Every season of Silent Witness ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best seasons of Silent Witness!

Dr Sam Ryan investigates her first case as a police consultant - a tragic case involving the death of a child.

Buried Lies (1)

The murder investigation continues and someone breaks into Sam's house. Undeterred, she continues her search for the truth.

Buried Lies (2)

When Mark James's decomposing body is discovered, it bears all the signs of a ritualistic killing.

Long Days, Short Nights (1)

The police grow frustrated with the lack of a forensic link, but Sam finds more clues in an old case.

Long Days, Short Nights (2)

The death of a man in custody seems like a straightforward case, but DS Farmer has concerns about some of her officers.

Darkness Visible (1)

Someone is harassing Sam as evidence of a cover-up mounts, and the bomb squad is called in to deal with a mysterious parcel.

Darkness Visible (2)

Tragedy strikes after a student asks Sam for advice over her arranged marriage, and then sees her family torn apart.

Sins of the Fathers (1)

Sam tries to persuade her student to reveal where her father is hiding. The tragedy spreads beyond the family, and even the team may be in danger.

Sins of the Fathers (2)

A boxer dies from brain injuries mid-bout. A new DSI takes over the team's investigations. Sam and Wyn bury their mother.

Blood, Sweat and Tears (1)

Sam discovers why Kevin entered a bare knuckle fight, as well as uncovering evidence of more foul play in the boxing circuit.

Blood, Sweat and Tears (2)

Stuart Evans is in the advanced stages of Aids when he dies, and his body is donated to science. However a routine toxicology test reveals foul play was at work.

Cease Upon the Midnight (1)

The police make an arrest, but do they have the right suspect? Sam pursues her own line of investigation.

Cease Upon the Midnight (2)

The murder of a married woman who was having an affair seems straightforward. Friction develops between Dr Ryan and the police when the evidence complicates their case.

Only the Lonely (1)

The murderer makes a direct threat against Sam's life after she uncovers the evidence needed to identify them.

Only the Lonely (2)

The police suspect a violent alcoholic of the murder of an elderly woman. Sam clashes with the police when she refuses to support their case.

Friends Like These (1)

Sam's pursuit of her own theories leads her into dangerous places, both personally and professionally.

Friends Like These (2)

Sam must investigate a case with a painful personal connection when a close friend is murdered after the Cambridge May Ball.

An Academic Exercise (1)

The case becomes entangled in Annabelle's romantic relationships when Sam discovers her friend may have had an affair with a student.

An Academic Exercise (2)

A young woman is found dead in an empty house. Why was she there? Sam suspects another person was involved.

Fallen Idol (1)

The hunt is on for Mr Harris, but the murderer may be closer to home. Meanwhile, Sam grows closer to surgeon James Reynolds.

Fallen Idol (2)

A tragic scene is discovered when a young mother apparently dies of an overdose. When another addict dies in an explosion, Sam has a bigger case on her hands.

Divided Loyalties (1)

Are the deaths linked to a drug war or is this the work of vigilantes? Sam suspects a personal tragedy is at the heart of things.

Divided Loyalties (2)

The death of a farmer involving a combine harvester seems like an accident - until Sam receives an anonymous tip-off.

Brothers in Arms (1)

Sam looks for connections between Ian Neal and a killing in Northern Ireland in 1985. Meanwhile DI Connor's wife arrives in Cambridge.

Brothers in Arms (2)

Sam learns that the captain of the helicopter died of a heart attack, but she doesn't think it was the cause of the crash, and with 75 helicopters grounded, accident investigator Tony Newsome needs some answers.

Gone Tomorrow (1)

Gone Tomorrow (2)

A small-time criminal is the prime suspect in a gangland murder. Sam Ryan believes he may be innocent.

A Kind of Justice (1)

Sam challenges the police after an indepenedent postmortem into McNally's apparent suicide. Further deaths take place.

A Kind of Justice (2)

Sam searches for the identity of a victim of a cinema fire. A medical artist helps her reconstruct the face, but the result causes some embarassment for the police.

A Good Body (1)

The identity of Body 10 reveals that a violent criminal may have been wrongly convicted of a murder. Sam and DCI Connor are eager to get the truth.

A Good Body (2)

Two elderly brothers are found dead in their home, with no apparent injuries. A post mortem discovers suspicious puncture marks and a possible racist connection.

The World Cruise (1)

A third death helps Sam realise that the motive behind the murders of the Davies brothers was not racial - but revenge.

The World Cruise (2)

Sam is called in to identify the naked body of a woman uncovered on a ski slope in Norway.

Two Below Zero (1)

DCI Norton dismisses Sam's idea that a serial killer is at work - until a third body is found at one of the victim's family homes.

Two Below Zero (2)

A school director's wife commits suicide, but Sam suspects murder. During the investigation, she receives shocking news about her own health.

Faith (1)

A second post-mortem is perfumed on Helen Dupen and, although Sam is obviously ill, she is determined to find more evidence.

Faith (2)

Professor Leo Dalton and Dr Harry Cunningham join Sam Ryan in the investigation of a massive traffic accident in which not everything is as it seems.

The Fall Out (1)

Sam, Leo and Harry are at odds with the police investigators when a covert operation is exposed. But has Sam overstepped the mark this time?

The Fall Out (2)

The police bring in the team when a family is attacked in their own home, leaving the only survivors in critical condition.

Kith and Kill (1)

A new murder turns DCI Ashton's suspicions toward the victim's family and friends, whilst Harry investigates a death that may be linked to the Irons family.

Kith and Kill (2)

Murder is suspected when the body of a missing person is found hidden within a derelict factory, seven years since he was last seen alive.

Tell no Tales (1)

As Sam searches for the killer of Marcus Saul, Harry finds himself involved in the tragic death of a student from the medical faculty.

Tell no Tales (2)

The murder of a probation officer leads the team to the doorstep of a police cadet college, as they quickly establish a link to a similar murder just months before.

Closed Ranks (1)

As the police investigate the possibility of a copycat killer among the students, a friend from the college pressures Sam to put loyalty above the truth as the case unfolds.

Closed Ranks (2)

Sam is called after a suspected terrorist attack causes a fire at a hotel and a government minister is injured.

Answering Fire (1)

Sam delves deeper into the case but is undermined by the findings of an independent pathologist, brought in to conduct a second autopsy.

Answering Fire (2)

Sam comes under scrutiny at an official inquiry into two prison deaths and an old case Sam worked on 13 years resurfaces.

Fatal Error (1)

Sam uncovers a crippling truth about her involvement in a 13-year-old case -did she help convict an innocent man?

Fatal Error (2)

The body of a young pregnant sports agent is found in the grounds of her office building. Sam and her team uncover a tragic story of money and corruption.

Running on Empty (1)

Following her discovery of the second body and believing the cases to be linked, Sam is sidelined from the investigation as she attempts to get to the truth.

Running on Empty (2)

The Home Office ask Sam and her team to examine a number of times of death as given by a highly respected and internationally renowned independent pathologist, Peter Sachs.

Beyond Guilt (1)

Leo and Harry follow up their leads to discover an alarming truth. Are Sam and her team being used by the Home Office to drive out Peter Sachs in fear of a costly process?

Beyond Guilt (2)

The bodies of two young men are discovered, partially exposed, following a landslide on the coast of Northern Ireland.

Time to Heal (1)

The case takes an interesting turn when the bodies are identified as brothers who disappeared after a police questioning during the Troubles.

Time to Heal (2)

Suspicious symptoms afflicting a group of children on the coast may be linked to the death of a local man.

Death by Water (1)

Leo hunts for the source of the children's symptoms before any more fatalities occur. Meanwhile Harry discovers the truth behind Nick Garner's death.

Death by Water (2)

The death of a jockey during a race becomes more complicated when the horse's owners are killed in a helicopter crash.

Nowhere Fast (1)

Foul play is confirmed when it emerges that both the horse and the helicopter pilot were drugged. Could syndicate member Matt Gibb be responsible?

Nowhere Fast (2)

Leo and his team are approached by a support group to help discover the truth behind a train crash.

Body 21 (1)

Leo, Harry and Nikki step up their efforts to discover the truth behind the train crash but there are still many unanswered questions.

Body 21 (2)

When his wife and teenage daughter are involved in a hit-and-run car crash, Leo begins a painful journey back to his native Sheffield.

Ghosts (1)

As the police infiltrate a gang of identity thieves, Leo faces a choice between justice and revenge.

Ghosts (2)

The team is called to a drive-by shooting outside a London nightclub. They arrive to a scene of carnage with several people dead, or dying.

Choices (1)

The man behind the bloodshed pits both factions against one another and the team are in a race against time.

Choices (2)

The team is drawn into the investigation of a series of brutal, apparently motiveless murders in the academic world.

The Meaning of Death (1)

Nikki's beliefs are put to the test as she realises they are facing murders that are committed for sheer pleasure.

The Meaning of Death (2)

A paranoid schizophrenic goes on a violent frenzy in a busy high street. When a young man from the same care home commits suicide, Nikki is convinced there is a connection.

Mind and Body (1)

Harry discovers Nazim's death may not have been suicide. Is Dr Sanders the culprit? Meanwhile Leo investigates the murder of a bank manager.

Mind and Body (2)

When a boat carrying illegal passengers is found crashed in the Thames, the team investigate.

Cargo (1)

The team follows the trail of the people traffickers, and has to find any remaining survivors before a highly contagious disease breaks.

Cargo (2)

The team investigates a hit-and-run accident, an arson and a woman who collapsed on her hen night.

Terminus (1)

The team investigate a man who died on a night bus, an office prank gone tragically wrong and the suicide of a pro footballer.

Terminus (2)

Harry and Nikki's friendship is rocked by the discovery of the body of Harry's ex-lover.

Body of Work (1)

Memories of his own daughter's death are stirred up when Leo is called in to investigate the suicide of a 14-year-old girl.

Body of Work (2)

Memories of his own daughter's death are stirred up when Leo is called in to investigate the apparent suicide of a teenage girl.

Supernova (1)

When a third killing takes place on school grounds, Leo races to find some connection between the apparently motiveless murders.

Supernova (2)

Harry and Nikki are drawn into a war between a medical research establishment and a group determined to take direct action.

Schism (1)

With Nikki missing, Harry works against the clock to find out who is responsible for the murders and finds himself in a cover-up.

Schism (2)

Harry and Nikki are first on the scene when an RAF helicopter crashes, but Harry's search for answers brings him into conflict with the Ministry of Defence.

Apocalypse (1)

Harry suspects the Ministry of Defence may be covering up the true cause of the helicopter crash, but he's determined to get to the truth.

Apocalypse (2)

When the mutilated body of a young boy is pulled from the river, Leo is determined to give him an identity and to bring his killers to justice.

Suffer the Children (1)

Leo refuses to back down in his search for the killers of the young boy, despite threats and increasing racial tension.

Suffer the Children (2)

The murder of a John Doe leads the team to a hospital, where Nikki is investigating a top paediatric surgeon with an unusually high mortality rate.

Hippocratic Oath (1)

With Nikki out of action and Alice's surgical team closing ranks, Harry and Leo dig deeper.

Hippocratic Oath (2)

Nikki revisits an emotive case from the past when a girl she proved innocent of murder is herself murdered.

Double Dare (1)

Nikki grows increasingly worried that a mistake she made on a case four years ago may have contributed to the murder of a young woman.

Double Dare (2)

When the bones of a young girl are found, everyone but Nikki is convinced it's a teenager who went missing two years ago.

Peripheral Vision (1)

Having fallen out both with both the police and Clara's family, Nikki finds herself increasingly alone in her search for the killer.

Peripheral Vision (2)

Leo does community service on a rough estate after being done for drink-driving.

Safe (1)

Frustration within the team builds as Harry and Nikki struggle to find any useful evidence from the post-mortems to help the police. No one will talk, and they have no leads. Leo worries for Levi, who is sucked further into a world of gangs and violence.

Safe (2)

The team investigates the murder of a woman found dumped on the side of the road with her face removed.

Death's Door (1)

Harry tangles with a Russian oligarch over the murder of a journalist.

Death's Door (2)

The team investigates an armed raid on a suspected terrorist cell in which two suspects and a police officer are killed.

Terror (1)

Nikki faces mounting police hostility to her investigation of the armed raid.

Terror (2)

Harry is drawn into the murder of a Hasidic man found on disused wasteland, while Leo investigates the death of an Australian backpacker.

Judgement (1)

A second Hasidic boy is killed, which convinces Harry they are looking for a Jewish killer.

Judgement (2)

When one boy is found dead and another is abducted, the team faces a race against time to find the missing child.

The Lost Child (1)

As the search for Liam continues, Nikki's loyalty towards her former mentor is tested.

The Lost Child (2)

The team is asked to investigate the death of a British medical student in Zambia.

Finding Rachel (1)

Nikki clashes with Zambian police as she investigates the death of a British medical student.

Finding Rachel (2)

Silent Witness is a British crime thriller series focusing on a team of forensic pathology experts and their investigations into various crimes.

The Best Seasons of Silent Witness

The Best Seasons of Silent Witness

Season 28

Season 27

Season 18

Season 19

Season 13

Season 16

Season 17

Season 8

Season 12

Season 4

Season 22

Season 5

Season 21

Season 9

Season 14

Season 6

Season 7

Season 11

Season 2

Season 3

Season 15

Season 20

Season 1

Season 10

Season 25

Season 24

Season 23

Season 26