'Mr Bates vs The Post Office' Becomes Most-Watched Show of 2024, Reignites Post Office Scandal

The ITV drama has led to swift exoneration and compensation for victims, while raising questions about the actions of the Post Office and the government.

ITV's drama 'Mr Bates vs The Post Office' has become the most-watched show of 2024, averaging 9.8 million viewers across its episodes and beating the launch of Downton Abbey in 2010.
The drama tells the story of the British Post Office scandal, where hundreds of subpostmasters were falsely accused of theft, fraud and false accounting due to a malfunction of their IT system.
Following the airing of the drama, former Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells agreed to hand back her CBE and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that victims of the Post Office scandal will be 'swiftly exonerated and compensated'.
The drama has reignited the campaign for justice nearly 25 years on, leading to the drafting of a new law to clear the names of all those convicted.
Questions remain unanswered about why the Post Office continued to prosecute people despite doubts about the software, and why the government kept awarding contracts to Fujitsu, the supplier of the faulty software.