The Sixth Commandment

An excellent drama by the BBC. The acting was of a high standard and the script was respectful in favour of the victims. It was compelling viewing but difficult to watch at times and heartbreaking the way the victims were used and manipulated.

Although the drama does expose and show the chilling coldness and evil of the killer, it doesn't in any way glamorous him. Instead I felt it honoured the victims and gave them a voice, as well as providing an insight into how the families must have suffered. It also showed the diligence of one of the victim's families along with the police investigation to get justice.

I wasn't quite sure whether to watch this or not, as I had seen the disturbing documentary on the case that had been on television recently, so I thought I was too familiar with the story for it to have any real impact.

I was wrong. This is a great production, with top-notch acting and and a marvellous script that draws you into the story and brings to life all the information that was contained in the documentary and enhancing it. I was thoroughly engrossed throughout the four episodes and the case gets more chilling the more you learn about it.

So, even if you may already feel your over-familiar with this horrific tale, I recommend that you give this series a go and it will not disappoint you.

A really good production based on the true story of an evil man and his accomplice. I wasn't aware of this case before seeing this but it's a pretty accurate encapsulation of the events.

Outstanding cast and well written script and, as it's filmed in and around Bath and Bristol, very familiar location filming for me. Tim Spall is as brilliant and understated as ever and the two perpetrators, whilst totally opposite in character, are superbly played.

The casting is absolutely perfect and there's little to criticise about the entire show other than that I'd like it to have been a little more detailed in terms of the evidence gathered by the police and the building of the prosecution case.

Sadly this is based on a rather horrible case that viewers in the UK will almost certainly remember. Its written by Sarah Phelps, well known for her series of Agatha Christie adaptations on the BBC in recent years. It was made with the full permission of the victim's families.

Its a quietly effective and moving drama which is a sometimes difficult and uncomfortable watch. Very well-written and made.

The use of hand-held camera gave it a documentary feel at times. For me it was very much an actor led piece and this is its greatest strength. The three principals, Tim Spall, Anne Reid and Eanna Hardwicke all deliver big time with understated and nuanced performances.

One of the strongest UK dramas of 2023.

To be transparent I live in Maids Moreton and both victims were near neighbours of mine. Many people here viewed this upcoming drama with a certain degree of trepidation as to how this extraordinary and shocking story would be told.

I think the producers have managed to create something that showed a lot of regard for the victims and it is not sensationalised, for that they should be congratulated.

If I were to make any criticism it is that both Peter and Ann's lives were shown only through the prism of their surviving relatives and it didn't show that, whilst to a certain degree they were private, they did engage with the local community, especially Peter. It was also not clear on the timelines involved sometimes as to the sequence of events and how long a period had elapsed between Peter's decline and death and Ann being taken to hospital. However, I am guessing there were lots of things not included due to time constraints and some were frankly too upsetting to cover.

I feel it would also have been better to have included a bit more backstory on Ben Field and his sidekick Martin...