‘Silent Witness’ returns to Arizona PBS

The BBC drama “Silent Witness” comes to Arizona PBS with two-hour episodes airing Sunday nights at 10 p.m. this fall.

The series focuses on a team of forensic pathologists and their investigations into various crimes. Emilia Fox stars as Dr. Nikki Alexander, a skilled pathologist whose expertise in archaeology and anthropology are an asset to the team members as they investigate crimes and search for justice.

Dr. Alexander is based on Professor Helen Whitwell, a forensic pathologist based in Sheffield, England. Although the show focuses heavily on areas of pathology around London, the police also have a presence in each case, with frequently changing guest appearances of detectives and investigators for these roles.

Sept. 23: “Falling Angels”

Nikki and Jack investigate a bizarre set of murders which appear to have no initial relation to one another: a man who is pushed in front of a train on the London underground, a female vicar who is murdered in her bathroom by her husband and daughter and a young builder in an alleyway on his way home from work. The detective on these cases is confronted with flashbacks from his own father’s murder which re-opens wounds and, with Dr. Alexander’s help, could prove a mother’s innocence.

Sept. 30: “Protection”

A man’s body is found in a children’s playground, merely part of a string of child disappearances, sexual assault, foster care and enraged parents. And yes, murder.

Oct. 7: “Squaring the Circle”

Two armed hit men with links to terrorist groups botch an assassination attempt on Russian oligarch Maksim Bazhanov, but his Ukrainian nanny is killed. The two men are found to have links to a terrorist organization called Free London, which quickly leads to a complex web of more crimes and coverups involving government authorities and their family members.

Oct. 14: “One of Our Own” (10:30 p.m.)

A rising star in the Essex police force is found beaten and shot in his burnt-out car in what proves to be an emotional case for his colleagues. The team helps DCI Jim Sullivan, the detective charged with bringing the killer to justice, and it isn’t long before suspicion falls on Dean Fallon – a local drug dealer and the son of a known crime boss. When Dean Fallon proves to have a solid alibi, the investigation shifts closer to home.