Mr Bates vs The Post Office infuriates viewers with dramatisation of Horizon scandal | indy100

Related video: Subpostmasters discover how live accounts were being fiddled in Mr Bates vs The Post Office

Mr Bates vs the Post Office, ITV

We’re only a few days into 2024 and the hard-hitting dramas are already landing in our TV guides, with ITV’s Mr Bates vs The Post Office angering viewers with its retelling of the Horizon IT scandal – an incident described as the most widespread miscarriage of justice after more than 700 postmasters were wrongly given criminal convictions.

More than £30.9 million has been paid out in compensation after faulty accounting software from tech giant Fujitsu made it appear as though money was missing, resulting in individuals affected losing their jobs and homes, and four taking their own lives.

As of 22 December, only 93 convictions have been overturned.

The four-part series stars Toby Jones (Sherlock), Monica Dolan (Black Mirror), Julie Hesmondhalgh (Coronation Street) and Nadhim Zahawi (yes, that Nadhim Zahawi – he plays himself) and centres around Alan Bates, played by Jones.

Mr Bates was the man who campaigned for two decades to have convictions overturned, and who’s named in the 2019 judgmentMr Bates and Others v The Post Office, which found the Horizon software to have “bugs, errors and defects”.

“[The Post Office] should have listened to subpostmasters who were using the system on a daily basis, but their arrogance that the system was right was the main fault,” Mr Bates told Good Morning Britain earlier this week.

With the episodes airing from Monday to Thursday this week, social media users have praised the drama, and become increasingly incensed by the scandal and its impact on those affected:

Rarely has a factual drama fired me up as much as Mr Bates versus The Post Office. Ordinary decent working people whose lives have been utterly wrecked. This will surely place the matter at the centre of the public consciousness. Senior Post Office officials need investigating.
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I was one of these \xc2\xa338,000 they took from me , bankrupted myself and my wife and destroyed our business and life . Share with anyone and everyone #MrBatesVsThePostOffice #MrBates \n\nPlease also read the book by @nickwallis who has played a massive part
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Watching the ITV drama on the Post Office scandal in which many people lost their livelihoods, their freedom and in some cases their lives. And still it goes on. I suspect like many others watching this, I am feeling a mixture of emotion and raw anger.
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My blood is boiling watching #MrBates, what happened to these poor people is scandalous. I hope that there\xe2\x80\x99s enough evidence after the public enquiry for police action to be taken against Post Office bosses!
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Half way through watching the series \xe2\x80\x98Mr Bates V The Post Office\xe2\x80\x99. Genuinely emotional - and at times just disgusting ! I know it is \xe2\x80\x98drama\xe2\x80\x99 but it is so powerfully done \xf0\x9f\x91\x8f\xf0\x9f\x91\x8f
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I\xe2\x80\x99m so glad ITV has made this drama about the Post Office Horizon - I was going to say \xe2\x80\x9cscandal\xe2\x80\x9d but that is too light a word. Grotesque devastating life-destroying miscarriage of justice. If only because it will get the story in front of more people. #MrBates
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Mr Bates vs The Post Office is essential viewing. What an absolute disgrace. Why this isn\xe2\x80\x99t more of a National travesty, I don\xe2\x80\x99t know. People were left destitute, some ended their own lives. All for a lie. Maddening and shocking miscarriages of justice.
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If you have been watching \xe2\x80\x98Mr Bates vs the Post Office\xe2\x80\x99, this sums up the absolute scandal. I have been so moved by this series. #PostOfficeScandal #AlanBates
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My blood is already boiling, and it's 30 minutes in....People need to be in jail for this. The casual destruction of peoples lives is despicable #PostOfficeScandal #itv #MrBates
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I've followed the #PostOfficeScandal from the start but nothing has made my blood boil more than #MrBatesVsThePostOffice. Incredible illustration of the power of drama to connect audiences with stories that urgently need to be heard - and acted upon!\nhttps://t.co/l5gLttMhoq
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Mr Bates vs The Post Office. \n\nMy blood is boiling. I\xe2\x80\x99m angry and I hurt for all those innocent souls involved. It should never ever of happened. \n\n#PostOfficeScandal
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A bit late, but I watched the first episode of Mr Bates v The Post Office today. I don\xe2\x80\x99t think I\xe2\x80\x99ve ever been so angry watching television. All those poor, poor people. Quite how Paula Vennells still has her CBE is beyond me.
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Mr Bates vs The Post Office continues at 9pm tonight on ITV1, with the final episode airing at the same time on Thursday.

All four episodes are also available to stream now on ITVX.

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