Contains some upsetting scenes. When the BBC’s long-running Silent Witness first combined doctors, DNA and detective work back in 1996, nobody could have known that the show that changed the way death was examined in a crime drama would itself be alive and thriving well over 25 years later. Fundamental to that longevity was Amanda Burton, whose portrayal of the show’s original lead character Dr Sam Ryan helped establish the early success of the series. Here, Amanda takes a scalpel to the show’s early days, remembers what it was like playing Sam for eight years and shares her thoughts on how and why Silent Witness became the television institution that it remains today.