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A BBC crime drama helmed by two British acting legends has been branded “harrowing” and “the best television drama” thanks to its “faultless acting” and “perfect script” - ideal for fans of Broadchurch.
There’s an abundance of critically lauded BBC television shows to tune into and catch up on, with some going on to captivate audiences all over the world. There’s a number of tense crime dramas that continue to be revered for years after they originally aired.
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Be it the gritty, dark favourite Happy Valley, or the ever-popular, Benedict Cumberbatch-fronted, Sherlock, the beloved police drama Line of Duty, or the famously gut-wrenching Broadchurch, there’s something for everyone.
Those craving a “completely enthralling” drama grounded in real events should turn to The Sixth Commandment, which was released on BBC One in July of 2023.
The four-part true crime drama series centres on the real-life manipulation and murder of elderly pensioner Peter Farquhar at the hands of PhD student Ben Field, and the death of his neighbour Ann Moore-Martin, in the Buckinghamshire village of Maids Moreton.
Peter had been a novelist and English lecturer, while Ann was a retired school headteacher. Field targeted them both for their money and began gas-lighting them in a bid to convince them they were losing their minds, hoping to benefit from their changed wills.
The BBC drama stars Timothy Spall as Peter Farquhar, Anne Reid as Ann Moore-Martin, and Éanna Hardwicke as Ben Field.
The extended cast also features Sheila Hancock, Annabel Scholey, Ben Bailey Smith and more.
It was written by Sarah Phelps and directed by Saul Dibb and is still revered to this day.
The Sixth Commandment has scored an impressive 90% on popular review-aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, where critics and fans alike have heaped praise on the drama.
One critic said: “Despite the sadness it is also compulsively watchable. It is likely it would not reach such heights with a lesser actor than Spall in the central role of Farquhar.”
Another agreed: “An excellent miniseries that, in its quest to be as natural as possible when it comes to recounting somber events, manages to be even more moving than perhaps it initially intended.”
A third said: “With this calibre of stars and an exceptional supporting cast, Ben Field’s cold-hearted plots and manipulation are all the more shocking because we feel as though we know his victims so well - we’re personally involved.”
While a fourth added: “This show is so harrowing it borders on unwatchable. It also might well be the best television drama of the year.”
And another wrote: “This was [an] outstanding drama on every front. Phelps set a delicate, mournful tone from the off, which the brilliant Reid and Spall built on as only they can. Best of all, the entire drama allowed the victims their dignity.”
Fans were equally impressed. One simply added: “The best thing I have watched on television. Faultless acting, perfect script and completely enthralling. What an achievement.”
The Sixth Commandment is streaming now on BBC iPlayer.