Filming has begun on Steeltown Murders (working title), a new factual drama written by Ed Whitmore (Manhunt, Safe House) and made by Severn Screen (The Pembrokeshire Murders, Hidden/Craith) for the BBC in association with All3Media International. The four-part series was co-commissioned with BBC Wales and will air next year on BBC One and iPlayer.

Set in both 1973 and the early 2000s, Steeltown Murders centres on the hunt to catch the killer of three young women in the Port Talbot area and the remarkable story of how – in the first case of its kind – the mystery was solved almost thirty years later using pioneering DNA evidence.

Contrasting the policing methods of the 1970s with the forensic breakthroughs of the early Noughties, Steeltown Murders (w/t) is a portrait of a town dealing with the repercussions of an unsolved case three decades on, and asks if justice can ever truly be found.

Philip Glenister (Life On Mars, State Of Play) and Steffan Rhodri (In My Skin, Gavin & Stacey) lead the cast as DCI Paul Bethell and Phil ‘Bach’ Rees, with their younger selves played by Scott Arthur (Good Omens, Borg McEnroe) and Siôn Alun Davies (The Sandman, Hidden) respectively. They will be joined by Keith Allen (The Pembrokeshire Murders, Marcella), Priyanga Burford (Industry, No Time to Die), Sharon Morgan (Yr Amgueddfa, Gangs of London), Nia Roberts (Red Rose, Yr Amgueddfa), Elinor Crawley (Vikings, Ordinary Lies), Gareth John Bale (35 Awr, Y Pris),  Kriss Dosanjh (The Larkins, Casualty), Matthew Gravelle (Silent Witness, Broadchurch), Amy Morgan (Mr Selfridge, Showtrial), Dyfan Dwyfor (A Very English Scandal, Bang), and more. 

Executive Producer Ed Talfan of Severn Screen says: “We are hugely grateful to the BBC, All3Media International and Creative Wales for their support on the project. We are thrilled to be collaborating with Ed Whitmore and Marc Evans, and look forward to delivering a compelling and compassionate drama. The most important aspect of this project is remembering that the events of 1973 are still fresh in the minds of many people. Ed Whitmore and Marc Evans have worked on a number of challenging fact-based dramas and are working closely with our incredible cast and crew to bring this true story to the screen.”

Produced by Severn Screen for the BBC, Steeltown Murders (w/t, 4×60′) is written by Ed Whitmore and directed by Marc Evans (The Pembrokeshire Murders, Hinterland), with Hannah Thomas (Hidden, I Am Not a Witch) serving as producer in association with All3Media International. Executive producers are Ed Talfan, Jon Hill and Ed Whitmore for Severn Screen, and Rebecca Ferguson and Helen Perry for the BBC. All3Media International will distribute the series internationally, additional funding support has been provided by Welsh Government via Creative Wales.

Filming is currently underway in and around south Wales, ahead of transmission on BBC One and iPlayer in 2023.