The Pembrokeshire Murders

The Pembrokeshire Murders is a British three-part television drama based on the Pembrokeshire murders by Welsh serial killer John Cooper. It premiered on ITV on 11 January 2021.

WWW world-productions.com/pro...

Synopsis

In 2006, newly promoted Detective Superintendent Steve Wilkins decided to reopen two unsolved 1980s murder cases linked with a string of burglaries. New advances in technology for forensic DNA analysis, witness reports and artists impressions of the suspect led to Dyfed-Powys Police reviewing a 1989 episode of Bullseye, which led to the serial killer finally being caught.

Cast

Luke Evans as Detective Superintendent Steve Wilkins
Keith Allen as serial killer John Cooper
Caroline Berry as Pat Cooper, John Cooper's wife
David Fynn as Jonathan Hill
Oliver Ryan as Andrew Cooper
Alexandria Riley as Detective Inspector Ella Richards
Charles Dale as Detective Sergeant Gareth Rees
Steven Meo as Detective Inspector Lynne Harries
Richard Corgan as Detective Sergeant Glyn Johnson
Kyle Lima as Detective Constable Nigel Rowe
Steffan Cennydd as Jack Wilkins
Anastasia Hille as Dr Angela Gallop
Roger Evans as Detective Chief Inspector Jim Morris
William Thomas as Detective Chief Inspector George Jones
Suzanne Packer as Chief Constable Tyler
Sarah Jane as Police officer
Owen Teale as Gerard Elias QC
Ian Saynor as Mr Justice Griffith Williams
Rhodri Evan as Detective Chief Superintendent Coles
Simon Nehan as Craig

Production

Development and casting

In January 2020, production began on The Pembrokeshire Murders. The series stars Luke Evans of The Great Train Robbery as Detective Superintendent Steve Wilkins, and Keith Allen as John Cooper, serial killer. The drama is the thirteenth in a series of ITV series featuring notorious British murder cases of the past two centuries, following on from This Is Personal: The Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper, Shipman, A Is for Acid, The Brides in the Bath, See No Evil: The Moors Murders, Appropriate Adult, Dark Angel, In Plain Sight, Little Boy Blue, Manhunt, White House Farm, and Des.

Filming

Filming wrapped just before Wales's first lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most exterior scenes were shot on location in Pembrokeshire.

Release

It was first shown on Belgium's Dutch-speaking broadcaster Eén from 29 January to 12 February 2021. In the US and Canada, the series premiered on BritBox.

Critical reception

Rebecca Nicholson, reviewing in The Guardian, described the drama as "no glory for violent, rotten crimes" and gave it four stars, while Carol Midgley for The Times described the show as "a case of too much cop and not enough killer" and gave it three stars. Ed Cummings from The Independent criticised the programme for following dramatic clichés and poor script-writing, awarding two stars.