Get your questions in (quickly) for the host of this year’s Baftas, the star of stage and screen who’s played everyone from Dennis Nilsen to Scrooge McDuck
The high point of the British film industry’s year, the Bafta film awards, returns on Sunday 18 February. The longlist has already been announced, with Killers of the Flower Moon, Barbie and Oppenheimer leading the count, and the contenders for the rising star award have also been revealed.
Hosting the event is a plum job, with Jonathan Ross and Stephen Fry having had the longest stints, dominating most of the 00s and 10s. But everyone from Terry Wogan (minus his Blankety Blank microphone on a stick) to (raises an eyebrow) Roger Moore to (somehow) Noel Edmonds have put on their very best DJs and had their eyes tested to double check they can read the teleprompter.
The high point of the British film industry’s year, the Bafta film awards, returns on Sunday 18 February. The longlist has already been announced, with Killers of the Flower Moon, Barbie and Oppenheimer leading the count, and the contenders for the rising star award have also been revealed.
Hosting the event is a plum job, with Jonathan Ross and Stephen Fry having had the longest stints, dominating most of the 00s and 10s. But everyone from Terry Wogan (minus his Blankety Blank microphone on a stick) to (raises an eyebrow) Roger Moore to (somehow) Noel Edmonds have put on their very best DJs and had their eyes tested to double check they can read the teleprompter.
- 1/12/2024
- by Rich Pelley
- The Guardian - Film News
Stoke-on-Trent, UK – In a city known for its industrial history, a spine-chilling revolution has taken place with the opening of the United Kingdom’s first Museum of Horrors. Located in Stoke-on-Trent, this immersive attraction offers a one-of-a-kind experience for horror enthusiasts and movie buffs alike.
Daily Guided Tours for the Brave (Ages 13+)
The Museum of Horrors invites guests to embark on a journey through the twisted realms of horror with its daily guided tours. With each tour tailored to provide a personalised experience, visitors will navigate through a series of themed rooms, each dedicated to specific genres of horror movies.
From classic suspense to modern psychological thrillers, the museum showcases an extensive collection of props from both TV and horror films, as well as eerie artifacts from the macabre world. It’s a unique opportunity to get up close and personal with iconic items that have left an indelible mark...
Daily Guided Tours for the Brave (Ages 13+)
The Museum of Horrors invites guests to embark on a journey through the twisted realms of horror with its daily guided tours. With each tour tailored to provide a personalised experience, visitors will navigate through a series of themed rooms, each dedicated to specific genres of horror movies.
From classic suspense to modern psychological thrillers, the museum showcases an extensive collection of props from both TV and horror films, as well as eerie artifacts from the macabre world. It’s a unique opportunity to get up close and personal with iconic items that have left an indelible mark...
- 12/13/2023
- by Horror Asylum
- Horror Asylum
David Tennant took on one of his darkest roles to date when he played Dennis Nilsen – the notorious “Muswell Hill Murderer” who killed at least 12 young boys and men in North London from 1978 to 1983 – in ITV’s Des.
Tennant was the latest in a long line of actors to dramatise the lives of some of the world’s most prolific murderers – and it’s easy to see why such a part would be appealing. Playing a serial killer allows an actor to show their range and move away from being typecast. For those who’ve gone before them, such roles have been known to make a career, winning Oscars, Golden Globes and Baftas for those who take them on.
However, portraying serial killers obviously comes with its own set of challenges. These are people audiences know well, so do they mimic them word for word or do their own interpretation,...
Tennant was the latest in a long line of actors to dramatise the lives of some of the world’s most prolific murderers – and it’s easy to see why such a part would be appealing. Playing a serial killer allows an actor to show their range and move away from being typecast. For those who’ve gone before them, such roles have been known to make a career, winning Oscars, Golden Globes and Baftas for those who take them on.
However, portraying serial killers obviously comes with its own set of challenges. These are people audiences know well, so do they mimic them word for word or do their own interpretation,...
- 4/21/2023
- by Isobel Lewis and Louis Chilton
- The Independent - Film
Most true crime dramas retell stories from long enough ago that many viewers weren’t alive to hear about them the first time around, from David Tennant’s portrayal of 1980s serial killer Dennis Nilsen in Des to The Serpent, the BBC drama about 1970s murderer Charles Sobhraj. But ITV’s latest example, The Hunt for Raoul Moat, depicts a violent crime so recent that we don’t just remember hearing about it, we remember tweeting about it.
In 2010, Raoul Moat shot three people in Northumberland: his ex-girlfriend, Samantha Stobbart, was seriously injured, her partner Chris Brown died, and police officer David Rathband was blinded and later took his own life. A six-day manhunt gripped the nation, culminating in a police stand-off at a riverbank, where Moat shot himself. Dramatising such a recent tragedy has attracted criticism – including from the families of Stobbart and Rathband – and led many to wonder:...
In 2010, Raoul Moat shot three people in Northumberland: his ex-girlfriend, Samantha Stobbart, was seriously injured, her partner Chris Brown died, and police officer David Rathband was blinded and later took his own life. A six-day manhunt gripped the nation, culminating in a police stand-off at a riverbank, where Moat shot himself. Dramatising such a recent tragedy has attracted criticism – including from the families of Stobbart and Rathband – and led many to wonder:...
- 4/19/2023
- by Lauravickersgreen
- Den of Geek
The world was a different place in 2006 when former Fsb agent Alexander Litvinenko hit global headlines. This was years before Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, the poisoning of Sergei Skripal in 2018, and even longer before its invasion of Ukraine earlier this year. This was a strange time when Vladimir Putin was still hanging out with George W Bush and Tony Blair; still a tolerated member of the international community. But, as screenwriter George Kay’s new drama on the Itvx streaming service shows, that all began to change with a drop of polonium in a teapot.
The Litvinenko story unravelled extremely quickly. Three weeks after falling ill, Litvinenko was dead – and by that point, his face had been splashed on newspapers around the world. Kay’s series takes the same approach: within the first few seconds, Litvinenko is vomiting into a toilet. By the end of the episode, he will be dead.
The Litvinenko story unravelled extremely quickly. Three weeks after falling ill, Litvinenko was dead – and by that point, his face had been splashed on newspapers around the world. Kay’s series takes the same approach: within the first few seconds, Litvinenko is vomiting into a toilet. By the end of the episode, he will be dead.
- 12/15/2022
- by Nick Hilton
- The Independent - TV
Daniel Mays has hurt his back. “It’s causing me a bit of gyp,” the Line of Duty star admits. “I’m just getting to be an old fart now. But that’s the hazards of the job, I’m afraid.” I’m speaking to him over video from his home in north London. The “job” in question is a new series about one of the Founding Fathers of America, Benjamin Franklin (Michael Douglas), for which Mays has been going back and forth to Paris to film. “Obviously it’s set in 1776 or whatever, and I have to wear those period shoes with heels,” he explains. “So your weight distribution is thrown forward. It’s like when you used to listen to women go, ‘I can’t wear high heels all night,’ because it ruins the small of their back.” He smiles. “My transvestite days are over, let’s put it that way.
- 12/4/2022
- by Louis Chilton
- The Independent - Film
The Word was a magazine-style entertainment show that ran from 1990 to 1995 on the UK’s Channel 4. It was helmed by Mancunian motormouth Terry Christian and a medley of once and future stars, including Amanda de Cadenet, Dani Behr, Katie Puckrik, and Mark Lamarr. The show was the brainchild of Charlie Parsons and Terry Christian, who were tasked with filling the hip, cultural hole left behind by the departure of music-oriented, youth-skewed shows like The Tube.
The Word began life in August 1990 as a tame, tea-time shadow of the fearlessly innovative show it would later become. What saved it from becoming a real-life version of Nozin’ Aroun’ – the spoof youth show so insufferably condescending it prompted Rik to destroy his TV set in the anarchic 1980’s BBC sitcom The Young Ones – was the decision by Channel 4’s Chief Executive Michael Grade to shift transmission from 6pm to late-night. Unmoored from pre-watershed restrictions,...
The Word began life in August 1990 as a tame, tea-time shadow of the fearlessly innovative show it would later become. What saved it from becoming a real-life version of Nozin’ Aroun’ – the spoof youth show so insufferably condescending it prompted Rik to destroy his TV set in the anarchic 1980’s BBC sitcom The Young Ones – was the decision by Channel 4’s Chief Executive Michael Grade to shift transmission from 6pm to late-night. Unmoored from pre-watershed restrictions,...
- 11/18/2022
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Are you capable of killing someone? What if you’re in a particularly bad mood? What if someone’s really asking for it? In the BBC’s new drama Inside Man, David Tennant’s character, a vicar, is falsely accused of owning indecent images of children. He faces the following everyday dilemma: should he allow his accuser to spread the falsehood? Or should he just bump her off when he has the chance? Thus begins a show that explores the idea that “everyone is a murderer. You just have to meet the right person.”
Those words are uttered by Stanley Tucci’s character, Jefferson Grieff, who speaks from experience: he is locked up on Death Row and awaiting his execution. But is he right? Is there, inside every non-murderer, a murderer trying to get out? David Wilson, professor emeritus of criminology at Birmingham City University, thinks not. He, too, speaks from experience,...
Those words are uttered by Stanley Tucci’s character, Jefferson Grieff, who speaks from experience: he is locked up on Death Row and awaiting his execution. But is he right? Is there, inside every non-murderer, a murderer trying to get out? David Wilson, professor emeritus of criminology at Birmingham City University, thinks not. He, too, speaks from experience,...
- 10/5/2022
- by Tom Ough
- The Independent - TV
Are you capable of killing someone? What if you’re in a particularly bad mood? What if someone’s really asking for it? In the BBC’s new drama Inside Man, David Tennant’s character, a vicar, is falsely accused of owning indecent images of children. He faces the following everyday dilemma: should he allow his accuser to spread the falsehood? Or should he just bump her off when he has the chance? Thus begins a show that explores the idea that “everyone is a murderer. You just have to meet the right person.”
Those words are uttered by Stanley Tucci’s character, Jefferson Grieff, who speaks from experience: he is locked up on Death Row and awaiting his execution. But is he right? Is there, inside every non-murderer, a murderer trying to get out? David Wilson, professor emeritus of criminology at Birmingham City University, thinks not. He, too, speaks from experience,...
Those words are uttered by Stanley Tucci’s character, Jefferson Grieff, who speaks from experience: he is locked up on Death Row and awaiting his execution. But is he right? Is there, inside every non-murderer, a murderer trying to get out? David Wilson, professor emeritus of criminology at Birmingham City University, thinks not. He, too, speaks from experience,...
- 10/5/2022
- by Tom Ough
- The Independent - TV
Are you capable of killing someone? What if you’re in a particularly bad mood? What if someone’s really asking for it? In the BBC’s new drama Inside Man, David Tennant’s character, a vicar, is falsely accused of owning indecent images of children. He faces the following everyday dilemma: should he allow his accuser to spread the falsehood? Or should he just bump her off when he has the chance? Thus begins a show that explores the idea that “everyone is a murderer. You just have to meet the right person.”
Those words are uttered by Stanley Tucci’s character, Jefferson Grieff, who speaks from experience: he is locked up on Death Row and awaiting his execution. But is he right? Is there, inside every non-murderer, a murderer trying to get out? David Wilson, professor emeritus of criminology at Birmingham City University, thinks not. He, too, speaks from experience,...
Those words are uttered by Stanley Tucci’s character, Jefferson Grieff, who speaks from experience: he is locked up on Death Row and awaiting his execution. But is he right? Is there, inside every non-murderer, a murderer trying to get out? David Wilson, professor emeritus of criminology at Birmingham City University, thinks not. He, too, speaks from experience,...
- 10/4/2022
- by Tom Ough
- The Independent - TV
This month, David Tennant will take on one of his darkest roles to date. In ITV’s Des, he plays Dennis Nilsen, the notorious “Muswell Hill Murderer” who killed at least 12 young boys and men in North London from 1978 to 1983.
Tennant is the latest in a long line of actors to dramatise the lives of some of the world’s most prolific murderers and it’s easy to see why such a part would be appealing. Playing a serial killer allows an actor to show their range and move away from being typecast. For those who’ve gone before them, such roles have been known to make a career, winning Oscars, Golden Globes and Baftas for those who take them on.
However, portraying serial killers obviously comes with its own set of challenges. These are people audiences know well, so do they mimic them word for word or do their own interpretation,...
Tennant is the latest in a long line of actors to dramatise the lives of some of the world’s most prolific murderers and it’s easy to see why such a part would be appealing. Playing a serial killer allows an actor to show their range and move away from being typecast. For those who’ve gone before them, such roles have been known to make a career, winning Oscars, Golden Globes and Baftas for those who take them on.
However, portraying serial killers obviously comes with its own set of challenges. These are people audiences know well, so do they mimic them word for word or do their own interpretation,...
- 8/24/2022
- by Isobel Lewis and Louis Chilton
- The Independent - Film
David Tennant took on one of his darkest roles to date when he played Dennis Nilsen – the notorious “Muswell Hill Murderer” who killed at least 12 young boys and men in North London from 1978 to 1983 – in ITV’s Des.
Tennant was the latest in a long line of actors to dramatise the lives of some of the world’s most prolific murderers – and it’s easy to see why such a part would be appealing. Playing a serial killer allows an actor to show their range and move away from being typecast. For those who’ve gone before them, such roles have been known to make a career, winning Oscars, Golden Globes and Baftas for those who take them on.
However, portraying serial killers obviously comes with its own set of challenges. These are people audiences know well, so do they mimic them word for word or do their own interpretation,...
Tennant was the latest in a long line of actors to dramatise the lives of some of the world’s most prolific murderers – and it’s easy to see why such a part would be appealing. Playing a serial killer allows an actor to show their range and move away from being typecast. For those who’ve gone before them, such roles have been known to make a career, winning Oscars, Golden Globes and Baftas for those who take them on.
However, portraying serial killers obviously comes with its own set of challenges. These are people audiences know well, so do they mimic them word for word or do their own interpretation,...
- 8/24/2022
- by Isobel Lewis and Louis Chilton
- The Independent - Film
Judging from the buzz around 2022 dramas like Inventing Anna, The Staircase and The Girl from Plainville, our appetite for true crime series isn’t going anywhere. From grisly murder to exquisite scams, these powerful stories based on real-life events have us hooked.
Most of the year’s biggest true crime dramas have so far focussed on tales from the USA, but if you’re looking for unbelievable criminal cases from the UK, there’s plenty of must-watch series depicting some of the country’s most notorious criminal scandals coming later this year and beyond. Here’s a few to add to your watch list.
The Reckoning (BBC – later in 2022)
Actor, comedian and Alan Partridge creator Steve Coogan is set to portray the life-long sexual predator and disgraced TV presenter Jimmy Savile.
After the disturbing and harrowing Netflix documentary Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story aired earlier this year, many have...
Most of the year’s biggest true crime dramas have so far focussed on tales from the USA, but if you’re looking for unbelievable criminal cases from the UK, there’s plenty of must-watch series depicting some of the country’s most notorious criminal scandals coming later this year and beyond. Here’s a few to add to your watch list.
The Reckoning (BBC – later in 2022)
Actor, comedian and Alan Partridge creator Steve Coogan is set to portray the life-long sexual predator and disgraced TV presenter Jimmy Savile.
After the disturbing and harrowing Netflix documentary Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story aired earlier this year, many have...
- 8/11/2022
- by Rosie Fletcher
- Den of Geek
Turns out a lot of us love a good murder show. It might be a bit weird, but there you go. So if you have found yourself hooked on The Staircase, the dramatization of the documentary of the same name, which followed the case of Michael Peterson, who either did or did not kill his wife Kathleen, you’re not alone.
The show is landing weekly so if you find yourself starved of glossy true crime drama with an A-list cast while you wait for new episodes to drop, well, we’ve got your back. Here are the must-watch dramas based on real life cases to get your teeth into next.
Dirty John (Netflix)
True crime nuts who are also Podcast people may well have first heard about the case of conman ‘Dirty’ John Meehan in the Podcast of the same name. This dramatization follows the events that occurred involving...
The show is landing weekly so if you find yourself starved of glossy true crime drama with an A-list cast while you wait for new episodes to drop, well, we’ve got your back. Here are the must-watch dramas based on real life cases to get your teeth into next.
Dirty John (Netflix)
True crime nuts who are also Podcast people may well have first heard about the case of conman ‘Dirty’ John Meehan in the Podcast of the same name. This dramatization follows the events that occurred involving...
- 5/19/2022
- by Rosie Fletcher
- Den of Geek
When it comes to the International Emmys, David Tennant is having quite a year.
The Doctor Who, Broadchurch and Good Omens alum is the only English-language actor contender for the 2021 International Emmys — nominated for his chilling turn as Scottish serial killer Dennis Nilsen in British drama Des alongside a group that includes Israeli actor Roy Nik, nominated for the dramedy Normali; Christian Tappán, up for his lead role in the Colombian Netflix thriller The Great Heist; and Indian actor Nawazuddin Siddique, who received a best acting nomination for the Hindi-language drama Serious Men, also on Netflix.
Des is also up best TV movie/miniseries at the International Emmys, which will ...
The Doctor Who, Broadchurch and Good Omens alum is the only English-language actor contender for the 2021 International Emmys — nominated for his chilling turn as Scottish serial killer Dennis Nilsen in British drama Des alongside a group that includes Israeli actor Roy Nik, nominated for the dramedy Normali; Christian Tappán, up for his lead role in the Colombian Netflix thriller The Great Heist; and Indian actor Nawazuddin Siddique, who received a best acting nomination for the Hindi-language drama Serious Men, also on Netflix.
Des is also up best TV movie/miniseries at the International Emmys, which will ...
- 11/22/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When it comes to the International Emmys, David Tennant is having quite a year.
The Doctor Who, Broadchurch and Good Omens alum is the only English-language actor contender for the 2021 International Emmys — nominated for his chilling turn as Scottish serial killer Dennis Nilsen in British drama Des alongside a group that includes Israeli actor Roy Nik, nominated for the dramedy Normali; Christian Tappán, up for his lead role in the Colombian Netflix thriller The Great Heist; and Indian actor Nawazuddin Siddique, who received a best acting nomination for the Hindi-language drama Serious Men, also on Netflix.
Des is also up best TV movie/miniseries at the International Emmys, which will ...
The Doctor Who, Broadchurch and Good Omens alum is the only English-language actor contender for the 2021 International Emmys — nominated for his chilling turn as Scottish serial killer Dennis Nilsen in British drama Des alongside a group that includes Israeli actor Roy Nik, nominated for the dramedy Normali; Christian Tappán, up for his lead role in the Colombian Netflix thriller The Great Heist; and Indian actor Nawazuddin Siddique, who received a best acting nomination for the Hindi-language drama Serious Men, also on Netflix.
Des is also up best TV movie/miniseries at the International Emmys, which will ...
- 11/22/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
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Obsessed with true crime? You’re not alone. From “House of Gucci” to “Tiger King,” true crime stories are more popular than ever, and thanks to podcasts, movies, TV shows, and documentaries, the ways to indulge in real-life crime stories are seemingly endless.
If you’ve been searching for great gifts for true crime lovers, we put together a list of killer ideas that are perfect for the holidays, birthdays, and other occasions. Keep reading for a roundup of immersive murder mysteries, novelty gifts, board games, and more ideas for true crime fans. For more unsolved mysteries to get lost in, see our picks for the best true crime documentaries streaming on HBO Max,...
Obsessed with true crime? You’re not alone. From “House of Gucci” to “Tiger King,” true crime stories are more popular than ever, and thanks to podcasts, movies, TV shows, and documentaries, the ways to indulge in real-life crime stories are seemingly endless.
If you’ve been searching for great gifts for true crime lovers, we put together a list of killer ideas that are perfect for the holidays, birthdays, and other occasions. Keep reading for a roundup of immersive murder mysteries, novelty gifts, board games, and more ideas for true crime fans. For more unsolved mysteries to get lost in, see our picks for the best true crime documentaries streaming on HBO Max,...
- 11/10/2021
- by Latifah Muhammad
- Indiewire
David Tennant To Star In ‘Litvinenko’ Poison Drama For ITV & Viaplay From ‘Lupin’ Creator George Kay
Exclusive: David Tennant is to play Alexander Litvinenko, who former Russian Federal Security Services and Kgb officer who was poisoned to death, in a drama series for ITV and Nordic Entertainment Group.
The former Doctor Who star, who recently played serial killer Dennis Nilsen in Des, stars alongside The Deuce’s Margarita Levieva, in the four-part series, which comes from Lupin creator George Kay.
It is the story of the determined Scotland Yard Officers who worked for ten years to prove who was responsible, in one of the most complex and dangerous investigations in the history of the Metropolitan Police.
The drama also focuses upon the story of Marina, played by Levieva, who has also recurred on The Blacklist and Revenge, Alexander’s fearless, dignified widow who fought tirelessly to persuade the British Government to publicly name her husband’s killers and acknowledge the role of the Russian State in his murder.
The former Doctor Who star, who recently played serial killer Dennis Nilsen in Des, stars alongside The Deuce’s Margarita Levieva, in the four-part series, which comes from Lupin creator George Kay.
It is the story of the determined Scotland Yard Officers who worked for ten years to prove who was responsible, in one of the most complex and dangerous investigations in the history of the Metropolitan Police.
The drama also focuses upon the story of Marina, played by Levieva, who has also recurred on The Blacklist and Revenge, Alexander’s fearless, dignified widow who fought tirelessly to persuade the British Government to publicly name her husband’s killers and acknowledge the role of the Russian State in his murder.
- 9/30/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
When it comes to this year’s International Emmys, David Tennant is a triple threat.
The Doctor Who alum picked up a nomination for best actor for his chilling turn as Scottish serial killer Dennis Nilsen in British drama Des. The limited series is also up for an International Emmy in the best TV movie or miniseries category. And There She Goes, a dramedy starring Tennant as the father of a daughter with a learning disability, scored a nomination for best drama series.
Tennant is the only English-language acting contender for the 2021 International Emmys, whose nominations were announced Thursday. Going up against the Scottish star ...
The Doctor Who alum picked up a nomination for best actor for his chilling turn as Scottish serial killer Dennis Nilsen in British drama Des. The limited series is also up for an International Emmy in the best TV movie or miniseries category. And There She Goes, a dramedy starring Tennant as the father of a daughter with a learning disability, scored a nomination for best drama series.
Tennant is the only English-language acting contender for the 2021 International Emmys, whose nominations were announced Thursday. Going up against the Scottish star ...
- 9/23/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
When it comes to this year’s International Emmys, David Tennant is a triple threat.
The Doctor Who alum picked up a nomination for best actor for his chilling turn as Scottish serial killer Dennis Nilsen in British drama Des. The limited series is also up for an International Emmy in the best TV movie or miniseries category. And There She Goes, a dramedy starring Tennant as the father of a daughter with a learning disability, scored a nomination for best drama series.
Tennant is the only English-language acting contender for the 2021 International Emmys, whose nominations were announced Thursday. Going up against the Scottish star ...
The Doctor Who alum picked up a nomination for best actor for his chilling turn as Scottish serial killer Dennis Nilsen in British drama Des. The limited series is also up for an International Emmy in the best TV movie or miniseries category. And There She Goes, a dramedy starring Tennant as the father of a daughter with a learning disability, scored a nomination for best drama series.
Tennant is the only English-language acting contender for the 2021 International Emmys, whose nominations were announced Thursday. Going up against the Scottish star ...
- 9/23/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Photo: 'Memories of a Murder: The Nilsen Tapes'/Netflix What To Expect From Netflix’s Newest True Crime ‘Memories of a Murder: The Nilsen Tapes’ is Netflix’s most recently released true-crime documentary that dives deep into the mind of one of Britain’s most notorious serial killers: Dennis Nilsen. This is the man who disturbingly once referred to himself as the “murderer of the century”. In his directorial debut, Michael Harte unravels the story using thousands of written pages and over 250 hours of cassette records recorded by Nilsen himself in his jail cell where he describes in detail his life leading up to the gruesome crimes he committed. While Nilsen’s story has been told countless times in the form of films, television specials, dramatized retellings, and podcasts, this was the first time the accounts are being told from the killer's very own voice. This genuinely crafted documentary ties together police and media interviews,...
- 8/23/2021
- by Caroline Schneider
- Hollywood Insider - Substance & Meaningful Entertainment
The new Netflix documentary “Memories of a Murderer: The Nilsen Tapes” recounts the life and crimes of notorious Scottish serial killer and necrophile Dennis Nilsen, who murdered at least 12 young men over a five-year period.
Directed by Michael Harte ( “Don’t F–k With Cats”), the doc uses 250 hours worth of tapes recorded from Nilsen’s prison cell, allowing the self-proclaimed “murderer of the century” to tell his story in his own words.
American audiences, accustomed to tales of our homegrown serial killers, may not be as familiar with Nilsen as our friends across the pond. Consider this a primer on who he was and why his crimes continue to terrify the Brits to this day.
Nilsen had a quiet upbringing in the Scottish countryside in the 1950s and realized he was gay when he was about 8 years old, according to his cassette tapes. He also claimed in the tapes...
Directed by Michael Harte ( “Don’t F–k With Cats”), the doc uses 250 hours worth of tapes recorded from Nilsen’s prison cell, allowing the self-proclaimed “murderer of the century” to tell his story in his own words.
American audiences, accustomed to tales of our homegrown serial killers, may not be as familiar with Nilsen as our friends across the pond. Consider this a primer on who he was and why his crimes continue to terrify the Brits to this day.
Nilsen had a quiet upbringing in the Scottish countryside in the 1950s and realized he was gay when he was about 8 years old, according to his cassette tapes. He also claimed in the tapes...
- 8/18/2021
- by Alex Noble
- The Wrap
BAFTA pulled the curtain back on nominations for its TV and TV Craft Awards on Wednesday ahead of ceremonies that take place on June 6 and May 24 respectively. As always with award nominations, the list of those recognized had tongues wagging. Let’s walk through some of the biggest themes.
The snubs
There were some eyebrow-raising absentees among the nominations this year. Netflix’s The Crown scored a decent haul of 10 nominations, but none of them were for Olivia Colman, Gillian Anderson, and Emma Corrin, who played Queen Elizabeth II, Margaret Thatcher, and Princess Diana respectively. The snubs were all the more notable given that all three were Golden Globe-nominated, while Anderson and Corrin were victorious at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association prizes. Other surprises included the absence of David Tennant for his role as serial killer Dennis Nilsen in ITV series Des, while critics also felt that series including ITV...
The snubs
There were some eyebrow-raising absentees among the nominations this year. Netflix’s The Crown scored a decent haul of 10 nominations, but none of them were for Olivia Colman, Gillian Anderson, and Emma Corrin, who played Queen Elizabeth II, Margaret Thatcher, and Princess Diana respectively. The snubs were all the more notable given that all three were Golden Globe-nominated, while Anderson and Corrin were victorious at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association prizes. Other surprises included the absence of David Tennant for his role as serial killer Dennis Nilsen in ITV series Des, while critics also felt that series including ITV...
- 4/28/2021
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Michaela Coel’s BBC/HBO series I May Destroy You was the big winner at the UK’s Broadcasting Press Guild Awards on Friday.
The limited series, about a woman piecing together the events of her sexual assault, won Best Drama Series, beating competition from the likes of BBC/Hulu series Normal People and Sky’s I Hate Suzie. Coel also walked away with Best Actress and Best Writer.
Collecting her gongs, Coel said: “Receiving this from the Broadcasting Press Guild is particularly meaningful to me, because this is awarded by journalists, the best of which scrutinize the topic, their opinion of it, and interrogate both the world and themselves, as writers within it. I can identify with this, particularly because I May Destroy You was inspired by my own experiences of sexual assault.”
Elsewhere, David Tennant won Best Actor for portraying serial killer Dennis Nilsen in ITV’s Des,...
The limited series, about a woman piecing together the events of her sexual assault, won Best Drama Series, beating competition from the likes of BBC/Hulu series Normal People and Sky’s I Hate Suzie. Coel also walked away with Best Actress and Best Writer.
Collecting her gongs, Coel said: “Receiving this from the Broadcasting Press Guild is particularly meaningful to me, because this is awarded by journalists, the best of which scrutinize the topic, their opinion of it, and interrogate both the world and themselves, as writers within it. I can identify with this, particularly because I May Destroy You was inspired by my own experiences of sexual assault.”
Elsewhere, David Tennant won Best Actor for portraying serial killer Dennis Nilsen in ITV’s Des,...
- 3/12/2021
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Oscar and Emmy-winning British production company Rise Films is developing the first major television drama series on the phone-hacking scandal that shook the very foundations of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire in the early noughties.
Rise Films, which made Oscar-winning Netflix doping documentary Icarus, will use the series to provide an insider’s perspective on the industrial-scale illegal information gathering at British tabloid newspaper, the News Of The World, after securing exclusive access to the journalists and private investigators who intercepted the voicemails of Hollywood stars, politicians, and murder victims.
The series will be penned by Luke Neal, the breakout writer behind ITV’s David Tennant drama, Des, which told the story of British serial killer Dennis Nilsen and was the broadcaster’s highest-rated drama of 2020. Saul Dibb, the helmer of The Salisbury Poisonings, BBC One’s most-watched drama in six years, has been attached to direct the phone-hacking series.
Rise Films, which made Oscar-winning Netflix doping documentary Icarus, will use the series to provide an insider’s perspective on the industrial-scale illegal information gathering at British tabloid newspaper, the News Of The World, after securing exclusive access to the journalists and private investigators who intercepted the voicemails of Hollywood stars, politicians, and murder victims.
The series will be penned by Luke Neal, the breakout writer behind ITV’s David Tennant drama, Des, which told the story of British serial killer Dennis Nilsen and was the broadcaster’s highest-rated drama of 2020. Saul Dibb, the helmer of The Salisbury Poisonings, BBC One’s most-watched drama in six years, has been attached to direct the phone-hacking series.
- 1/28/2021
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: A team of prestigious documentary makers are teaming on what should be a hotly anticipated factual project – a feature doc coming to Netflix based on serial killer Dennis Nilsen’s recent posthumously-published autobiography, in which he confessed to three more attacks.
Nilsen, who killed at least 12 young men and boys between 1978 and 1983 and died in prison in 2018, was recently played by David Tennant in the well-received drama Des last year. An edited version of his autobiography, The History Of A Drowning Boy, which was written in prison and stretched to 6,000 pages, was published last week. The book drew criticism from the families of Nilsen’s victims but it was defended by its editors as valuable insight into the mind of a killer.
Michael Harte, whose credits as an editor include the Emmy-winning Netflix series Don’t F**k With Cats: Hunting An Internet Killer and the BAFTA-nominated Three Identical Strangers, is helming the project,...
Nilsen, who killed at least 12 young men and boys between 1978 and 1983 and died in prison in 2018, was recently played by David Tennant in the well-received drama Des last year. An edited version of his autobiography, The History Of A Drowning Boy, which was written in prison and stretched to 6,000 pages, was published last week. The book drew criticism from the families of Nilsen’s victims but it was defended by its editors as valuable insight into the mind of a killer.
Michael Harte, whose credits as an editor include the Emmy-winning Netflix series Don’t F**k With Cats: Hunting An Internet Killer and the BAFTA-nominated Three Identical Strangers, is helming the project,...
- 1/27/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
True crime dramas have become a staple of British television and streaming services. Their popularity seems endless and ever growing. Episodes are devoured at incredible rates as the true stories behind the dramatizations are the start of many an internet k-hole.
The British true crime drama has fallen into a somewhat formulaic way of being made. The narratives are almost classical; a clear, yet flawed hero, triumphing over an unquestionably evil villain. The focus is either on the lead police officer investigating the case, or the perpetrator of the crimes. Both or one of them is usually white, they are almost always men. If the focus is on the villain, it’s to show that he is irredeemably cruel, and a master manipulator with those closest to him suffering the most. If the focus is on the hero, he is usually approachably attractive, stern and focused when it comes to work yet soft centred,...
The British true crime drama has fallen into a somewhat formulaic way of being made. The narratives are almost classical; a clear, yet flawed hero, triumphing over an unquestionably evil villain. The focus is either on the lead police officer investigating the case, or the perpetrator of the crimes. Both or one of them is usually white, they are almost always men. If the focus is on the villain, it’s to show that he is irredeemably cruel, and a master manipulator with those closest to him suffering the most. If the focus is on the hero, he is usually approachably attractive, stern and focused when it comes to work yet soft centred,...
- 1/15/2021
- by Rosie Fletcher
- Den of Geek
The chilling 1989 British Serial Killer film Cold Light Of Day is available on Blu-ray from Arrow Video
February, 1983. Detectives are called to a residential address in the London suburbs following reports that the drains have been clogged by human remains. One of the property s residents, Dennis Nilsen a mild-mannered and unassuming civil servant is brought in for questioning, leading to the discovery of one of the most shocking and disturbing cases of serial murder ever to rock Britain.
Offering a grim and gritty retelling of the story of Des Nilsen, often dubbed the British Jeffery Dahmer , 1989 s Cold Light of Day stars Bob Flag (the face of Big Brother in Michael Radford s 1984) as Nilsen-cipher Jorden March, delivering one of the most chilling and credible portrayals of a serial killer ever committed to screen!
From writer-director Fhiona-Louise, Cold Light of Day which picked up the Ucca Venticittà Award at...
February, 1983. Detectives are called to a residential address in the London suburbs following reports that the drains have been clogged by human remains. One of the property s residents, Dennis Nilsen a mild-mannered and unassuming civil servant is brought in for questioning, leading to the discovery of one of the most shocking and disturbing cases of serial murder ever to rock Britain.
Offering a grim and gritty retelling of the story of Des Nilsen, often dubbed the British Jeffery Dahmer , 1989 s Cold Light of Day stars Bob Flag (the face of Big Brother in Michael Radford s 1984) as Nilsen-cipher Jorden March, delivering one of the most chilling and credible portrayals of a serial killer ever committed to screen!
From writer-director Fhiona-Louise, Cold Light of Day which picked up the Ucca Venticittà Award at...
- 10/27/2020
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Between 1978 and 1983, serial killer Dennis Nilsen murdered at least 12 young men and boys in the two successive flats where he lived, storing their corpses for long periods of time before dismembering them and disposing of them in the drains. Made six years after his arrest, this film dramatises his story, mingling it with elements of fiction and exploring the sense of disconnection between a world in which such things can happen and our own.
The real Nilsen described confessing his crimes as a relief and was matter of fact with the police in interviews. Here, director Fhiona-Louise tries to strike a balance between that and depicting the horror which she imagines the investigating detectives must have felt. The interrogation acts as a framing device for the action, which begins with the Nilsen character - renamed Jorden Marsh - forming a relationship with a financially dependent young man and...
The real Nilsen described confessing his crimes as a relief and was matter of fact with the police in interviews. Here, director Fhiona-Louise tries to strike a balance between that and depicting the horror which she imagines the investigating detectives must have felt. The interrogation acts as a framing device for the action, which begins with the Nilsen character - renamed Jorden Marsh - forming a relationship with a financially dependent young man and...
- 10/27/2020
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
With Halloween approaching quickly, we have one final round of home media releases headed our way this week in case you’re looking to pick up some last-minute films to check out this spooky season. Blue Underground is releasing Daughters of Darkness in 4K this Tuesday, and Severin Films is keeping busy with an array of titles, including The Black Cat, Patrick Still Lives, and Shock Treatment.
Vinegar Syndrome also has quite the lineup of films coming home this week, including Grave Robbers, Memorial Valley Massacre, Zombie 5: Killing Birds, and several Amityville sequels. Arrow Video is also showing some love to both Cold Light of Day and The Last Starfighter, and if you’re a big fan of The Monster Squad, you’ll definitely want to check out the Wolfman’s Got Nards documentary.
Other releases for October 27th include Scary Tales, Spine Chiller, Weedjies: Halloweed Night, Attack of the Unknown,...
Vinegar Syndrome also has quite the lineup of films coming home this week, including Grave Robbers, Memorial Valley Massacre, Zombie 5: Killing Birds, and several Amityville sequels. Arrow Video is also showing some love to both Cold Light of Day and The Last Starfighter, and if you’re a big fan of The Monster Squad, you’ll definitely want to check out the Wolfman’s Got Nards documentary.
Other releases for October 27th include Scary Tales, Spine Chiller, Weedjies: Halloweed Night, Attack of the Unknown,...
- 10/26/2020
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
This article contains spoilers for The Boys season 2.
Most male monsters in fiction are made by women. Or, at least, it’s women who tend to get the disproportionate share of the blame when their creations turn out to be significantly less than civilized. The most famous examples of murderer-moulding mothers are probably Norma Bates, Cersei Lannister, Olivia Soprano and, of course, Mrs. McAllister (momma raised a real little trap-setting psycho there). In real life, too, serial killers like Ed Kemper, Ed Gein, Ted Bundy and Dennis Nilsen were all brutalized or disappointed by their mothers to such an extent that to some people the link between their formative maternal experiences and their misdeeds seems as tight and as strong as a steel cable.
This isn’t the case with Amazon’s The Boys, where it’s bad or inadequate fathers who provide male characters with the bulk of their nefarious neuroses and murderous motivations.
Most male monsters in fiction are made by women. Or, at least, it’s women who tend to get the disproportionate share of the blame when their creations turn out to be significantly less than civilized. The most famous examples of murderer-moulding mothers are probably Norma Bates, Cersei Lannister, Olivia Soprano and, of course, Mrs. McAllister (momma raised a real little trap-setting psycho there). In real life, too, serial killers like Ed Kemper, Ed Gein, Ted Bundy and Dennis Nilsen were all brutalized or disappointed by their mothers to such an extent that to some people the link between their formative maternal experiences and their misdeeds seems as tight and as strong as a steel cable.
This isn’t the case with Amazon’s The Boys, where it’s bad or inadequate fathers who provide male characters with the bulk of their nefarious neuroses and murderous motivations.
- 10/14/2020
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
While America has the likes of Ed Gein and Jeffrey Dahmer, it is fair to say that Dennis Nilsen is the United Kingdom’s equivalent. In a new mini-series, Des that just finished airing on ITV and is out now on DVD, David Tennant gives a chillingly brilliant performance playing the mild mannered man who took so many lives.
After the grisly discovery of what appear to be human remains in a house’s drainage system, the police soon arrest Dennis Nilsen. The seemingly normal middle aged man is soon charged with the murder of twelve men. Through the investigation though, Nilsen’s evil games continue as he tries to one up the police in his desire to basque in the glory of his monstrosities.
For anybody who knows about the case of Dennis Nilsen, it would probably come as a surprise that a mini-series could be put together that...
After the grisly discovery of what appear to be human remains in a house’s drainage system, the police soon arrest Dennis Nilsen. The seemingly normal middle aged man is soon charged with the murder of twelve men. Through the investigation though, Nilsen’s evil games continue as he tries to one up the police in his desire to basque in the glory of his monstrosities.
For anybody who knows about the case of Dennis Nilsen, it would probably come as a surprise that a mini-series could be put together that...
- 10/12/2020
- by Paul Metcalf
- Nerdly
David Tennant’s transformation into serial killer Dennis Nilsen for ITV’s Des was unsettlingly convincing. It wasn’t just the physical resemblance, though under that hairstyle and behind those 1980s glasses frames, the similarity was remarkable. It was also the posture, the unwavering eye contact, and the voice; mumbling and unconcerned, listing the terrible details of Nilsen’s crimes as if reciting a recipe instead of multiple brutal murders.
As Nilsen, Tennant pulled off what every actor hopes to in a real-life role – a disappearing trick. He slid clean inside the role, leaving no trace of The Doctor, or Simon from There She Goes, or the demon Crowley, or Alec Hardy, or his funny, self-deprecating public persona. For those three hours on screen, he was nothing but Nilsen.
The role is one in a long line of on-screen psychopaths for Tennant. He might be best loved around these parts as excitable,...
As Nilsen, Tennant pulled off what every actor hopes to in a real-life role – a disappearing trick. He slid clean inside the role, leaving no trace of The Doctor, or Simon from There She Goes, or the demon Crowley, or Alec Hardy, or his funny, self-deprecating public persona. For those three hours on screen, he was nothing but Nilsen.
The role is one in a long line of on-screen psychopaths for Tennant. He might be best loved around these parts as excitable,...
- 9/17/2020
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
This Des review contains spoilers.
Serial killer dramas have a grimy reputation. The phrase conjures up lurid magazine headlines promising Sick! Twisted! Depravity! and Never-Seen-Before Crime Scene Photos! Think ‘true crime serial killer’, you think of Jack the Ripper tours and David from Psychoville poring over victim stats and working himself to a froth over all the gory details.
To shake off those associations and emerge as nuanced, intelligent and non-exploitative, a drama has to work hard. It has to foreground the human cost and trace a story that doesn’t revel in gore. It requires scripts that build in context and narrative balance. It needs empathy with the victims, and a central performance that captures the horrid anomaly of the killer without lending rock star glamour. Most of all, it needs a purpose other than as a ratings draw.
Des does and has all of the above. Luke Neal,...
Serial killer dramas have a grimy reputation. The phrase conjures up lurid magazine headlines promising Sick! Twisted! Depravity! and Never-Seen-Before Crime Scene Photos! Think ‘true crime serial killer’, you think of Jack the Ripper tours and David from Psychoville poring over victim stats and working himself to a froth over all the gory details.
To shake off those associations and emerge as nuanced, intelligent and non-exploitative, a drama has to work hard. It has to foreground the human cost and trace a story that doesn’t revel in gore. It requires scripts that build in context and narrative balance. It needs empathy with the victims, and a central performance that captures the horrid anomaly of the killer without lending rock star glamour. Most of all, it needs a purpose other than as a ratings draw.
Des does and has all of the above. Luke Neal,...
- 9/16/2020
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
This Des episode 2 review contains spoilers.
The ego has a remarkable drive to protect itself from damage. Whoever we are and whatever we’ve done, our minds can twist things so we don’t have to see ourselves as villains deserving of blame. There are always extenuating circumstances. Somebody or something else is always responsible. Reality can be warped into whatever shape is required to let us view ourselves as, essentially, good.
In a narcissist like Dennis Nilsen, that system works overtime. In Des episode two, it was in full operation, bending reality to make him – and not men and boys he killed for his gratification – the victim. Across the hour, we saw Nilsen complain of unfair treatment. He carped about prison food, about being denied favours he felt entitled to for cooperating, and about being spoken to like a criminal. He saw no paradox in the fondness he claims...
The ego has a remarkable drive to protect itself from damage. Whoever we are and whatever we’ve done, our minds can twist things so we don’t have to see ourselves as villains deserving of blame. There are always extenuating circumstances. Somebody or something else is always responsible. Reality can be warped into whatever shape is required to let us view ourselves as, essentially, good.
In a narcissist like Dennis Nilsen, that system works overtime. In Des episode two, it was in full operation, bending reality to make him – and not men and boys he killed for his gratification – the victim. Across the hour, we saw Nilsen complain of unfair treatment. He carped about prison food, about being denied favours he felt entitled to for cooperating, and about being spoken to like a criminal. He saw no paradox in the fondness he claims...
- 9/15/2020
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
This Des episode one review contains spoilers.
ITV must be feeling confident about the nation’s emotional resilience. While other channels are scheduling there-there comfort shows to hug us through These Unprecedented Times, ITV brings us the true crime tale of serial killer Dennis Nilsen.
From Monday to Wednesday, ITV’s bedtime story will be about decomposing corpses, boiled human heads and a psyche so unsettling it’ll undermine any faith you had in the kindness of strangers. This is anti-comfort TV, a visit to the psycho zoo where the price of admission gets you a long, hard look into the eyes of a personality gone terribly, terribly wrong. Then on Thursday, it’s topped off with a one-hour documentary featuring real interview footage of Nilsen, so viewers can contrast and compare the drama with the real thing.
Do that, and you’ll see how miraculous is the casting of David Tennant as the lead.
ITV must be feeling confident about the nation’s emotional resilience. While other channels are scheduling there-there comfort shows to hug us through These Unprecedented Times, ITV brings us the true crime tale of serial killer Dennis Nilsen.
From Monday to Wednesday, ITV’s bedtime story will be about decomposing corpses, boiled human heads and a psyche so unsettling it’ll undermine any faith you had in the kindness of strangers. This is anti-comfort TV, a visit to the psycho zoo where the price of admission gets you a long, hard look into the eyes of a personality gone terribly, terribly wrong. Then on Thursday, it’s topped off with a one-hour documentary featuring real interview footage of Nilsen, so viewers can contrast and compare the drama with the real thing.
Do that, and you’ll see how miraculous is the casting of David Tennant as the lead.
- 9/14/2020
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Dennis Nilsen was one of the most notorious British serial killers of the 20th century. Active in London in the late 1970s and early 80s, he preyed on the gay community, killing at least 12 men and boys. Nilsen was eventually discovered when his tactic of dissecting his victims and flushing them down the toilet caused the drains in his house to become blocked with bones and human flesh. Funnily enough, I used to live a couple of doors down from that very house and it’s still got a creepy vibe.
His story is set to launch itself back into the public eye later this year with the premiere of three-part TV drama Des. Doctor Who and Good Omens star David Tennant is in the lead role and the show will follow in the footsteps of ITV’s acclaimed series of true crime dramas. Set to premiere in September, the...
His story is set to launch itself back into the public eye later this year with the premiere of three-part TV drama Des. Doctor Who and Good Omens star David Tennant is in the lead role and the show will follow in the footsteps of ITV’s acclaimed series of true crime dramas. Set to premiere in September, the...
- 8/26/2020
- by David James
- We Got This Covered
AMC Networks’ streaming service Sundance Now has taken the rights for true crime drama “Des,” starring David Tennant, in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean.
New Pictures’ chilling three-parter, based on the true story of serial killer Dennis Nilsen (Tennant), will debut on commissioning broadcaster ITV in the U.K. later this year.
Distributor All3Media Intl. has also secured deals for “Des” with DirecTV for Latin America, while Stan has taken Australia, and Tvnz has acquired rights for New Zealand.
Initial European deals are led by a pan-territory acquisition from C More Entertainment encompassing Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Further pick-ups in Europe include Vrt (Flemish Belgium), Siminn Hf (Iceland), TV2 (Norway), Virgin Media Television (Ireland) and BritBox (U.K.). Dazzler Media has signed U.K. DVD/Dto rights.
Known as the “kindly killer,” Nilsen was a local government worker who spent five years murdering boys and young...
New Pictures’ chilling three-parter, based on the true story of serial killer Dennis Nilsen (Tennant), will debut on commissioning broadcaster ITV in the U.K. later this year.
Distributor All3Media Intl. has also secured deals for “Des” with DirecTV for Latin America, while Stan has taken Australia, and Tvnz has acquired rights for New Zealand.
Initial European deals are led by a pan-territory acquisition from C More Entertainment encompassing Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Further pick-ups in Europe include Vrt (Flemish Belgium), Siminn Hf (Iceland), TV2 (Norway), Virgin Media Television (Ireland) and BritBox (U.K.). Dazzler Media has signed U.K. DVD/Dto rights.
Known as the “kindly killer,” Nilsen was a local government worker who spent five years murdering boys and young...
- 7/16/2020
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Des, ITV’s drama starring David Tennant as British serial killer Dennis Nilsen, has been acquired by a raft of international broadcasters and streamers, including AMC Networks’ Sundance Now in the U.S., Canada and Caribbean.
Made by All3Media-backed Catherine The Great producer New Pictures, the miniseries has also been sold by All3Media International to Directv in Latin America, Stan in Australia and Tvnz in New Zealand.
In Europe, Des has been acquired by C More Entertainment in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, while other deals include Vrt (Flemish Belgium), Siminn hf (Iceland), TV2 (Norway) and Virgin Media Television (Ireland). BritBox has picked up second-window rights in the UK.
Des was developed by Luke Neal and Lewis Arnold, with Neal writing the first two episodes and Kelly Jones penning the third. It charts Nilsen’s unraveling from the point of his arrest to his trial, and is based on...
Made by All3Media-backed Catherine The Great producer New Pictures, the miniseries has also been sold by All3Media International to Directv in Latin America, Stan in Australia and Tvnz in New Zealand.
In Europe, Des has been acquired by C More Entertainment in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, while other deals include Vrt (Flemish Belgium), Siminn hf (Iceland), TV2 (Norway) and Virgin Media Television (Ireland). BritBox has picked up second-window rights in the UK.
Des was developed by Luke Neal and Lewis Arnold, with Neal writing the first two episodes and Kelly Jones penning the third. It charts Nilsen’s unraveling from the point of his arrest to his trial, and is based on...
- 7/16/2020
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Happy birthday, Mr. David Tennant! April 18th marks the day the Doctor Who star turns 49 years young, so let’s take a moment to celebrate one of the most popular Time Lords there’s ever been.
Way back in 2005, the 34-year-old Tennant made his debut as the Tenth Doctor, assuming the iconic role after predecessor Christopher Eccleston bowed out after just 13 episodes. The Scotsman went on to lead the show through one of its most beloved periods in its 50 plus-year history before he handed over the sonic screwdriver 10 years ago in “The End of Time: Part 2.”
But he’s never really stopped playing the Doctor since. In 2013, Tennant returned opposite Smith and guest Doctor John Hurt for the big 50th anniversary special, and in recent years he’s reprised the character on audio numerous times for Big Finish Productions. As a lifelong Doctor Who fan, Tennant’s part of the Whovian family for life.
Way back in 2005, the 34-year-old Tennant made his debut as the Tenth Doctor, assuming the iconic role after predecessor Christopher Eccleston bowed out after just 13 episodes. The Scotsman went on to lead the show through one of its most beloved periods in its 50 plus-year history before he handed over the sonic screwdriver 10 years ago in “The End of Time: Part 2.”
But he’s never really stopped playing the Doctor since. In 2013, Tennant returned opposite Smith and guest Doctor John Hurt for the big 50th anniversary special, and in recent years he’s reprised the character on audio numerous times for Big Finish Productions. As a lifelong Doctor Who fan, Tennant’s part of the Whovian family for life.
- 4/18/2020
- by Christian Bone
- We Got This Covered
The first look at David Tennant in Des has been revealed today, with the crime drama bringing us the true story of Scottish serial killer and necrophiliac Dennis Nilsen, who murdered at least twelve teenage boys and young men over a five year period in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.
The image of Tennant as the murder is a duplication of Nilsen’s appearance when he was arrested in 1983, the drab and unassuming look a part of how he escaped notice, coupled with his claims that the murders he committed, each in his own home, were spontaneous and without premeditation.
Most of his victims died by either strangulation or being drowned in a bathtub after passing out from the asphyxiation, and his actions were only uncovered after a plumber was called to examine the pipes in his apartment building and found them clogged by flesh, hair and teeth from...
The image of Tennant as the murder is a duplication of Nilsen’s appearance when he was arrested in 1983, the drab and unassuming look a part of how he escaped notice, coupled with his claims that the murders he committed, each in his own home, were spontaneous and without premeditation.
Most of his victims died by either strangulation or being drowned in a bathtub after passing out from the asphyxiation, and his actions were only uncovered after a plumber was called to examine the pipes in his apartment building and found them clogged by flesh, hair and teeth from...
- 11/27/2019
- by Andrew Marshall
- We Got This Covered
ITV has offered a first look at David Tennant as Scottish serial killer Dennis Nilsen in its newly-announced miniseries Des.
The drama from Catherine The Great producer New Pictures was unveiled on Friday and ITV quickly followed up by releasing an image of Tennant as the man who murdered at least 15 men and boys between 1978 and 1983.
Des was developed by Luke Neal and Lewis Arnold, with Neal writing the first two episodes and Kelly Jones penning the third. It charts Nilsen’s unraveling from the point of his arrest to his trial, and is based on the Brian Masters book Killing For Company, which attempted to get inside the mind of the killer.
Masters is a central character in ITV’s drama and is played by The Crown star Jason Watkins. Line Of Duty actor Daniel Mays features as Detective Chief Inspector Peter Jay.
Willow Grylls, Kim Varvell, Charlie Pattinson,...
The drama from Catherine The Great producer New Pictures was unveiled on Friday and ITV quickly followed up by releasing an image of Tennant as the man who murdered at least 15 men and boys between 1978 and 1983.
Des was developed by Luke Neal and Lewis Arnold, with Neal writing the first two episodes and Kelly Jones penning the third. It charts Nilsen’s unraveling from the point of his arrest to his trial, and is based on the Brian Masters book Killing For Company, which attempted to get inside the mind of the killer.
Masters is a central character in ITV’s drama and is played by The Crown star Jason Watkins. Line Of Duty actor Daniel Mays features as Detective Chief Inspector Peter Jay.
Willow Grylls, Kim Varvell, Charlie Pattinson,...
- 11/23/2019
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
David Tennant's got a new TV gig. The former star of Doctor Who and Broadchurch and current star of Good Omens will play serial killer Dennis Nilsen in a new drama coming to ITV (and which will be sold internationally) called Des. Per Variety, the three-part series will be based on Brian Masters' book Killing For Company, which he wrote with full cooperation by Nilsen. The show will "explore the personal and professional consequences of coming into contact with a man like Nilsen." Nilsen was notorious for mostly killing young men in North London in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and he died in 2018. If you're in the mood to be horrified, Nilsen's...
- 11/22/2019
- E! Online
David Tennant will play Dennis Nilsen in “Des,” an ITV drama about the Scottish serial killer who murdered numerous young men in London in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
The “Doctor Who,” “Broadchurch,” and “Good Omens” actor will star as Nilsen, known as Des, alongside Daniel Mays (“Line of Duty”), who plays the cop investigating the case. Jason Watkins (“The Crown”) is cast as Brian Masters, who penned the serial killer’s biography, with his full cooperation.
Based on Masters’ book “Killing for Company,” the three-part series will explore the personal and professional consequences of coming into contact with a man like Nilsen, who died in 2018.
Luke Neal wrote the series about the killer, who murdered boys and young men in his flat. Nilsen went undetected until cops investigate fragments of human flesh and bone clogging the drains.
“David Tennant is going to be brilliant as Dennis Nilsen, and...
The “Doctor Who,” “Broadchurch,” and “Good Omens” actor will star as Nilsen, known as Des, alongside Daniel Mays (“Line of Duty”), who plays the cop investigating the case. Jason Watkins (“The Crown”) is cast as Brian Masters, who penned the serial killer’s biography, with his full cooperation.
Based on Masters’ book “Killing for Company,” the three-part series will explore the personal and professional consequences of coming into contact with a man like Nilsen, who died in 2018.
Luke Neal wrote the series about the killer, who murdered boys and young men in his flat. Nilsen went undetected until cops investigate fragments of human flesh and bone clogging the drains.
“David Tennant is going to be brilliant as Dennis Nilsen, and...
- 11/22/2019
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
Good Omens star David Tennant is to play infamous Scottish serial killer Dennis Nilsen in an ITV drama from the makers of Sky and HBO’s Catherine The Great.
New Pictures’ three-part miniseries, Des, is based on the Brian Masters book Killing For Company, in which the author cooperated with Nilsen to get inside the mind of a man who murdered at least 15 men and boys between 1978 and 1983. Nilsen died in jail last year.
Joining Tennant is The Crown star Jason Watkins, who will play Masters, and Line Of Duty actor Daniel Mays, who features as Detective Chief Inspector Peter Jay. The story charts Nilsen’s arrest and trial, through the prism of the three men.
Des was developed by Luke Neal and Lewis Arnold, with Neal writing the first two episodes and Kelly Jones penning the third. Willow Grylls, Kim Varvell, Charlie Pattinson, Elaine Pyke, Neal, Lewis Arnold and Tennant are the executive producers.
New Pictures’ three-part miniseries, Des, is based on the Brian Masters book Killing For Company, in which the author cooperated with Nilsen to get inside the mind of a man who murdered at least 15 men and boys between 1978 and 1983. Nilsen died in jail last year.
Joining Tennant is The Crown star Jason Watkins, who will play Masters, and Line Of Duty actor Daniel Mays, who features as Detective Chief Inspector Peter Jay. The story charts Nilsen’s arrest and trial, through the prism of the three men.
Des was developed by Luke Neal and Lewis Arnold, with Neal writing the first two episodes and Kelly Jones penning the third. Willow Grylls, Kim Varvell, Charlie Pattinson, Elaine Pyke, Neal, Lewis Arnold and Tennant are the executive producers.
- 11/22/2019
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
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