Last night saw the launch of the BBc’s most controversial show this year so far, The Verdict.

The show follows a fake rape trial with well known celebrities (including Jeffrey Archer) making up the jury.

Reviews have been mixed on the show, and it might be too early to tell if the show will be the success that the BBC is hoping for. Here are a few that have appeared in newspapers today.

Matt Baylis in the Daily Express said:

“We could all probably think of things we’d rather be doing than watching The Verdict. Performing a gall-bladder operation on oneself, for example. Or reading Patrick Kielty’s autobiography. Drinking oil, maybe?” Ouch.

The Guardian’s Nancy Banks-Smith said:

“The Verdict…is reality TV with a touch of class and should be very popular.”

Thomas Sutcliffe in The Independent said:

“With another three episodes to go, it’s a little too early to say whether The Verdict is innocent of the charges of sensationalism and celebrity exploitation that have already been laid against it, but I suspect the defence team will be feeling quietly confident.”

While James Walton in The Daily Telegraph called it

a “very peculiar programme indeed…The sense of tackiness never goes away – but at the same time there’s no denying that it’s often a gripping watch.”

What did you think of the show? Be sure to share!

The second day of The Verdict opens with evidence from two expert witnesses, a forensic scientist and a doctor, who explain how there is physical evidence that could point to the footballers’ guilt. The evidence from the doctor acting for the prosecution particularly concerns the defence, who move quickly to try to secure an opinion from their own doctor.

Next to take the stand is the publicist who sold Anna’s story to a national paper. He attempts to convince the jury that Anna’s best friend, Clare, approached him and secretly taped her friend not because she was interested in money, but because she wanted justice.

Damien Scott then begins giving his evidence. He completely denies the charges and strongly argues his innocence. However, like Anna yesterday who was found to have lied under oath in denying she was a virgin before the alleged rape, Damien is also found to have lied, claiming that he did not have sexual intercourse with Anna. Once incontrovertible evidence is shown to have been found that they did have sex, the jury have to decide whether this was consensual.

Tensions continue to simmer amongst the jury members with Stan Collymore, in particular, concerned that some of the other jurors aren’t taking the case seriously enough or are letting their emotions rule rather than the hard facts. Others feel he has too much baggage and is too concerned to defend the reputation of footballers. Megaman, who has already spent time in prison awaiting his trial for murder, drives home the responsibility they have, explaining how easy it is to send someone down for something they didn’t do.

Twelve well-known faces, including Michael Portillo, Ingrid Tarrant, Stan Collymore, Jennifer Ellison and Honor Blackman, start jury service in The Verdict.

Over the next four days, they sit in judgement on the trial of a high-profile rape case in a real courtroom, presided over by a real judge, His Honour Neil Denison, QC, with real barristers prosecuting and defending. On the last day, the jury will retire to the jury room to begin their deliberations. Viewers will be able to see exactly how a jury reaches its conclusions.

The other jurors are author and former Conservative MP Jeffrey Archer; head of the Ann Summers empire Jacqueline Gold; Blur band member Alex James; So Solid Crew member Megaman; Brit Teen Entrepreneur Dominic McVey; actress Patsy Palmer; and the mother who campaigned for Sarah’s law following the murder of her daughter, Sara Payne.

The characters of the two men accused, the alleged victim and the eye witness are all played by actors. One night, last September, the actors took part in an unscripted improvisation. This trial treats the events of that night as if they were real. During the following days, the characters were all questioned by real police officers and forensic evidence was retrieved. Arrests were made, statements were taken, solicitors were instructed and three of the UK’s leading criminal barristers began to prepare their cases. During this trial, the prosecution and the defence are free to argue their cases as they see fit. The trial is totally unscripted.

The case begins with the testimony of 19-year-old Anna Crane, who claims to have been raped following a night out in London with her best friend Clare Golding. She explains how, after seeing a show, she met internationally famous footballer Damien Scott and his friend, James Greer, in a hotel bar.

Breaking down, she says that following an argument with Clare, she was left alone in the room with the men. She claims she was raped by both of them, as well as by one other unknown male.

In the afternoon, Clare takes the stand and tries to explain why she secretly recorded her friend and sold her story to a national newspaper.

Over dinner that evening, the jurors have the opportunity to discuss the case all together.

The Dragons’ Den is back and open for business and the multi-millionaire investors who are ready to back the best ideas and inventions with their own cash are on scorching form in this first episode of the new series.

Duncan Bannatyne, Deborah Meaden, Richard Farleigh, Theo Paphitis and Peter Jones are all worth millions and they’ve all built their own business empires from scratch. But will any of tonight’s entrepreneurs persuade them to invest?

The line-up includes a beach towel with a surfboard printed on it to help learner surfers to pop (get to their feet quickly); a lemon-slicing device for pubs; Reggae Reggae jerk sauce; streetwise puppets used to provide educational resources for teenagers; the Woollie Warmer for newborn lambs; walk-in stress-relief shops; a right-hand glove to aid safe driving abroad; head hammocks for airline passengers; and a refrigerated delivery business.