Television truly can bring about cultural and political changes, and no recent series has proven this more successful than Mr Bates vs. The Post Office.
The 2024 miniseries, with an outstanding ensemble cast led by Toby Jones, became a smashing hit as it highlighted the awful true story of the Post Office Scandal, one of the biggest miscarriages of British justice. Here is all you need to know about it!
The Release Date of Mr Bates vs The Post Office PBS!
Mr. Bates vs. The Post Office will air on most PBS stations on April 7, 2024, at 9 p.m. ET and will be available on the PBS app and the Masterpiece Channel for one episode per week until the end of the month.
Also Read: Robert Downey Jr Starrer “The Sympathizer” Everything You Need to Know!
The Cast and Crew of Mr. Bates vs The Post Office PBS!
Jones is joined by a cast of British A-listers, including Monica Dolan (The Thief, His Wife, and The Canoe), Alex Jennings (The Crown), Julie Hesmondhalgh (The Trouble With Maggie Cole), Ian Hart (The Responder), and Clare Calbraith (Grace).
Shaun Dooley (Gentleman Jack), Lia Williams (The Capture), Will Mellor (Line of Duty), Amit Shah (Happy Valley), Adam James (Vigil), Lesley Nicol (Downton Abbey), & Katherine Kelly (Mr. Selfridge) round out the cast.
Also Read: Robert Downey Jr Starrer “The Sympathizer” Everything You Need to Know!
The Plot of Mr. Bates vs The Post Office.
Toby Jones portrayed Alan Bates, who led the fight for justice, compensation, and responsibility. The story starts in 1999 when hundreds of Post Office branch managers in the UK were falsely accused of accounting fraud and theft.
More than 700 people were convicted, but new details surfaced as a result of these allegations. The monetary loss wasn’t due to evil intent or a human mistake. Instead, the Post Office’s latest accounting system, Horizon, turned out to be faulty.
The program made an impression that money disappeared from these Post Office branches, and the managers were then accused of stealing it—some allegedly taking tens of thousands of pounds.
These low-income employees were stunned to find themselves charged, presumed guilty, forced to repay countless pounds they never took (and were not missing in the first place), pushed into jail, and their lives ruined, all due to the British government refusal to acknowledge that the machines they had paid for were at fault.
Alan Bates was one of those wrongfully accused of robbing the Post Office. Though he was never convicted, Bates spent more than 20 years leading a group of ex-Post Office employees in their campaign to clear their names.
While most of their fight has been successful—many people have had their criminal records overturned—more must be done. This ITV’s four-episode miniseries has laid the groundwork for true systemic change.
