BRITISH TV viewers seem to love nothing more than a good crime drama. Some concentrate on capturing the culprits, while others, such as Silk, deal with the legal side of things.

Silk, which debuted in 2011, is back for a third series with Maxine Peake and Rupert Penry-Jones still on board Peter Moffat’s drama.

Peake’s character, Martha, is thrown into the thick of things as soon as the new series begins when she is asked to defend the son of the head of chambers who has been arrested for killing a police officer.

As the evidence stacks up against him, her job seems to become increasingly difficult.

Peake has played both criminals and lawyers during her career, and is very clear about which is the more challenging role. “It’s much more interesting being in front of the court,” she says.

“And I think performance-wise, it is harder pretending to defend someone than being the defendant.”

Female QCs are few and far between.

There have only ever been about 300, according to Bar Council statistics. Peake had help when it came to research from a formidable role model. “I met with Helena Kennedy QC at a charity event at the Royal Courts of Justice, around the same time I knew I was going up for the part,” she says.

“I remember thinking ‘this woman is quite special and I’d like to find out more about this world’. It’s scary and it’s true that women don’t get a fair crack at the whip, partly because as a woman you have to make sacrifices, such as deciding whether to have a family, and being a QC takes over your life.”

However, Martha is no dowdy, lifeless, career-driven soul. “I wanted to make her a little bit glamorous, I feel she’s got her own personality, she’s a bit rock ’n’ roll,” she says.

“She is definitely into her music. It’s funny because my friends were like ‘hang on, that’s you’, because I love my music and red lipstick, which worked for the character too.”