andynwlad

Wonderful to see the BBC give John Simpson his own weekly show on their news channel and BBC 2. The BBC is one of the most trusted broadcasters and news organisations in the world and we in the UK are extremely lucky to have it.

With its access to unbiased correspondents around the globe I hope this programme will become seen as a TV version of the excellent long running From Our Own Correspondent programme on BBC radio.

When I first started watching this I thought it seemed like sadly an all too familiar review of a tragic period of history. But thanks to the tenacity and sensitivity of the writer/producer it revealed more than just the mind of the infamous serial killer. Interesting to see interviews with police and journalists who reported on/worked on the case reflecting on widely held views and societies attitude of the time and compare them to today. A reminder perhaps of how far both have changed but also a reminder of why gay "pride" still has an important place in reminding some of the people how prejudice can hurt. So sad to see how little was heard of the victims and how they were so much more than "down and outs".

Has a very "real life" feel to it and the style in which the story is told is like a fly on the wall style documentary. The fact that it is in black and white makes it appear older than it is. The only downside to it is that it is overlong and could easily have been condensed to 90 minutes or less. Plenty of stalwarts of British TV are featured, some before they became more famous.