The Widower (miniseries)

Last updated

The Widower
Genre Crime drama
Created byJeff Pope
Written byJim Barton
Directed byPaul Whittington
Starring
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes3 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producerAmanda Jenks
ProducersKwadjo Dajan
Jeff Pope
CinematographyMartin Fuhrer
EditorBen Lester
Running time60 minutes
Production companyOctagon Films
Original release
Network ITV
Release17 March (2014-03-17) –
31 March 2014 (2014-03-31)

The Widower is a British television drama originally broadcast in three one-hour instalments on ITV in 2014. The series portrays the life and crimes of convicted murderer Malcolm Webster. [1] ITV described the show as: "The Widower tells how, over a 13-year period, a seemingly mild-mannered nurse, Malcolm Webster, set about poisoning and murdering his first wife, attempting to do the same to his second wife and moving on to a further scheme to deceive his third fiancée." [2] The series was written by Jim Barton and Jeff Pope. [3]

Contents

Production

In March 2014, ITV announced the broadcast of The Widower. [4] Webster's estranged wife Felicity Drumm, his former partner Simone Banerjee and Detective Inspector Charlie Henry (who had led the investigation that led to Webster's arrest) all contributed to the production. [5] It was shown in New Zealand on TV One in July 2014. [6] Webster's first wedding was reconstructed, based on a VHS recording provided by his first wife's family. [7] Reece Shearsmith, who portrayed Webster, described him as a "horrible, petulant little boy ... who even now believes he has been wronged, his entire life has always been poor Malcolm, poor Malcolm, with no thought for the terrible crimes and the victims that he has left in his wake." [8] Malcolm Webster was not approached (although his solicitor was informed that the film was being made). [9] Banerjee complimented Shearsmith's performance and described the production as "99% accurate". [10] Drumm initially declined to comment on the series. [11] She is said to have been reluctant to take part in the project, but felt obligated due to being financially destitute. [12] However she later discussed the series in an interview, in which she described the show as "strange to view" and criticised the show for not capturing Webster's personality which she described as "very extroverted, likable, funny, amusing person to be around, he was good company", whereas in the film he was portrayed as "not at all likable", which she felt marred the show's credibility. She stated also that he would adjust his personality to a particular woman. [13] Claire Webster's brother Peter Morris was reported as being impressed by Smith's portrayal of his sister, stating: "Sheridan captured Claire completely. I miss that camaraderie of a sibling and I thank Sheridan for giving that back to me for a while." [14]

Cast

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
1"Episode 1"Paul WhittingtonJim Barton17 March 2014 (2014-03-17)5.84
Malcolm marries Claire. The episode opens with him praising his 'darling Claire'. Shortly after they are married she requests to see all his debts. He responds by drugging her with Temazepam and murdering her in a staged car crash. Several years later he moves to New Zealand where he marries Felicity, whom he also starts drugging. He clearly plans to murder her by pushing her off a cliff but changes his mind when he finds out she is pregnant. Malcolm has no money and is in major debt, but doesn't tell Felicity. Felicity reluctantly agrees to a joint bank account with Malcolm. The episode ends with him setting fire to a chair inside Felicity’s parents' house. [15]
2"Episode 2"Paul WhittingtonJim Barton24 March 2014 (2014-03-24)6.09
Everyone survives the fire. Malcolm manages to convince Felicity that she had spilt nail varnish remover on a chair, which ultimately caused the fire. She reveals to her father that her doctor is concerned about her liver (Malcolm has been drugging her). She narrowly escapes Malcolm attempting to murder her in another staged car accident. She discovers he has stolen almost her entire savings and has taken out numerous life insurance policies in her name. He returns to the United Kingdom, where he meets Simone. To gain her attention he claims to have chronic lymphatic leukaemia and even shaves his head and eyebrows. Felicity has Malcolm's passport flagged, to prevent him from returning to New Zealand. [16]
3"Episode 3"Paul WhittingtonJim Barton31 March 2014 (2014-03-31)6.42
Malcolm is now living with Simone. Charlie Henry, a detective inspector, is investigating him. Malcolm is arrested for stealing funds from the angling club, of which he is treasurer. He is also charged with possession of a firearm without a licence and stealing a laptop. The prosecutor refuses to proceed with the first two charges and in court the third is dismissed on a technicality. An examination of Claire's liver establishes that she was drugged and a re-investigation of the hospital fire shows that Malcolm started it. This enables Charlie to re-open the investigation of Claire's death. The police present Simone with an Osman letter telling her that Malcolm has a wife and son in New Zealand and that they believe she is in grave danger. She ends their relationship after giving him money and getting him to admit he lied about having leukemia. A year later, Malcolm is arrested for Claire's murder. Simone, a yachtswoman, is shocked to discover that Malcolm had sabotaged her lifejacket. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Kingston</span> English actress (b. 1963)

Alexandra Elizabeth Kingston is an English actress. Active from the early 1980s, Kingston became noted for her television work in both Britain and the US in the 1990s, including her regular role as Dr. Elizabeth Corday in the NBC medical drama ER (1997–2004) and her title role in the ITV miniseries The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders (1996), which earned her a BAFTA nomination for Best Actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheridan Smith</span> English actress and singer

Sheridan Smith OBE is an English actress, singer, and television personality. Smith came to prominence after playing a variety of characters on sitcoms such as The Royle Family (1999–2000), Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps (2001–2009), Gavin & Stacey (2008–2010), and Benidorm (2009). She co-starred as Joey Ross in the drama series Jonathan Creek between 2009 and 2013, and went on to receive acclaim for starring in a succession of television dramas, such as Mrs Biggs (2012), Cilla (2014), The C Word (2015), Black Work (2015), The Moorside (2017), Cleaning Up (2019), and Four Lives (2022). Her film credits include Tower Block (2012), Quartet (2012), The Huntsman: Winter's War (2016), and The Railway Children Return (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reece Shearsmith</span> British comedian

Reeson Wayne "Reece" Shearsmith is an English actor, writer and comedian. He is best known for being a member of The League of Gentlemen, with Steve Pemberton, Mark Gatiss, and Jeremy Dyson. He later created, wrote and starred in the sitcom Psychoville, with Pemberton, as well as the dark comedy anthology series, Inside No. 9. He has had notable roles in Spaced and The World's End.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kara Tointon</span> English actress (b. 1983)

Kara Louise Tointon is an English actress, known for portraying the role of Dawn Swann in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. In 2010, she won the BBC competition series Strictly Come Dancing, and in 2015, she appeared as Maria in the ITV live production of The Sound of Music Live.

Reece Dinsdale is an English actor and director of stage, film and television. He is a Huddersfield Town fan. In 2017 he became a patron of the Square Chapel, an arts centre in Halifax. He is also an honorary patron of The Old Courts multi-arts centre in Wigan

Julie Graham is a Scottish television and film actress. She is best known for her multiple roles in The Bill, as Sheron Dawson in Benidorm, and Gail in Two Doors Down.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emmett J. Scanlan</span> Irish actor (born 1979)

Emmett John "Emo" Scanlan is an Irish actor. He is best known for playing Brendan Brady in Hollyoaks. He appeared in the BBC Two drama The Fall in 2013 and 2014, Peaky Blinders Series 5 and Series 6, and Breakdown in which he appears alongside Craig Fairbrass, James Cosmo, Bruce Payne, Olivia Grant and Tamer Hassan. In 2022, Scanlan appeared as Marcus MacLeod in the British remake of Call My Agent!: Ten Percent. He has since been in the popular RTÉ drama Kin where he performs a leading role as a character named Jimmy Kinsella.

Malcolm John Webster is an Englishman convicted of the murder of his first wife in Scotland in 1994 and the attempted murder of his second wife in New Zealand. Both cases involved staged car crashes and were carried out for the life insurance money. He was diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder by a consultant forensic clinical psychologist, Dr Gary Macpherson, who prepared a report prior to his trial. A police profiler labelled him a sociopath. His crimes were portrayed in the three-part ITV miniseries The Widower (2014).

<i>Mrs Biggs</i> 2012 British television series

Mrs Biggs is a 2012 British television series based on the true story of the wife of the Great Train Robber, Ronnie Biggs. The series covers Mrs Charmian Biggs' journey from naïve young woman to Biggs' wife and the mother of three young sons. Money worries force her husband to ask for a loan from Bruce Reynolds, planner of one of the most famous crimes in British history, the Great Train Robbery of August 1963. The aftermath of the train robbery and Biggs subsequent escape from prison leads to a life of flight for Charmian and her children as she tries to keep the family together.

<i>Inside No. 9</i> BBC TV dark comedy series

Inside No. 9 is a British black comedy anthology television programme that first aired in 2014. It is written by Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton and produced by the BBC. Each 30-minute episode is a self-contained story with new characters and a new setting, almost all starring Pemberton or Shearsmith. Aside from the writers, each episode has a new cast, allowing Inside No. 9 to attract a number of well-known actors. The stories are linked only by the number 9 in some way, typically taking the form of a door marked with the number 9, and a brass hare statue that is in the background of all episodes. Themes and tone vary from episode to episode, but all have elements of comedy and horror or perverse humour, in addition to a plot twist. Pemberton and Shearsmith took inspiration for Inside No. 9 from an episode of Psychoville, a previous project, which was filmed in a single room – this in turn was inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's Rope.

<i>Cilla</i> (2014 TV series) UK TV miniseries

Cilla is a British drama serial about the early career of Cilla Black. It was broadcast in three parts on ITV, and began on 15 September 2014 with Sheridan Smith playing the starring role. Smith was highly praised for her performance.

Mary Berry Cooks is a factual food programme which currently airs on BBC Two and is hosted by Mary Berry.

The Understudy (<i>Inside No. 9</i>) 5th episode of the 1st series of Inside No. 9

"The Understudy" is the fifth episode of British dark comedy anthology series Inside No. 9. It was first broadcast on 5 March 2014 on BBC Two. The episode was written by and starred Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, and guest-starred Lyndsey Marshal, Julia Davis, Rosie Cavaliero, Roger Sloman, Di Botcher, Richard Cordery, Bruce Mackinnon and Jo Stone-Fewings. Pemberton plays actor Tony, who is starring as Macbeth in a West End production of Shakespeare's Macbeth, and Shearsmith plays Jim, Tony's understudy. The plot of "The Understudy" partially mirrors the story of Macbeth, exploring the theme of power and the lives of actors.

<i>Chasing Shadows</i> (TV series) British TV series or programme

Chasing Shadows is an ITV crime drama first aired on 4 September 2014. The series follows the work of a missing persons unit, and stars Reece Shearsmith as protagonist Sean Stone, a detective Sergeant, and Alex Kingston, as advisor Ruth Hattersley. The series of four episodes concluded on 25 September 2014. On 7 April 2016, the series was made available to view on the ITV Hub.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Couchette</span> 1st episode of the 2nd series of Inside No. 9

"La Couchette" is the first episode of the second series of British dark comedy anthology Inside No. 9. Written by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith and directed by Guillem Morales, the episode is set in a sleeper carriage on a French train. English doctor Maxwell, who is traveling to an important job interview, climbs into bed. He is disturbed first by drunk, flatulent German Jorg, and then by English couple Kath and Les. Later, while the others sleep, Australian backpacker Shona brings posh English backpacker Hugo back to the cabin, but the pair make a surprising discovery. The episode stars Pemberton, Shearsmith, Julie Hesmondhalgh, Mark Benton, Jessica Gunning, Jack Whitehall and George Glaves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The 12 Days of Christine</span> 2nd episode of the 2nd series of Inside No. 9

"The 12 Days of Christine" is the second episode of the second series of British black comedy anthology series Inside No. 9. It first aired on 2 April 2015 on BBC Two. It was written by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, and directed by Guillem Morales. The episode tells the story of Christine, a young woman living in a small flat, over 12 years in her life, focussing on key days and life events in that time. Christine is played by Sheridan Smith, while those who play an important part in her life are played variously by Tom Riley, Stacy Liu, Michele Dotrice, Paul Copley, Pemberton, Jessica Ellerby, Joel Little and Dexter Little. Shearsmith plays the Stranger, an unknown figure apparently haunting Christine.

Cold Comfort (<i>Inside No. 9</i>) 4th episode of the 2nd series of Inside No. 9

"Cold Comfort" is the fourth episode of the second series of the British dark comedy anthology television programme Inside No. 9. The episode, which was written and directed by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, was first broadcast on 16 April 2015 on BBC Two. Most of "Cold Comfort" is composed of a stream from a fixed camera on the desk of Andy, the protagonist, with smaller pictures on the side of the screen, in the style of a CCTV feed. "Cold Comfort" was filmed over two and a half days in Twickenham, and was, like "A Quiet Night In" from Inside No. 9's first series, highly experimental. It was Pemberton and Shearsmith's directorial debut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nana's Party</span> 5th episode of the 2nd series of Inside No. 9

"Nana's Party" is the fifth episode of the second series of the British dark comedy anthology television programme Inside No. 9. It was first broadcast on 23 April 2015 on BBC Two. Written and directed by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, the episode starred Claire Skinner as the obsessive-compulsive and aspirational Angela, who is hosting a party for the 79th birthday of her mother Maggie, played by Elsie Kelly. Angela's husband Jim, played by Pemberton, is keen to play a prank on Pat, Angela's brother-in-law, who is a practical joker. Pat is played by Shearsmith, while Carol, a recovering alcoholic who is Pat's wife and Angela's sister, is played by Lorraine Ashbourne. The episode also features Eve Gordon as Katie, Angela and Jim's teenage daughter, and Christopher Whitlow as a paramedic seen at the beginning and end of the episode.

Private View (<i>Inside No. 9</i>) 6th episode of the 3rd series of Inside No. 9

"Private View" is the sixth and final episode of the third series of the British black comedy anthology television programme Inside No. 9. Written by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, the episode was directed by Guillem Morales and was first shown on 21 March 2017, on BBC Two. It stars Pemberton, Shearsmith, Fiona Shaw, Montserrat Lombard, Morgana Robinson, Felicity Kendal, Johnny Flynn, and Muriel Gray. The comedian Peter Kay makes a cameo appearance, with his character being killed in the episode's opening seconds.

Rob Williams is a British screenwriter and producer, best known for the BBC1 crime drama The Victim.

References

  1. ↑ "Reece Shearsmith and Sheridan Smith in The Widower | presscentre". Itv.com. 9 January 2014. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  2. ↑ "TV drama to focus on Malcolm Webster murders". The Scotsman. 10 January 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  3. ↑ Armstrong, Stephen (17 March 2014). "The Widower: Malcolm Webster is evil, yet two women willingly married him". Radiotimes.com. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  4. ↑ "The Widower". itv.com. ITV Press Centre. 3 March 2014. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
  5. ↑ "Malcolm Webster's crimes to be aired in drama". 3news.co.nz. MediaWorks TV. 11 January 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  6. ↑ "TV picks of the week: Two weddings and a funeral". The New Zealand Herald . APN News & Media. 3 July 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  7. ↑ English, Paul (6 March 2014). "Reece Shearsmith on playing wife killer Malcolm Webster in new STV drama The Widower". Daily Record. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  8. ↑ "Reece Shearsmith: Widower role not villainous". YouTube . Retrieved 20 April 2014.
  9. ↑ http://presscentre.itvstatic.com/presscentre/sites/presscentre/files/The%20Widower.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  10. ↑ "'I escaped the Widower' | Hot Topics | Lorraine". Itv.com. 31 March 2014. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  11. ↑ "Black Widower gets a TV re-run - National - NZ Herald News". Nzherald.co.nz. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  12. ↑ Lavery, Charles (5 July 2012). The Black Widower: The life and crimes of a sociopathic killer. 2646.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link) CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  13. ↑ "Felicity Drumm - former wife of murderer Malcolm Webster". 7 July 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  14. ↑ "TV drama captures sister's death". York Press. 23 March 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  15. ↑ "'The Widower' Episode 1 Review - Reece Shearsmith, Sheridan Smith In True Tale Of Wife-Murderer Malcolm Webster". Huffingtonpost.co.uk. 17 March 2014. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
  16. ↑ "'The Widower' Episode 2 Review: Reece Shearsmith As Malcolm Webster Hits A New Low". Huffingtonpost.co.uk. 24 March 2014. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
  17. ↑ "'The Widower' Episode 3 Review - Malcolm Webster Finally Runs Out Of Lies". Huffingtonpost.co.uk. 31 March 2014. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.