TV viewers in Bristol have been gripped by the latest BBC true crime drama, The Sixth Commandment – and not just because it is studded with stars including Timothy Spall, Anne Reid and Sheila Hancock.
The added attraction for city residents is spotting local landmarks such as Blaise Estate and the streets of Westbury on Trym.
The four-part series, which aired in July and can be viewed on iPlayer, was filmed in Bristol, Bath, Clevedon and Keynsham. Circomedia in Portland Square, St Paul’s, features as one of the churches in the drama.
The Sixth Commandment explores the deaths of Peter Farquhar and Ann Moore-Martin in the village of Maids Moreton, Buckinghamshire, and the extraordinary events that unfolded over the following years. It was made with in full cooperation with both families.
The drama tells the story of how the meeting of an inspirational teacher, Peter Farquhar (Spall), and a charismatic student, Ben Field (Éanna Hardwicke), set the stage for one of the most complex and confounding criminal cases in recent memory. It also focuses on how suspicions around Field’s relationship with Ann Moore-Martin (Reid), Peter’s deeply religious neighbour, unlocked a series of chilling revelations.
The drama explores the way in which both Peter and Ann were manipulated by Field, capturing the extreme gaslighting, the gripping police investigation and the high-profile trial, while poignantly highlighting the devastating effect of isolation and loneliness, as Field closed in on them. It also celebrates both Peter and Ann’s lives as cherished mentors, much loved relatives and adored friends.