Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Telly addicts

Related: Film discussion forum.

Original poster

FOUR LIVES - BBC 1 - MON 3 TUE 4 WED 5 -at 9pm - tv pace. No spoilers

130 replies

Blondeshavemorefun · 01/01/2022 20:26

New 3 part drama

When two men are found dead , their loved ones try to find out what really caused their deaths

On for 3 nights mon tue wed

OP posts:
RoyalFamilyFan · 05/01/2022 23:43

Watched the documentary that was on tonight about this.

JacquelineCarlyle · 05/01/2022 23:50

I've just watched the documentary too. I think the drama did a very good job of portraying the families and what happened as per the documentary. The police inaction is surely directly responsible for Gabriel, Daniel and Jack's deaths and someone should be held accountable.

sociallydistained · 05/01/2022 23:57

The police's blatant homophobia fuelled how awful these cases were handled. I can't believe when they kept saying to that one man's partner that he'd know what the drug was as it's commonly used by gay men.

I can't imagine being the family in this position having for fight for basic care and answers!

RoyalFamilyFan · 06/01/2022 00:06

British Transport Police files showed Port was found at Barking Station, a short walk from his flat in east London, with another man who was under the influence of drugs, the same month Port plied his first victim, 23-year-old Anthony Walgate, with fatal doses of the substance GHB.

CailleachGranda · 06/01/2022 00:06

SportsLady44. Thanks for saying what you did

I felt a bit uncomfortable with some of the earlier posts but figured those posters were probably not familiar with either the car or the trailers that were shown before this aired

GoodPrincessWenceslas · 06/01/2022 01:16

The burial ground in St Margaret's Abbey is located close to a main ring road around Barking and is always busy. There are a number of shops almost opposite as well

I assumed he dumped the bodies at night, hence the fact that the same unfortunate dog walker found two of them - if she was in the habit of taking the dog out first thing in the morning. He could also have transported it be car to be nearer?

GoodPrincessWenceslas · 06/01/2022 01:19

The documentary was first produced around four years ago and had been updated. It would have been great if they could have got some police involvement, particularly from the people who took over the investigation who must have wondered what the hell the Barking police had been doing.

It sounds as if tight budgets were quite a big factor, as they seem to have cited expense as the reason for not going through computers etc. But surely as soon as there are two very similar deaths in the same area, the financial argument swings over in favour of investigating, as obviously the expense involved in investigating any further killings will be massively greater?

sammylady37 · 06/01/2022 06:35

@RoyalFamilyFan

Watched the documentary that was on tonight about this.
What’s the name of the documentary and what channel was it on, please?
CaptainMyCaptain · 06/01/2022 07:50

Excellent acting from Stephen Merchant playing totally against type. And the rest of the cast too, Sheridan Smith looked very different. It's amazing how much they looked liked the actual families at the end.

It was absolutely heart breaking and I can see why Sarah was so grateful to the police officers who actually did their job and solved the case after the initial mishandling. It wasn't police bashing, just that earlier lazy, homophobic team.

the80sweregreat · 06/01/2022 08:13

The sisters were fantastic , they did the Mets job for them.
The other man on the cctv in Barking looked similar to Jack Taylor so they just assumed it was him on his own without even trying to trace Port whom he was seen with at the station location.
The fact that was the police who identified Port from the cctv made it even worse , he was already known to them and lived very close to the abbey where the men were found.
another blunder among so many :(
My trust in the police force these days is pretty much zero even though I have had a positive experiences with them when my sil died in unexplained circs (but that wasn't the Met or a murder inquiry.)
How they didn't join up the dots here is unbelievable, considering Port had previous too.
Too many people have been let down by them sadly , yet Dick still keeps her job.
The families must be shattered , I'm glad that they have given interviews and allowed this drama to be aired as well.
Can't have been easy for any of them.
So sad

CaptainMyCaptain · 06/01/2022 08:26

John Pape and Ryan Edwards also deserve a mention. Decent people who tried to help and whose information was pushed away by the Police.

the80sweregreat · 06/01/2022 08:40

@CaptainMyCaptain

John Pape and Ryan Edwards also deserve a mention. Decent people who tried to help and whose information was pushed away by the Police.
Yes, to be completely overlooked like that must have been awful too.
Original poster
Blondeshavemorefun · 06/01/2022 10:12

@Ellenanora7

Hi haven't read the thread as I'm only on episode two, just realised my sky didn't record the third episode, I'm really disappointed, I've been going through the BBC schedule to see if it's repeated but can't find it, I can't get BBC iPlayer here so if anyone comes across a repeat would they mind posting when it's on, really appreciate it.

I don't always post on your threads Blondes because I record a few of everything before I watch but really enjoy the threads after I've watched.

Also thanks for posting all the great dramas that will be on ☺️

You are most welcome

I do like tv and like to let people know

Hope you find e3

OP posts:
Original poster
Blondeshavemorefun · 06/01/2022 10:14

Ending was very powerful. Esp the pictures. Resemblance was very good

Agree the sisters did more

Amazing how lapse the police were :(

3 deaths could have been avoided

OP posts:
the80sweregreat · 06/01/2022 10:18

Ben Cohen is the CEO of 'Pink news' and he was on bbc news before Christmas talking about this case and I was pleased that he also mentioned how women have been also let down by the police ; the police are not fit for purpose most of the time it seems , especially the Met police.
They just discriminate against everyone.

Sportslady44 · 06/01/2022 13:35

@GoodPrincessWenceslas

Assuming what we have seen so far is accurate - and I imagine they've been pretty careful about it - it really is extraordinary that the police didn't make the connection even between the first two murders. Two gay young men both found dead in an unnatural seated position, both very close to Port's house, he admitted to having been with one when he died and the other had been living with him. Apparently if they'd bothered to search his flat they'd have found evidence of his interest in male rape. And the police refusal to admit a connection continued even after the third victim was found in similar circumstances. It's really horrifying to think how easily Port could have continue to get away with his crimes, and how many other criminals could still be getting away with it if this is in any way representative of normal standards of investigation.
they did look in his flat not his laptop it seems that was where all the evidence was.
Sportslady44 · 06/01/2022 13:36

@GoodPrincessWenceslas

The burial ground in St Margaret's Abbey is located close to a main ring road around Barking and is always busy. There are a number of shops almost opposite as well

I assumed he dumped the bodies at night, hence the fact that the same unfortunate dog walker found two of them - if she was in the habit of taking the dog out first thing in the morning. He could also have transported it be car to be nearer?

strange that nobody saw him doing this?
Sportslady44 · 06/01/2022 13:39

@pastypirate

He had a yellow hatchback in the drama - Stephen port did
so he had a car.
RoyalFamilyFan · 06/01/2022 14:01

I get the impression they dont know how he transported the bodies.

BashStreetKid · 06/01/2022 14:53

strange that nobody saw him doing this?

If it was the middle of the night and just a quick transfer out of the car, he could easily have escaped attention.

chestnutSquash · 06/01/2022 14:57

He is unusually tall. I am surprised that didn't ring a bell somewhere when they were looking at the CCTV.

Riverlee · 06/01/2022 16:35

Just looked up Stephen Ports height 6”3’, so tall, but not exceptionally tall. Stephen Marchant is 6”7’ by comparison.

pastypirate · 06/01/2022 18:11

Just watching the documentary. John Pape contacted Pink News and Gallop who approached the police as organisations on his behalf - and still nothing. Just staggering.

I don't know how anyone can feel safe after watching these programmes.

chestnutSquash · 06/01/2022 19:23

We need a complete overhaul of the police. More investment in mental health and sicial services and better training all round.

Riverlee · 09/01/2022 16:02

Just watched the documentary. The actors that played the various people were really similar in looks and characteristics! Some great casting.

Also, the drama seemed to reflect the story really well, judging from the documentary reports. It’s heart breaking what’s happened.

At a push, I guess the first death could have been considered as a drugs overdose. However, when the second death occurred, with a startlingly similar scenario, then someone should have joined up the dots and started investigating.