Show of the Week: The Pembrokeshire Murders

Delving into two real-life unsolved double-murders from the 1980s, The Pembrokeshire Murders follows the cold-case hunt for the most notorious serial killer in Welsh history.

Set in 2006, nearly two decades after the murders took place, the drama follows newly promoted detective Steve Wilkins as he decides to reopen the cases, employing modern forensic techniques to unearth new lines of investigation.

These new clues point to a criminal already nearing the end of his sentence for another crime, leaving Wilkins and his team in a race against time to uncover enough evidence to charge their suspect before he becomes free to kill again.

Luke Evans (The Alienist) heads the cast as Wilkins, who co-wrote Catching The Bullseye Killer, the true crime book upon which the series is based. Evans said it was “a privilege” to portray the real-life police officer and added: “It’s a huge responsibility for me as the drama depicts a true crime, which to this day still affects the families of those whose lives were tragically taken.”

The three-part series is being produced by World Productions for the UK’s ITV, with support from the Welsh Government, and distributed by ITV Studios. It was written by In Plain Sight scribe Nick Stevens and is being directed by Marc Evans (Manhunt), produced by Ed Talfan (Hinterland) and executive produced by World Productions CEO Simon Heath (Line Of Duty, Bodyguard).

ITV’s head of drama, Polly Hill, who commissioned the series described it as a “fascinating and insightful account into how and why the Dyfed Powys Police team reopened this cold case and brought a serial killer to justice after he’d evaded capture for nearly two decades.”

Broadcaster: ITV

Producer: World Productions

Distributor: ITV Studios

Concept/Synopsis: Three-part crime drama based on real events and adapted from the true crime novel Catching the Bullseye Killer by Steve Wilkins and Jonathan Hill, about the cold-case hunt for a Welsh serial killer.