ITV orders true crime drama ‘The Pembrokeshire Murders’ from makers of ‘Bodyguard’

ITV has another true crime drama on the way.

Following the huge success of Des and White House Farm, The Pembrokeshire Murders will depict the pursuit of a cold-blooded serial killer.

The three-part mini-series by the team behind Line of Duty and Bodyguard is based on the true crime book Catching the Bullseye Killer, written by Senior Investigating Officer Steve Wilkins and ITV news journalist Jonathan Hill.

Welsh actor Luke Evans (Beauty and the Beast, The Alienist) will play Wilkins in the show.

Evans commented: “It is a privilege to be playing the role of Steve Wilkins in The Pembrokeshire Murders … 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 cast also includes Keith Allen as John Cooper, Owen Teale as Gerard Elias, Alexandria Riley as Ella Richards, Caroline Berry as Pat Cooper, Oliver Ryan as Andrew Cooper, and David Fynn as ITV News journalist Jonathan Hill.

The official synopsis reads: “Two unsolved double murders from the 1980s cast a shadow over the work of the Dyfed Powys police force. In 2006, newly promoted Detective Superintendent Steve Wilkins decided to reopen both cases.

“Employing pioneering forensic methods, Wilkins and his handpicked team found microscopic DNA and fibres that potentially linked the murders to a string of burglaries committed in the 80s and 90s. The perpetrator of those robberies was nearing the end of his prison sentence, but if Steve Wilkins was right, he was also a serial killer…

“Could Steve and his team find enough forensic evidence to charge their suspect before he was released to potentially kill again?”

ITV’s Head of Drama, Polly Hill said: “Nick Stevens script is 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.

“I have wanted to work with Luke Evans again since we made The Great Train Robbery ... I’m delighted that The Pembrokeshire Murders is that project, as Luke will be incredible as Steve Wilkins and this is going to be an unmissable drama for our ITV audience.”

The Pembrokeshire Murders will air on ITV in the UK in early 2021.

Steve Wilkins’ book Catching the Bullseye Killer is available on Amazon.