Aunon

ITV’ssixpartfactualdrama,WhiteHouseFarm,producedbyNewPicturesrevolvesaroundonefatefulnightinAugust1985whenfivemembersofthesamefamilyweremurderedatanEssexfarmhouse;SheilaCaffell,hertwinsix-year-oldsons,DanielandNicholas,andherparents,NevillandJuneBamber.TheserieswillseektoprovidefreshinsightintothisfamilytragedyandthecontestedaccountsoftheeventsthattookplaceatWhiteHouseFarm.Basedonextensiveresearch,interviewsandpublishedaccountsincluding,‘TheMurdersatWhiteHouseFarm’byCarolAnnLeewithadditionalmaterialfrom‘InSearchofTheRainbow’sEnd’byColinCaffell,husbandofSheilaandfathertoDanielandNicholasCaffell.EssexPoliceinitiallybelievedthatSheila,whohadmentalhealthproblems,hadmurderedherownfamilybeforeturningthegunonherself.ButDetectiveSergeantStanJoneshaddoubtsaboutthemurder-suicidetheory,andaboutSheila’sbrotherJeremyBamber,whofirstcalledthepolicetothefarm.EventuallyitwasJeremyBamberwhowaschargedandconvictedofthemurdersofhisownparents,sisterandnephews.Bamberiscurrentlyservinglifeimprisonmentwithoutthepossibilityofparole.HeisoneofthefewprisonersintheUKsubjecttoawhole-lifeorder.Bamberstillmaintainshisinnocence.

FilminghasbegunonthethirdseriesofpopulardetectivedramaMcDonald&DoddsstarringTalaGouveiaandJasonWatkinsintheleadroles.ThelatestseriesseesClaireSkinner(Outnumbered)jointhecastasChiefSuperintendentOrmond.ReunitingDCIMcDonald,playedbyTalaGouveia,andDSDodds,playedbyBAFTAawardwinneractorJasonWatkins,seasonthreeoftheBathsetdetectiveseriesconsistsoffourstandalonefilms.LilySacofskyreturnsasDCMilenaPachiowskiwithDanyalIsmailjoiningthecastasDCMartinMalikSpeakingaboutherroleinthenewseries,ClaireSkinner,said:"I'mahugefanofMcDonald&DoddssoI'mdelightedtobejoiningthecastasChiefSuperintendentOrmond.Ormondisaquietlyintimidatingcharactersoshe'llbekeepingMcDonald&Doddsontheirtoesthroughoutthisnewseries."Inthefirstfilm,Belvedere,ayoungwomanisfounddeadsittinginadeckchairinbroaddaylightinoneofBath’smostbeautifulandpopulatedparks.Whydidthiswomandiewithasmileonherface?GuestcastmembersstarringinthefirstfilmincludeAlanDavies(JonathanCreek),HollyAird(WakingTheDead),,CatherineTyldesley(CoronationStreet)andDameSiânPhillips(I,Claudius).TheserieswascommissionedforITVbyPollyHillandHuwKennairJonesandwillbeproducedbyRebeccaDavies.ExecutiveproducersareDamienTimmerandcreatorandleadwriterRobertMurphy.RobertMurphyhaswrittenfilmsoneandfour,RobertDrummondhaswrittenfilmtwoandKamOdedrahaswrittenfilmthree.DirectorsareRobertQuinn,IsherSahota,IanAryehandSashaRansome.McDonald&DoddsisproducedbyleadingindependentproductioncompanyMammothScreen,co-producedbyBritBoxNorthAmerica,andcreatedbyRobertMurphy.Seriestwoachievedconsolidatedratingsof6.7m.ThefirstandsecondseriesareavailabletoviewviastreamingplatformBritboxNorthAmerica.ITVStudioswilldistributethedramainternationally.MammothScreenisoneoftheUK’sleadingproductioncompanies.PastandforthcomingshowsincludeTheSerpentforBBC/Netflix,Noughts+Crosses,WorldonFireandGrimeKidsfortheBBC,WhyDidn’tTheyAskEvansforBritboxandEndeavourandTheTowerforITV.MammothScreenisanITVStudiosCompany.