The fifth and sixth series of the East End family crime saga, starring Toby Jones as Joseph Olinska

1991. Britain and the US are waging war in Iraq, the Soviet Union is breaking up - and Brian Oldman is banged up in Parkhurst, his 30-year sentence restarted. Set on proving his innocence, he studies law from his cell in a bid to win justice at last. But will he ever be released from prison?

Joseph Olinska, meanwhile, seems unstoppable. Now ennobled and on the board of Lehman Brothers, he plans to extend his business interests into Russia - with a little help from Boris Yeltsin and his cronies. He also cultivates the new Prime Minister, John Major: as well as a young centre-left politician named Tony Blair. The only fly in the ointment is his acrimonious divorce from Catherine, who's seeking a multi-million-pound settlement and has engaged top barrister George Carman to get it. And in the meantime, she's airing all Joseph's dirty laundry in court....

With his crimes revealed for all to see, will Joseph finally get his comeuppance? And as a new millennium dawns, whose fortunes will prosper - and who will get their just deserts?

Adapted by double BAFTA-winning writer G. F. Newman (Law and Order, Judge John Deed) from his own hit novels, this compelling tale mingles fact and fiction to shine a light on the corruption woven through the fabric of our society. Toby Jones stars as Joseph, with Joe Armstrong as Brian and Izabella Urbanowicz as Catherine.

NB: Contains violence, scenes of a sexual nature, prejudicial dialogue and attitudes prevalent in the time in which the events depicted took place

Written by G. F. Newman
Characters based on G. F. Newman's novels
Produced and directed by Clive Brill
A Brill production for BBC Radio 4

Cast
Sir Joseph Olinska - Toby Jones
Brian Oldman - Joe Armstrong
Catherine - Izabella Urbanowicz
Leah Cohen - Jasmine Hyde
Margaret - Flora Montgomery
Warder Peters/John Major/Douglas Hurd/Menachem Hayek/Judge Kelman/PO Rogers/Paul Linthwaite/David Blunkett/Robin Bleecher - Paul Kemp
Asst Governor/Lord Miles/Assistant Governor/Warder Thompson/Mr Justice Balardy - Christian Rodska
Dr Aziz/Pongo/Bob Reed/John Quayle - Damian Lynch
Dr Eaves - Felicity Duncan
Lord Goodman - Edward Max
Kevin Wheeler/Nurse Moriarty/Reggie Kray - Lucas Hare
George Carman QC/Tony Blair/Dr Jordan - Nigel Cooke
The Master/Peter Balladur/Lord Carson/Judge - Jamie Newall
Jack Braden - John Hollingworth/Jacob Fortune-Lloyd
Third Doctor/Usher/Secretary/Sonia Hope/Angela/Rita/Audrey/Emma - Sarah Lambie
Tony Wednesday/Boris Yeltsin/Malcolm Rifkind - Alec Newman
Eddie Richardson/Tim Listfield/Dietrich Heller/Professor King - Charles Davies
Chuck Haley - Matt Rippy
Anatoly Popov - Boris Isarov/Matthew Marsh
Brad Peterson/FBI Agent Pyke - William Meredith
2nd Warder/Prisoner/Supervisor/Nikolai Lebedev/Alexei Egorkin/Jodi Monserrat/Prison Doctor- Kieron Jecchinis
Brian Perry/DAC Henderson - Nicholas Murchie
John Redvers - Tom York/Arty Froushan
Sir Ralph Courtney/Magistrate - Nick Sampson
Alex Murray/Inspector Vallins/Gianni/Technician - John Hastings
Julian Tyrwhitt - Jonathan Tafler
Detective Albright/Sir Michael O'Dell/EXO Avedlund - Nigel Pivaro
Clive Bunter/Justice Deed/Brad Thompson - Matthew Marsh
Jeremy Corbyn - Christopher Harper
Pongo/John Quayle - David Ajao
Mrs Jinks/Marcia Hoffman - Suzan Sylvester
Hamid Afzal/Mr Kumar - Akbar Kurtha
Other parts played by members of the cast

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 20 April-1 May 2020 (Series 5), 10-20 May 2021 (Series 6)