A+E Networks® UK Commissions the Return of Dermot Murnaghan True Crime Series From Firstlooktv for Crime+Investigation®

A+E Networks® UK has commissioned the return of the five-part true-crime series Killer Britain with Dermot Murnaghan for Crime + Investigation®. The series is produced by award-winning true crime specialists FirstLookTV and is scheduled to air in the UK on Crime + Investigation® this May off the back of a successful debut series in October 2020. 

Hosted and curated by one of the UK’s best-known journalists, Killer Britain with Dermot Murnaghan explores British murder stories filled with detective intrigue and chilling storylines.   For this series, Dermot will be joined by former Detective Chief Inspector of the Metropolitan Police, Clive Driscoll, best known for securing the convictions for the murder of South London teenager Stephen Lawrence.

In each episode, Dermot Murnaghan recounts a case he has reported on or followed at close quarters. The five murder stories are told with archive footage and key interviews from those closest to the case, including family members of the victims and the investigating officers who were first at the scene.

In this series, Dermot will guide viewers through crimes which shook local communities throughout Britain to their core: the gangland slaying of Salford’s ‘Mr Big’, Paul Massey in July 2015; the devastating Cumbria shootings of June 2010; the callous murder of vulnerable young adult Phillip Nicholson, in Boscombe, Dorset, in 2015, recorded on a mobile phone; the dramatic twists and turns of the murders of Carol Jarvis, in West Lothian in 2009 and Jessica Patel in Middlesbrough in May 2018.

The five-part series will air across one week on Crime + Investigation® with each weeknight highlighting one of these cases which gripped the nation in fear until the killer was brought to justice.

Killer Britain with Dermot Murnaghan has been ordered by Dan Korn, VP of Programming at A+E Networks UK, and Diana Carter, Commissioning Editor and Head of Talent at A+E Networks UK. 

Diana Carter said: “The first series was a huge hit with our audience, so working with true leaders in their field, FirstLookTV, on a return for Killer Britain for Crime + Investigation is incredibly exciting. The intriguing series format provides the ideal platform for the authority Dermot Murnaghan is known to bring to his storytelling, which was such a hit last year.”

Executive Producers for FirstLookTV are Will Hanrahan and Gill Carter.

Will Hanrahan said: “When it comes to telling these important stories, there is no one better than Dermot. The first series of Killer Britain was a fascinating project navigated throughout the Covid challenges, and after the success of the first run we can’t wait till series two lands on Crime + Investigation later this year.”

About Crime + Investigation:

Crime + Investigation® opens the door to the complex, compelling world of real crime, taking viewers on a journey in pursuit of truth, justice and a better understanding of criminal behaviour. Each journey is personal and emotional, telling the story through investigators, experts and those most affected. The channel is home to top-rating series such as Crimes That Shook Britain, Britain’s Darkest Taboos, Homicide Hunter and Cold Case Files. CI is available in more than 50million households in 18 languages.

About A+E Networks UK:

A+E Networks® UK, a joint venture between Hearst and Sky, is a leading media network reaching 58 million homes across 100 countries. With our global portfolio of popular, high-performing and creative brands – SKY HISTORY, Crime + Investigation®, Lifetime®, SKY HISTORY2 and UK free to air BLAZE® - we have entertained and inspired audiences for over 20 years; telling the stories that need to be told. Our award-winning factual and entertainment content includes global hit franchises like Forged in Fire and Born this Way, must see dramas Knightfall and Vikings as well as original local commissions including: Al Murray’s Why Does Everyone Hate the English and Murdertown with Katherine Kelly (UK), Married at First Sight (Africa) and The Hunt for Baltic Gold (Poland). We complement our programming with innovative, talent-led exclusive digital content and top-rated podcasts. We currently partner with over 360 operators broadcasting throughout the Nordics, Benelux, Central Europe, the Middle East and Africa. We have offices in London, Warsaw, and Johannesburg.

FirstLookTV:

FirstLookTV has now told over 200 stories throughout its 25-year history in True Crime documentary production both in the UK and the USA. It has become the go-to producer for channels which need journalistically sound and compelling content for their knowledgeable and informed viewership. It has received critical acclaim from the Royal Television Society, and the public’s approval by delivering consistently higher than slot-average ratings. Its production template and funding model has become a unique combination of channel collaboration and sophisticated target distribution.