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Post by Dame Bouncy Castle on Sept 4, 2020 16:11:43 GMT
Des will premiere on ITV on Monday September 14th at 9pm.
Des tells the story of Dennis Nilsen, who murdered boys and young men in his flat from 1978 to 1983. He was undetected for five years, and it was only when DCI Peter Jay was called to 23 Cranley Gardens on 9 February, 1983, to investigate human fragments of flesh and bone clogging the drains, that the police realised they had a serial killer on their hands.
It is told through the prism of three men – Dennis Nilsen, Detective Chief Inspector Peter Jay and biographer Brian Masters.
It will explore how a man like Nilsen was able to prey on the young and vulnerable in 1980s Britain and will not only highlight the police investigation and trial but also the effect of the media coverage on public perceptions of the victims at the time, raising questions of just how far have we really come since then?
The three-part drama, which is based on material from the book Killing For Company by Brian Masters. stars David Tennant, Daniel Mays, Jason Watkins, Ron Cook, Faye McKeever, Chanel Cresswell, Barry Ward, Tony Way, Bronagh Waugh, Laurie Kynaston, Ross Anderson, Ben Bailey Smith, Jay Simpson, Silas Carson, Stuart McQuarrie, Jamie Parker, Lex Shrapnel, Gerard Horan, Joel Morris, Jonathan Coy, Amy Booth-Steel, Ken Bones, Andrew Woodall and Amaka Okafor.
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Post by sootycat on Sept 7, 2020 11:07:06 GMT
This may sound a strange thing to say but I am really looking forward to this....and I can't believe how much David Tennant looks like the Nilson!
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Post by vicky on Sept 15, 2020 7:33:07 GMT
Yet another brilliant performance from David Tennant. I do remember this case but the sheer horror of what Nilsen did had faded over such a long time: this series has brought it back and David Tennant's portrayal makes it even starker.
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Post by cakewalk on Sept 15, 2020 7:47:44 GMT
Watched this last night. Extraordinary scenarios with Nilsen being so brutally matter-of-fact about what he'd done. An amazing performance from David Tennant. I am eager to see the remaining two episodes.
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Post by cakewalk on Sept 15, 2020 7:49:50 GMT
I mustn't ignore Daniels Mays' performance either - his incredulity is palpable.
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Post by beverley61 on Sept 15, 2020 11:44:08 GMT
This was much better than I thought it was going to be.
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Post by geometryman on Sept 15, 2020 13:11:08 GMT
I seem to be alone in not taking to this very much so far. David Tennant's performance may be accomplished, but for me they've managed to make what should be a horrendous and gripping tale quite boring. I had trouble staying awake a couple of times. Maybe I was just tired. I suppose I'll carry on watching.
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Post by vicky on Sept 15, 2020 14:06:10 GMT
But I think that was the point about Nilsen: he WAS boring .... on the face of it. I am surprised that he was held in a maximum security prison and not in a secure hospital like Broadmoor or Rampton as he was surely insane.
It was said last night that the police weren't allowed to search his desk and possessions at work without a warrant because his colleagues thought he was so quiet and unassuming that he couldn't have done anything wrong. Having worked for the same government department as Nilsen and knowing how every action had to be done by the book, I suspect it had more to do with sticking to the rules and that was inserted for dramatic effect.
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Post by goodhelenstar on Sept 15, 2020 14:16:42 GMT
Just started watching. DT is very effective as usual, as is Daniel Mays. Nice period detail too. The smoking is getting attention over on the DS thread – probably from people too young to remember that that was the norm right up until the turn of the century. I can still remember the staff room of the first school I taught in, where you could barely see the other side of the room for the fug.
Had to chuckle at Peter polishing his shoes on the dining room table! My father, who was a policeman too, used to polish four pairs of shoes every night for himself and the rest of us for school. My mother would have had a fit if he'd done it inside! Messy stuff, shoe polish.
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Post by vicky on Sept 15, 2020 15:50:22 GMT
My ex-army father used to do the same thing - I grew up with the shiniest shoes in the school!
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Post by cakewalk on Sept 15, 2020 16:36:45 GMT
When I started work for DHSS at the tender age of 18 in 1982, smoking was allowed. We were even allocated our own ashtray. Seems very strange to think of it now.
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Post by vicky on Sept 15, 2020 18:06:08 GMT
When I started work for DHSS at the tender age of 18 in 1982, smoking was allowed. We were even allocated our own ashtray. Seems very strange to think of it now. I worked in an Employment Exchange (which is what Job Centres were called back then) where people had to come and collect their benefit over the counter each Friday. The staff smoked, the customers smoked so you could hardly see across the office for most of the day. Then I went home on a bus where smoking was allowed on the top deck .... and invariably, by the time it got to my stop, the only seats were upstairs. It's a wonder I'm still here! And a good job I have never smoked too. |
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Post by geometryman on Sept 16, 2020 18:30:34 GMT
I'd forgotten what a smoke-filled environment we used to live and work in - this production is bringing that home quite authentically.
I was fully awake for episode 2 and found it less boring. Jason Watkins is good. I'll be interested to see tonight's finale.
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Post by cakewalk on Sept 16, 2020 21:34:52 GMT
I commented something similar to my Dad this evening. People were lighting up every two minutes in this, And I speak as an ex-smoker of the time! Quite shocking with hindsight.
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Post by vicky on Sept 17, 2020 6:07:37 GMT
Well, that was answered last night. Does the law really only require that an accused person knew what they were doing to be considered sane? Isn't what was done knowingly taken into account?
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Anymore to come?
