Apple Tree Yard is a British television psychological thriller, adapted from the 2013 novel of the same name by Louise Doughty.

[2] Emily Watson stars as the novel's original lead, Yvonne Carmichael, with Ben Chaplin portraying the role of her lover, Mark Costley.

[3] Apple Tree Yard follows the story of Carmichael, a conflicted, moderately unhappily-married fifty-something scientist, who begins a covert yet flagrant affair with Costley whilst completely unaware of his background.

When she discovers that her husband Gary has spent the weekend away in bed with his intern, Yvonne completely abandons the idea of retirement and decides to reignite her affair with Mr. X.

But when expert evidence in his favour is undermined by the prosecutor, Mark allows his barrister to disclose their affair whilst cross-examining Yvonne, and she is shown to be lying under oath.

However, Yvonne's powerful testimony about her rape gains the jury's sympathy, and she is found not guilty of the killing—though she receives a suspended sentence for perjury.

Yvonne subsequently visits him in prison, where she recalls a moment when she asked Mark to kill George, and to smash his face in.

She also noted that having worked closely with Chaplin in the past, it made filming their consensual sex scenes easier: "We've known each other a long time, and we didn't want to fumble about, waiting for someone to shout 'Cut!

[10] The incident was referenced in the WARS Trading Card Game tie-in series Academy 27 in the short story Apple Tree Yard, where the plot centers around this theory.