TV series
John Thaw dons the silks as barrister James Kavanagh Q.C., one of the most highly respected criminal advocates in London, commanding admiration from colleagues and opponents alike. However, all this has come at a price as his dedication to work has taken its toll on his private life… Going beyond traditional courtroom dramas, “Kavanagh Q.C.” uncovers the pressures of legal battles and the problems of defining the truth, providing a compelling representation of the euphoric ups and costly downs of success and failure in the legal world.
Streaming, rental and purchase options
Checked Sep 3, 2026
Kavanagh Q.C. is available to stream on Britbox, Britbox (Via Amazon Prime), Prime Video, The Roku Channel, Amazon Freevee, Fawesome, Pluto TV, and Tubi in United States. Use the direct links below to open the provider.
John Thaw dons the silks as barrister James Kavanagh Q.C., one of the most highly respected criminal advocates in London, commanding admiration from colleagues and opponents alike. However, all this has come at a price as his dedication to work has taken its toll on his private life… Going beyond traditional courtroom dramas, “Kavanagh Q.C.” uncovers the pressures of legal battles and the problems of defining the truth, providing a compelling representation of the euphoric ups and costly downs of success and failure in the legal world.
Choose an episode, then use the watch options above for the show.
Episode 1
Kavanagh defends a client who has become mute after announcing that he has killed his brother.
Directed by Jack GoldGuest stars Oz Clarke, Angela Down, Sarah Howe, Jenny Jules, Linda Bassett, Anthony Calf, Roger Hammond
Episode 2
When surgeon Hilary Jameson successfully operates on a computer tycoon involved in a car accident, she has every reason to suppose he'll survive. Within a matter of minutes, however, the patient's wife learns that he is dead. What happened in that brief period? This is the problem Kavanagh must solve when he prosecutes on behalf of the widow.
Directed by Jack GoldGuest stars Richenda Carey, Sheila Hancock, Tracey Wilkinson, Mark Chapman, Nicholas Clay, Ian Gelder, Rupert Vansittart
Episode 3
Kavanagh prosecutes an apparently blameless family doctor in an unprecedented war crime trial. The court hears devastating testimony as victims of Nazi atrocities re-live their experiences in concentration camps, but it's left to a witness for the defence to reveal the final truth.
Guest stars Peter Firth, Jonathan Adams, Bill Nighy, Jonathan Adams
Episode 4
Kavanagh discovers how dark the corridors of power can be when he defends the daughter of a British ambassador on a charge of murdering an Austrian journalist. Meanwhile, Kavanagh's son moves into a squat.
Directed by Ken GrieveGuest stars Lena Headey, Paul Brooke, Sacha Craise, Oliver Ford Davies, Nicholas Jones, Antony Carrick, Julian Curry, Ann Firbank
Episode 5
Kavanagh fights for justice on behalf of a young man brutally killed, in a rare private prosecution for murder. The odds, however, are against him, since there are powerful reasons for the truth to be kept hidden.
Guest stars Ralph Ineson, Eddie Marsan, Harry Fielder
Episode 6
Driven by a desire for justice, and to help his former colleague Julia Piper, now married to an American lawyer, Kavanagh flies to the US to assist with the appeal of a convicted murderer on Florida's death row.
Guest stars Corey Johnson
Episode information updated Sep 3, 2026
John ThawJames Kavanagh Q.C.
Anna ChancellorJulia Piper
Dougray ScottTerry Fisher
Richard JohnsonLord Justice Fenwick
Peter FirthCharlie Beck
Lena HeadeyNatasha Jackson
Jon GloverQuizmaster
Haydn GwynneMary Armstrong QC
ITV1United Kingdom
Carlton TelevisionUnited Kingdom
