Steeltown Murders | |
---|---|
Genre | Factual drama |
Based on | Murders of Joseph Kappen |
Written by | Ed Whitmore |
Directed by | Marc Evans |
Starring | |
Theme music composer | Sarah Warne |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language | English |
No. of series | 1 |
No. of episodes | 4 |
Production | |
Executive producers |
|
Producer | Hannah Thomas |
Cinematography | Sam Thomas |
Editor | Tim Hodges |
Production companies |
|
Original release | |
Network | BBC One |
Release | 15 May – 5 June 2023 |
Steeltown Murders is a four-part factual drama television miniseries written by Ed Whitmore and directed by Marc Evans. It was produced for the BBC by Severn Screen based in Wales and aired on BBC One. It stars Philip Glenister and Steffan Rhodri as detectives investigating the real-life murders committed by Joseph Kappen in Port Talbot in South Wales. It premiered on 15 May 2023 on BBC One, with all episodes immediately available on BBC iPlayer.
Twenty-first century technological advances help detectives with a cold murder case from 1973. Geraldine Hughes and Pauline Floyd both left the Top Rank nightclub in Swansea without ever making it home. Their bodies were discovered later in Llandarcy. Dubbed the case of the “Saturday Night Strangler”, it became the first documented case of a serial killer in Wales. Joseph Kappen was the real-life perpetrator. [1] As of 1 October 2024, Port Talbot no longer produces steel. [2]
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | U.K. viewers (millions) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Episode 1" | Marc Evans | Ed Whitmore | 15 May 2023 [3] | 4.63 |
2 | "Episode 2" | Marc Evans | Ed Whitmore | 22 May 2023 | 4.15 |
3 | "Episode 3" | Marc Evans | Ed Whitmore | 29 May 2023 | 4.47 |
4 | "Episode 4" | Marc Evans | Ed Whitmore | 5 June 2023 | 4.42 |
The series is written by Ed Whitmore and made by Severn Screen. [4] The four-part series is directed by Marc Evans with Hannah Thomas as producer in association with All3Media International. The executive producers on the series are Ed Talfan, Jon Hill and Ed Whitmore for Severn Screen with Helen Perry and Rebecca Ferguson for the BBC. [5]
Filming began in South Wales in November 2022. [6] The real life detective Paul Bethell was involved in the production and Philip Glenister said he felt “responsibility” to get the story right for the bereaved family members. [7]
Steeltown Murders aired in the UK from Monday 15 May 2023 on BBC One, with all episodes becoming immediately available on BBC iPlayer. [3]
The series was chosen as “pick of the week” in The Sunday Times on 14 May 2023. Commenting that “the evolution of police work drives the drama, but a careful script keeps sight of the victims and their families”. [8] Lucy Mangan in The Guardian gave the series four stars, saying that the script "does full justice to the painstaking and never glamorous policework that finally found the Saturday Night Strangler, and the difference integrity makes to a job and to a life". [9] Rachel Cooke in The New Statesman said she was left “bored and furious”. [10]
The series won the best television drama series and best costume awards at the BAFTA Cymru Awards in October 2024. [11]
This article is about the particular significance of the year 2005 to Wales and its people.
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