Mr Bates vs The Post Office: Will Mellor announces follow-up documentary for ITV as Horizon Inquiry continues

It was the TV series that, for some, finally prompted an overwhelming amount of public outrage after premiering on ITV over the last month, and as the inquiry into the Post Office/Horizon IT controversy continues, one of the cast members of “Mr Bates vs. The Post Office” is set to present a documentary in the aftermath of the scandal.

Will Mellor is set to host the as-yet-untitled documentary, set to screen on ITV, which will once again highlight the stories of numerous sub-postmasters facing injustices. Mellor, discussing the documentary on his podcast with Ralf Little, emphasized the impact of the drama in giving a voice to victims, with around 700 people coming forward. “I’m making a documentary about what’s going on because changes are being made. Now there’s been about 700 people that have come forward. Mr Bates vs The Post Office is making history [and] we couldn’t have imagined how big it has gone. 

"The victims just wanted to be heard and have a voice, but nobody was listening, and now they have been given that voice, and more people are coming out to talk about it. It’s amazing because it shows you what you can do in this country when we come together and say, ‘This is wrong, we need to get justice for these people’.”

The documentary will also shed light on the Post Office's pursuit of sub-postmasters and postmistresses between 2000 and 2013, holding them accountable for financial discrepancies caused by the unreliable Horizon computerized accounting system. Despite its flaws, the Post Office prosecuted 736 individuals, leading to severe consequences for many and the subsequent handling of the software error.

"Mr Bates vs. the Post Office" has become ITV's most-watched new drama in over a decade, surpassing the launch of "Downton Abbey" in 2010, with over 13 million viewers tuning in for the first episode. The series also holds the distinction of being the largest new drama across all channels since BBC One's "Bodyguard" in 2018 and stands as ITV's most significant drama since "Broadchurch" in 2017.

Where can I watch “Mr Bates vs. The Post Office” and how many episodes are there?

The four-episode limited series is available to stream on demand through ITVX.