The opportunity to appear on TV was too good to miss, says St Philips barrister Alistair MacDonald, who is one of the stars of the forthcoming BBC2 documentary 'The Barristers'

The worlds of the TV star and the barrister are not as far apart as one might think. The day job at the Bar is in some ways akin to putting on a performance – it is not about illusion, but there is more than a degree of acting and drama about the court room experience. That is why I think so many individuals in the profession, including myself, were interested when the prospect of taking part in the BBC documentary 'The Barristers' arose.

For me it was important that the BBC was behind the programme. I would have run a mile at the thought of a 'reality TV' style series designed to fashion a soap opera through questionable editing techniques. That said, I did not go into the project without some concerns. I was open-minded at the thought of taking part, but approached the first meeting with the production team with caution.

The team from BBC Bristol quickly demonstrated that they were in the business of making a credible series about the Bar. Our 800-year-old profession has historically been shrouded in mystery, with well-established traditions that are often poorly understood and open to misunderstanding. This in itself means there is a natural curiosity among the general public about the role of the barrister. The subject matter they were dealing with had all the elements needed to make engaging television. In the episode that I took part in, which focused on the family Bar and dealing in the fundamentals of family relationships in crisis, there was no place for spin. To their credit, the BBC team realised this from the outset and approached the series in an objective and fair way.

Once I made the decision to get involved in the programme, the reaction of my colleagues and peers was split down the middle. Some said how fantastic they thought it would be to have a TV crew follow them around, while others considered me mad to even entertain the idea. My wife was very supportive, but on the strict condition that she never had to be filmed.

On the first day of filming it did feel a bit peculiar having a camera in tow – and it took a little while to completely relax. But the production team built trust with the barristers they worked with, which certainly made it an enjoyable experience from my perspective. There was a great respect for clients in the filming process, which was crucial as the programme could not compromise our professional work. It did create a lot of interest when we went into court with the film crew, though, but it was not intrusive to the task in hand. And given that the family courts are private, it was important to make the film without breaching our clients' privacy.

The programme makers were particularly interested in the relationships between opposing barristers, putting the question of how we relate to each other to myself and fellow barrister Jeremy Weston when we were taking a break from a case. This is one of my favourite moments from the episode because I think it highlights the professionalism of the Bar. In the programme I use the analogy of the football field: I am sure if Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard met socially they would have a chat and a beer, but this wouldn't compromise their competitive edge when they next faced each other in the Premier League. I am always surprised by the fact that people find it so peculiar that barristers can fight tooth and nail during a case, but be perfectly civil and, in many cases, good friends outside of court. For me, that is at the very heart of being a professional.

The most glamorous part of the filming process was when the cameras followed me to the Birmingham Law Society Dinner, where I was lucky enough to pick up the award for Birmingham Barrister of the Year. However, the production team did not allow this to inflate my ego: the footage of me collecting the award was consigned to the cutting room floor in the final edit!

Once the cameras stopped rolling I felt a little apprehensive about how the finished product would come across. Fortunately, any fears were allayed when I saw the pre-screening. I was particularly pleased with how Birmingham came across on screen – it really does the city justice, and it was important that the programme showed the significance of the regional Bar and the thriving legal communities that are present outside London.

As a profession I believe the Bar should not be shy about showing the benefits it brings. We are part of an important institution that helps society to remain fair and this programme was a great opportunity to show the public exactly what we do.

I enjoyed being part of the world of television for a short time. However, as a keen amateur astronomer, I think I'll stick to star gazing in the future, rather than harbouring any ambitions to become a TV star. After all, I have enough opportunity to take to the stage every time I'm in court.

Alistair MacDonald is a family barrister at St Philips Chambers in Birmingham.

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Louise McCabe, St Philips Chambers

It is fair to say that barristers do not have the most favourable reputation, so I did not hesitate in taking part in a programme that I felt might improve public perceptions of our work.

Another reason I wanted to be involved in the programme was to get the message across about the threat to legal aid funding for family-related issues. However, none of this made the final episode, so on that front I suppose it was a little disappointing.

I soon forgot about having a film crew follow me around, as did my long-suffering husband, clerks – and dog! It has been said that most barristers are keen to take to the stage and I am no exception. Outside work I have been involved in amateur dramatics and had a childhood ambition to become a news reader – something I joked about with the production team, but no word as yet from News at Ten.

The first episode of 'The Barristers', a four-part series, will be aired on BBC2 on Friday, 14 November at 9pm.