West Midlands Police have since confirmed that a 12-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. Officers arrived at the scene around 9pm and believe the assault was targeted.
A BBC spokesman explained: "Due to the attack in Birmingham over the weekend, this week's episodes of Silent Witness will not transmit as planned and instead they have been replaced with two episodes from later on in the series."
Alternative Episodes to Air
In place of the originally scheduled episodes, season 29's fifth and sixth episodes, titled Creekwood, will now be broadcast. The synopsis for Creekwood describes a case where Nikki and Jack are called to a construction site to examine the body of an elderly man seemingly killed by a screwdriver impaled through his eye socket.
The investigating officer, DI Ashley Moss, quickly gets a lead by following two homeless people who may have witnessed the event. However, the post-mortem offers further clues, and as more evidence is gathered, the team finds themselves delving into the mental health system, both past and present.
This move by the BBC highlights the broadcaster's sensitivity to current events, ensuring that programming does not inadvertently mirror or exacerbate real-life tragedies. The decision underscores the challenges faced by television schedulers in balancing planned content with real-world sensitivities.
