BBC Two have announced a new documentary series looking into the case of Dennis Nilsen.
From the makers of Yorkshire Ripper Files and The Shipman Files, The Nilsen Files: A Very British Crime Story will re-examine the case of Dennis Nilsen, convicted in 1983 for the murders of six young men.
Filmmaker Michael Ogden will front the series.
The BBC share: “Focusing on the lives of the victims, he’ll ask why, 40 years on, they remain just a footnote in this terrible case. Michael will explore not just who these boys and young men were, but also how attitudes at the time allowed their disappearance and murders to be overlooked.
“Meeting with former police officers, he’ll discover their regrets about the premature closure of the case, leaving seven murder victims unidentified and families without answers about the fate of their missing children.
“This series will upend everything we think we know about this case, exploring the homophobic attitudes that allowed Nilsen’s crimes to go un-investigated for many years. And how attitudes suggested that there was little interest in missing young men, often dismissed simply as ‘drifters’.
“Understanding the case anew, Michael will seek to show how these attitudes are as dangerous to young men’s lives today as they were almost 40 years ago.”
The series will air on BBC Two across three episodes with an air date to be announced.
More on: BBC Two
