A drama that uses genuine police transcripts this dramatization recounts the interrogation of Tony Martin. The man was questioned by the constabulary after he shot and killed a 16-year-old burglar who broke into his home in 1999. It's a story that undeniably divided a nation over whether he should have been charged and imprisoned for murder. Needless to say from the off, given that the talented and highly accomplished actor Steve Pemberton portrays Martin, from off you're on to a good thing. He delivers the kind of compelling and nuanced performance that I have come to expect from the man, whose work in The League of Gentlemen, Psychoville, and Inside No.9 has made me a fan and admirer of him as a talent. He manages to dig deep into the vulnerability of the man, who due to a past trauma in childhood now lives an isolated existence in his rural farmhouse.

Needless to say in regard to the incident itself, it has struck me as a travesty of justice, that a man who himself had been a victim himself. And that I find it shocking that there are people who to this day condemn the man for his actions. And detractors of this drama see it as some kind of cynical, manipulation to portray him as such, which really doesn't sit well with me at all. One wonders what would be so critical of him in his actions had he been a family man, who had a wife and child in his home. I think it is unlikely that they would be, or perhaps I put too much faith in the common sense of some people. If this one-off TV drama does anything it shines a light on a man, who was clearly an emotionally and mentally damaged man, who reacted quite rightfully not merely due to his past circumstances, but anyone I think should if anyone illegally encroaches on their property. And what's worse is that the public perception became something of him being the local weirdo, that deserved what he had coming to him. Particularly after his farmhouse had already been broken into several times before.

If anything though, it did call into question the issue of whether or not a person had the right to defend their property, although the even more pertinent question may be themselves. As for Martin may or may not known, that the perpetrators of the attempted robbery of his home may have been armed themselves, or just physically attacked him. The fact that a sixteen-year-old boy was among them is of no consequence, and the blame for his death should rest on those who were responsible for his involvement in the attempted burglary. Given as well that it was dark, and presumably Martin had no clear way of discerning the age of the youth.

It's rounded off by featuring the real Tony Martin himself visiting his former home, which has now been all boarded up and essentially left to rot. He shows no clear remorse, and neither do I feel he should. The overly idealisitc, do-gooders who call him a narcissist as if he is some kind of psychopath because he did, what anyone I think should rightly do when protecting their home as well as their well-being, displays to me a clear lack of empathy for their part which is borderline psychotic in of itself. No doubt those who vilify Martin would take exception to such a description of their insensitivity, but then a spade has to be called a spade.

As a piece of television drama, The Interrogation of Tony Martin is riveting must-see viewing, which is anchored by a phenomenal central performance from Pemberton, and dramatizes a grave injustice that is punctuated by Martin's words on the matter. While in prison he asked a young man convicted of burglary why he asked why he broke into people's houses. He said, "Well that's the way things are". Martin's response was "Bang!" and when the young man asked what's this all about, Martin responded with "That's the way things are, boy."

I remember this happening over 20 years ago, remembering all the controvesy that went along with it. You had those who saw him as the villian and the majority of the British who thought of him as I hero. I remember feeling really sorry for him & thought the guilty verdict and prison term was far too harsh. In fact during the whole documentary I was still on Tony Martins side right until the very end!

In the last 5 minutes or so, we see the real Tony Martin return to Bleak House, which is all boarded up, Tony states that he hadn't returned there since that fatal night. Some of the things he said to the interviewer & the way he said them made me feel quite angry towards him, especially knowing he had taken the life of a young 16 year old lad. I honestly didnt like his attitude one bit. Within a short few minutes of hearing Tony speaking his own words my opinion has changed, it done a total 180. He has gone from hero to Villian in my books and I'm most possibly in the minority with this complete change in my view on him, well so be it. Speaking at the end hasn't done himself any favours but that's my opinion,It's up to you to judge for yourselves!