The demand for true crime programming has surged dramatically over the last 20 years. While factual drama adaptations aren't novel to viewers, their prominence has soared across both traditional television and streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
Throughout the past two decades, audiences have become enthralled by programmes examining genuine criminal cases and the subsequent police inquiries. We have compiled seven series worthy of your attention, including Des, which broadcast on ITV in 2020.
Des
David Tennant embodies infamous serial killer Dennis Nilsen in the haunting three-episode series chronicling the apprehension and prosecution of the Scottish murderer who claimed the lives of boys and young men across London during the 1970s and 80s. Nilsen would encounter and befriend his victims before extending invitations for food or overnight accommodation at his North London residence. He then went on to brutally kill them. His reign of terror concluded when the putrid stench of decomposing remains in Nilsen's property began raising concerns amongst neighbours, and the body parts caused blockages in local drainage systems. Following his arrest, he admitted to his crimes, prompting police to launch an extensive investigation to identify the victims and secure justice. Nilsen received a life sentence in 1983 and was imprisoned at Full Sutton Prison, Yorkshire, where he passed away in 2018. Des is available to stream on ITVX and Netflix.
Unbelievable
Unbelievable recounts the experience of teenager Marie Adler, an 18-year-old who reported being raped at knifepoint in 2008. However, investigating officers and her inner circle questioned her account, leading Adler to withdraw her statement and tell police that she had fabricated the story. While Adler, portrayed by Kaitlyn Dever in the programme, endured this harrowing experience, hundreds of miles away, detectives Grace Rasmussen (Toni Collette) and Karen Duvall (Merritt Wever) crossed paths while examining two strikingly similar break-in rapes. They joined forces to apprehend what they believed to be a serial rapist. The eight-part series draws inspiration from actual events documented in The Marshall Project and ProPublica's Pulitzer Prize-winning piece, "An Unbelievable Story of Rape", authored by T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong, which also featured in the This American Life radio episode "Anatomy of Doubt". The programme has achieved an exceptional 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. One viewer commented, "What is most shocking about Unbelievable is entirely based on true events", while another remarked, "Unbelievable is the best, most human, most complex police procedural I've seen in a long, long time." Initially launched on Netflix in September 2019, all eight episodes of the series remain accessible on the streaming platform.
Manhunt
Ex-police detective Colin Sutton apprehended notorious murderer Levi Bellfield after the killings of women in London, with Manhunt detailing precisely how he achieved this. The BAFTA-nominated police procedural boasts two series, the first chronicling the pursuit of West London serial killer Levi Bellfield, and the second documenting efforts to apprehend South London serial rapist Delroy Grant. DCI Sutton served as a senior investigating officer within the Met Police from January 2003 to January 2011, successfully heading more than 30 murder investigations, most notably the Amélie Delagrange murder case. The French student was visiting the UK when she was killed at Twickenham Green, London, while making her way home after a night out with friends. She was discovered in the park on the evening of August 19, 2004, having sustained severe head injuries, and passed away in the hospital that same night. Sutton, portrayed by Martin Clunes in the ITV series, was immediately placed in charge of the murder investigation and devoted himself entirely to bringing Amélie's killer to justice. Working alongside his team, he resolved the cases of both Amélie and Marsha McDonnell, who had each been brutally murdered by Levi Bellfield. The Manhunt series is based on Colin Sutton's book of the same name, and was first broadcast in 2019. The series is currently available to stream on ITVX.
The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies
ITV's drama The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies lays bare the perils of trial by media, drawing from a real-life case. When Christopher Jefferies was arrested in 2010, he was a retired English teacher and landlord living alone, who came under suspicion for the murder of his female tenant, Joanna Yeates. In the ITV drama, he is portrayed by Jason Watkins. Joanna, a Bristol-based landscape artist who had been reported missing, was found dead on Christmas Day 2010, with her death subsequently confirmed as murder. Both the police and tabloid newspapers appeared to set their sights on Yeates' "eccentric" landlord, Jefferies, who occupied a separate flat within the same Bristol building. The press were swift to scrutinise his appearance and label his conduct as "strange," pursuing him relentlessly even after he was released on bail. Jefferies was ultimately freed without charge, and fellow tenant Vincent Tabak, a Dutch engineer, was later convicted of Joanna Yeates' murder. The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies originally broadcast on ITV across two consecutive evenings, with Part 1 debuting on December 10, 2014. "I am speechless...what a movie", wrote one viewer on IMDb, while another simply dubbed the show a "great drama". The series is currently available to stream on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video.
The Hunt for Raoul Moat
True crime drama The Hunt for Raoul Moat chronicles Britain's largest ever manhunt, which unfolded in 2010 after Moat shot three people within days of his release from prison. On 1 July 2010, the 37-year-old ex-bodybuilder walked free from prison, and just two days later, he travelled to a property in Gateshead where his former partner, the mother of his daughter, Samantha Stobbart, was staying with her new boyfriend, Christopher Brown. At this location, Moat discharged a shotgun at Brown from point-blank range, killing him. He also opened fire on the property, striking Stobbart in the arm and abdomen. Her injuries were not life-threatening, and she pulled through. He additionally shot PC David Rathband twice in the face. The three-episode drama centres on the three innocent casualties of Moat's appalling crimes, portrayed by Matt Stokoe in the series: Christopher Brown (Josef Davies), Samantha Stobbart (Sally Messham), and PC David Rathband (Dan Renton Skinner). The storyline also examines the police officers who risked their lives in their mission to apprehend Moat, and the local reporter who attempted to reveal Moat's true story. The Hunt for Raoul Moat was first broadcast in April 2023 on ITV and is available to watch on ITVX.
The Pembrokeshire Murders
The Pembrokeshire Murders, which first broadcast on ITV in 2021 before arriving on Netflix in December 2024. In 1985, siblings Richard and Helen Thomas were shot dead, and four years afterwards, in 1989, Peter and Gwenda Dixon were shot at close range while walking along the coastal path in Pembrokeshire in Wales. The police were baffled by the killings, knowing only that a serial killer was responsible, as the same shotgun had been deployed in both incidents. It wasn't until 2006, when Detective Superintendent Steve Wilkins reopened the Thomas and Dixon double murder cases, that serial killer John Cooper was apprehended. Actor Luke Evans portrays the lead detective, while the infamous killer Cooper is played by Keith Allen, known for his roles in Robin Hood and The Body Farm, and father to singer Lily Allen. The Pembrokeshire Murders is available to watch on ITVX.
Little Boy Blue
Little Boy Blue chronicles a family shattered by the murder of 11-year-old Rhys Jones on a Liverpool estate in 2007, and the ensuing investigation launched to identify his killer. Rhys was a young Everton supporter with a passion for football. He was walking home from football training on 22 August 2007 when he was shot and fatally wounded in the car park of a pub on Liverpool's Croxteth Park estate. Paramedics and staff at Alder Hey Children's Hospital fought for 90 minutes to save Rhys, but he was pronounced dead at 8.46pm. Stephen Graham portrays Detective Superintendent Dave Kelly in the four-part series, who spearheaded the investigation into Rhys Jones's murder. Little Boy Blue is available to watch on ITVX and Amazon Prime Video.
