Netflix has added the gripping British crime drama The Widower, which originally aired in 2014, and it has quickly climbed to number four on the streaming service's TV chart. The three-part series stars Sheridan Smith and Reece Shearsmith and explores the real-life crimes of Malcolm Webster, a Surrey nurse who murdered his first wife and attempted to kill his second for insurance payouts.
The series is based on events from the 1990s. Webster married Claire Morris in 1993 before drugging her and staging a car accident in May 1994, setting the vehicle alight. He later married Felicity Drumm in New Zealand in 1997 and had a son with her. In 1999, he staged another car crash in an attempt to kill Drumm to claim £750,000 from nine life insurance policies.
The drama also covers Webster's relationship with Simone Banerjee, whom he convinced he had terminal leukaemia. Banerjee changed her will to leave him her fortune, but police intervened before the wedding, revealing his past. Webster was convicted in July 2011 of murdering Claire Morris and attempting to murder Felicity Drumm, receiving a minimum 30-year sentence. His appeals were rejected in 2013 and 2016.
The real Banerjee has praised the series as '99% accurate' and commended Shearsmith's performance. However, Drumm noted that Shearsmith's portrayal differs from Webster's actual personality, describing him as 'extroverted, likable, funny, and good company'. The series, written by Jim Barton and produced by Jeff Pope, remains largely faithful to the true story.
