Silent Witness producer reveals why crucial element of show has changed after 20 years

Silent Witness has been on our screens for a staggering 23 years and show producer Kiaran Murray-Smith has now revealed they’re finally changing one of the key elements of the show.

Up until now, the drama has been focused on the forensics team of the Lyell working with detectives to solve cases.

But Murray-Smith admits that isn’t exactly how it would happen in real life – especially not Dr Nikki Alexander (Emilia Fox) and her team being in the interview rooms to interrogate suspects.

In an interview with Radio Times he’s now told how he’s changing things up to make sure the show is more realistic.

“I suppose the worry of mine, initially, was that they’re pathologists and forensic scientists, being detectives and doing detective work,” he said.

“I think you’ve got to try and justify the fact that it is entertainment and that it’s not a documentary, but at the same time you’ve got to be as real as you can for the characters that we’ve got involved.

“[The forensics team] can be present in some of the interviews in houses, maybe, but generally they’re not around any more in the police interview rooms. Which is just a subtle shift towards a bit more reality.”

For the show, this means more character-led stories, and with interest in the private lives of Nikki and her colleague Jack (just get them together already!) at fever pitch, this can only be a good thing for viewers.

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The show has been praised for some of the hard-hitting stories it has covered during its 22nd series, currently airing on BBC One.

A recent two-parter dealt with the drug trade and how it moved in on local schools, resulting in the death of one headmaster’s daughter after she smoked a cigarette laced with narcotics.

Fans called for the episodes to be shown in schools to warns of the dangers of drugs and gangs targeting young pupils.

Last night’s (Monday January 28) episode saw the beginning of another two-parter in which a Northern Ireland terror group, long-thought inactive, seemed to return.

Elsewhere, Jack was forced to confront his past after an incident brought back painful memories for him.

Have you noticed the change in Silent Witness? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think.