Witness to a Prosecution

*Witness to a Prosecution*
Witness to a Prosecution
	DVD cover
Genre	Costume drama; Historical fiction; Crime drama
Directed by	Wong Siu Kit; Ng Siu Wing; Sin Yin Fong
Starring	Bobby Au-yeung; Jessica Hsuan; Mariane Chan; Frankie Lam; Michael Tse; May Kwong
Theme music composer	Peter Kam
Opening theme	"Only One" (一個人) by Eason Chan
Country of origin	Hong Kong
Original language	Cantonese
No. of episodes	22
Production
Producer	Siu Hin Fai
Production location	Hong Kong
Editors	Chiu Ching Yung; Chan Ching Yee; Ng Siu Tung
Camera setup	Multi camera
Running time	42 – 45 minutes
Production company	TVB
Original release
Network	TVB Jade
Release	20 December 1999 –; 16 January 2000

Template:Infobox Chinese-language series and movie Witness to a Prosecution (Traditional Chinese: 洗冤錄; literally Cases of Injustice Rectified) is a Hong Kong historical crime fiction television drama produced by TVB. The original broadcast was on the TVB Jade network with 45-minute episodes airing five days a week from 20 December 1999 to 16 January 2000. The drama stars Bobby Au-yeung as the famous historical forensic medical expert Song Ci ("Sung Tsi" in Cantonese romanization). Set during the Southern Song Dynasty of Mid-Imperial China, Witness to a Prosecution tells a fictionalized account of Sung Tsi's modest beginnings and the events leading to the creation of his book Collected Cases of Injustice Rectified, the world's earliest documentation of forensic science.

Witness to a Prosecution was met with positive reviews and quickly became a popular success. Viewership ratings were consistently high, and the drama was the seventh most-viewed drama in 2000, drawing an average of 33 rating points, peaking at 44 points.^[1] The drama also yielded Au-yeung a "Best Actor" win at the 2000 TVB Anniversary Awards. A subsequent sequel was released in 2002. Although viewership ratings peaked higher to 47 points, it was met with mixed reviews.

Synopsis

For 30 years, nighttime keeper Sung Tsi (Bobby Au-yeung) was despised in To Yuen village due to his posthumous birth in a coffin, having only the sickly scholar Sit Dan (Michael Tse) and the coolie Cha Siu-chaan (Lo Mang) as his friends. After disputing with the village chief over his family's land, Tsi, along with a homeless female thief Tong Sze (Jessica Hsuan), are accused as murderers and are sentenced to death. The village's newly appointed judge Sung Yik (Frankie Lam) finds the case suspicious and investigates the case himself. With the help of the mysterious experienced coroner Ma Gwai (Lau Kong), Yik successfully revokes Tsi and Sze's sentences. Gwai becomes Chi's coroner master, and Yik employs Tsi to be his personal forensic medical doctor. The two become good friends, successfully solving many murder cases in town. Sze develops an obvious crush on Yik, unaware that Yik and Lip Fung (Mariane Chan), daughter of senior constable Lip Yan-lung (Gordon Liu), are already in a close relationship. Tsi, on the other hand, falls for Lam Choi-dip (Eileen Yeow), the spoiled daughter of rich merchant Lam To (Lee Lung Kei). Choi-dip, however, has a growing fondness for Yik.

Several years later, a man also by the name of Sung Yik shows up in Yik's manor. Threatened by the possibility of losing all that he has achieved since his impersonation as Sung Yik, the current Yik kills the real Sung Yik and buries him in the garden of the Sung manor. Tsi begins to deal with internal conflict as he unknowingly discovers the body of the real Sung Yik. He starts questioning the motives of the current Yik, whom he has always respected and treated as his best friend.