Show of the week: World’s Most Evil Killers

World’s Most Evil Killers is a 20x46mins series that delves into the sordid minds of some of the most notorious murderers on the planet.

Retelling chilling tales using a combination of interviews, narration, archive and stylised reconstruction, the show explores murderers including Fred and Rose West, ‘The Milwaukee Cannibal’ Jeffrey Dahmer and Ed Gein – the so-called Clown Killer.

Each episode focuses on one killer and features first-hand accounts from lead detectives, journalists, relatives, and – in some cases – survivors.

Keren Shahar, COO of Keshet International and president of distribution, says: “International demand for true crime is still very strong and World’s Most Evil Killers is riding the long wave of this trend.

“By telling the real life stories of some of the world’s most prolific killers, it has the ability to resonate and appeal to a broad geographic and demographic audience.”

The series was one of two shows – the other being Britain’s Most Evil Killers – that factual-focused UK indie Woodcut Media sold to Sky free-to-air channel Pick TV last year.

At the time, Pick director Stephen Ladlow pointed to the shows as suiting the network’s ‘Real Life Emergency’ programming strand, adding they would headline Thursday nights.

So far, KI has sold the series to RTL for German-speaking Europe as part of a multi-year deal. “We have strong interest from other broadcasters with whom we are in negotiations,” says Shahar.

“This is content with appeal for both linear and non-linear platforms as audiences demand their next fix.”

Shahar sees 20 episodes as an advantage, claiming it gives broadcasters the quantity many need for their on-demand services.

“World’s Most Evil Killers provides the volume that enables buyers to acquire a definitive collection to be binge-watched, which has become somewhat imperative for all platforms, as they scale up the number of episodes they make available for loyal viewers,” she adds.

The show: World’s Most Evil Killers
The producer: Woodcut Media
The distributor: Keshet International
The broadcaster: Pick TV (UK)
The concept: Gripping true crime documentary series about terrifying and prolific killers