The Execution of Gary Glitter
Channel 4
In 1969 the death penalty was abolished in the UK. Since then polls have consistently shown that a majority of citizens want to bring it back.
In this feature-length drama their wish has been granted. Set in an imaginary Britain in which the death penalty has been re-introduced, the film confronts viewers with the possible consequences of capital punishment in the UK.
No crime arouses more passion than the abuse of children, and in this parallel world, the public, sickened by a spate of serious child abuse cases, has demanded the return of the ultimate sanction.
The first person to be tried under the new Capital Crimes Against Children legislation is Paul Gadd, aka 1970s glam rock star Gary Glitter.
Shot in the style of a documentary, the film charts how the changes in the law were brought about.
The upsurge in public anger following a high-profile child murder case sees a million protesters descend on London and a parliamentary vote on an amendment to the Human Rights Act, which paves the way for the restoration of capital punishment.
Through the compelling narrative by writer Rob Coldstream and Hilton McRae’s superb performance as Paul Gadd, The Execution of Gary Glitter explores how society deals with its most reviled offenders, and whether capital punishment has a place in modern society.
