The Sixth Commandment - BBC 1 9pm -mon 17 and Tue 18th and week after - tv pace. No spoilers

[Blondeshavemorefun]

This is a 4 part factual drama

on Monday 17 and Tue 18 , then mon 24 and Tue 25th

all will be on iPlayer but this is tv paced !!!!

The BBC has released first-look images for The Sixth Commandment, a brand new four-part true crime drama which 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.

The images show Timothy Spall as Peter Farquhar, Anne Reid as Ann Moore-Martin, Éanna Hardwicke as Ben Field and Annabel Scholey as Ann’s niece, Ann-Marie Blake, alongside Sheila Hancock as Liz Zettl and Ben Bailey Smith as Simon Blake.

The Sixth Commandment tells the story of how the meeting of an inspirational teacher, Peter Farquhar (Timothy 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 (Anne Reid), Peter’s deeply religious neighbour, unlocked a series of chilling revelations.

The Sixth Commandment 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.

I have mixed feelings about this - it seems so incredible that Peter would believe Ben's intentions, given the age gap between them. But it's a true story, so what do I know?!

I put it down to him being lonely, unworldly and from another time.

I have watched the whole thing and thought it was brilliant. We followed the case very closely as DH was taught by Peter F. Unbelievable story.

The actor playing Ben is the most realistic psycho I've ever seen. So bland and smiley. Utterly creepy.

Both Timothy and Éanna are excellent actors

Timothy Spalls performance was heart breaking He is excellent

Watched episode one tonight and was surprised how upsetting I found it. Poor Peter was so vulnerable. He went from being a bright, active, independent man to a shrivelled confused figure in the nursing home. I wasn't sure I could continue watching at that point. Then the symptoms disappeared and he was back to himself. And then... I'll stick with it because it's so well done, but am prepared for hard going

'The actor playing Ben is the most realistic psycho I've ever seen. So bland and smiley. Utterly creepy'

Spot on. He's great, they all are

Lucy Mangan's review in the Guardian is well worth a read

Just watched the first one. I was shouting ‘don’t eat the sandwich!’
I don’t remember the case at all though.

Wow re your dh. Must be another level of sadness for him.

It is utterly brilliant.
I'll come back next week when you've all watched it.

It's pretty compulsive viewing, very good acting. Wonder how they will manage two more episodes though, I would have thought just one more, but let's see.

Goodness that was a hard watch.
I can’t believe I knew nothing about this case.
Poor Peter and Ann.
How utterly heartbreaking for their families.
Absolutely brilliant acting all round.

Anne Marie seemed to be doing most of the detective work. I wonder why Peter's family didn't see anything odd in Ben hanging around at Ann's house after he moved out of Peter's.

Thank you @Blondeshavemorefun

the first episode was fantastic, so upsetting however, i had to watch the next and then last night finished it.

He was a arrogant, highly intelligent psychopath who thought he was way way smarter than everyone else . He thought he was untouchable, invincible even . That was his downfall .

Yes it is . Hats off to the BBC they know how to craft excellent drama . The last episode is just electric, edge of your seat stuff .

I can't believe how quickly he just moved onto his next victim without anyone noticing. Ann-Marie was a wonderful person, he probably didn't bank on a niece being so involved.

So utterly devastating.

i just wish Peter's brother had kept to his original suspicion.

I watched this, and have downloaded final two. A quality BBC production. I must have missed this was a true story.

I think because they had sold the house so never had any need to go back to that estate so probably never knew he was still hanging around there.

It is an amazing series I vaguely remember the case but didn't quite believe it to be true at the time. It is just heartbreaking to see Ann and Peter's decline both were such strong assertive personalities. I can't believe Peter was his first victim there must have been some before...

Can anyone explain the role of Bens friend? I can't work him out is he in on it all or just another victim being manipulated?

Fairly early on in episode one he'd obviously got his sights on Ann - he asked who she was and what the dog was called (I think). Horrible to think that part of his plan might have involved killing the dog too.

It's horrible seeing all our National Treasures being bumped off!

They seemed like such happy, full of life people in their prime. So sad. And so scary how quickly and easily he did it.

In real life Field was cleared of attempting to murder Ann but at the end of Ep 2 she has obviously died. I assume the next two episodes will explain how she actually died.

What I found particularly horrifying was just how easily two obviously incredibly intelligent individuals were sucked in by his persona.
He is a narcissistic psychopath.
A compelling watch.
Well done BBC.

Brilliant television. Watched all of it. Lovely to see 2 women in their eighties still incredible actors.
Peter’s loneliness and just wanting to be held and loved was gut wrenching. I don’t think he has ever been hugged

Ben's friend Martyn was charged with conspiracy to murder and aiding murder but was found not guilty.