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.

Oh didn't releise that @JaneJeffer

I read somewhere that Peter was suffocated by a pillow. But that may have been left out as too distressing. The screenwriter said she left out the most distressing details.

Perhaps martyn was trying to get Liz Zettle to change her will. She was about 100. Wrong but hopefully he didn't intend to kill her. Ben clearly was going to give his victims an early death.

Anne Marie might not have found justice for her aunt but in a way she did. If it wasn't for her, Ben wouldn't have been caught and Peter's death gone inivbestigated. He would have died with his family and friends being told untruths such as him being an alcoholic

Yes, it was important to show the impact on that family and kind to make the point that Ann Marie stopped him. He had plans to kill 50 or more in his diary?

what makes a psychopath, indeed.

Really enjoyed that series!

i thought it was really well acted by the brother and sister, who, in the beginning, had their reservations.

not sister, brother and wife

Gripping series, so disturbing though.

I just did not get Martyn at all and can't seem to find out anything about him. Was he also manipulated? or did he understanding exactly what he did and his role in it all? He seems to have disappeared completely.

Noticed that Ben has recently put in an application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission to review the case

I watched the ch 4 documentary last night, the work the police did was outstanding, it was such a complex case.

I'm not convinced re Martin either, he must have had suspicions at least.

I read somewhere they think Peter was suffocated possibly with cling film. It's just horrendous, the poor man.

Superbly acted, watching the documentary is chilling and the actors got all the characters spot on.

I wasn't sure why they couldn't have gone for an attempted murder conviction for Ann's death? He definitely was poisoning her and wanted her dead even if he didn't actually kill her in the end.

Brilliant series, very well casted also very respectful to the families. Where can I find the documentary? Would like to know more bout Martyn and his involvement. He was studying at university so must have had some intelligence and understanding of what was happening surely.

On channel 4, It's the episode 'A diary from the grave'

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/catching-a-killer

The documentary doesn't really talk about Martin tbh, I suppose because he was found not guilty.

It is difficult to comprehend how anyone could be that stupid/gullible 🤯

The way Martyn was played in this drama, he definitely seemed to have his suspicions re Ben’s behaviour - and the business with Martyn and the lady’s will looked very off. I could believe that he was “in” on the fraud aspect to some degree, but
didn’t know about the drugging.
But in the end, I guess there just wasn’t the evidence to support a conviction. Even if it did look very much like he was involved in some way.
The whole thing was just so sad, and cruel.

Yet when I was at school in the 60s, we were quite sure that two pairs of teachers were gay, and with hindsight I still think we were right.

Why did Peter trust a drink made by Ben on his final night

If he hasn't it would have been so different

So he totally drugged him and tipped whiskey down peters throat

I assume all that part must have been speculation, as the only person who knows what actually happened was Ben, and he's admitting nothing.

Life but serving at least 36yrs. In 2019 so he's served nearly 4yrs

32 to go That isn't life. Ben will be out when he is 64

It's a minimum term, it's not a given that he will get out at that point. He will still have to satisfy the parole board that he is safe to be released, and it will be all over his files how manipulative he is. I suspect it also won't help him that he's tried to appeal twice - refusing to accept your crime is obviously a barrier to rehabilitation, and that fact that he will thereby have inflicted even more pain on his victims' relatives won't look good.

According to a piece in the paper it was actually a solicitor who raised the alarm. Ben took both of them to the same solicitor to change their wills.

Where he was clever was targeting two people who were both independent, intelligent and capable. It’s incredibly hard for families to intervene in the lives of elderly relatives, even when dementia is involved. It’s impossible where they are still mentally alert.

I thought it was wonderfully done. A very kind portrayal of both Anne and Peter. They were very clearly lovely kind people who were innocent victims.

I agree that Peter would have been very unlikely to have been openly gay. Remember he is about the same age as Elton John and Freddie Mercury, and Elton John got married! Even in the 80s people like Boy George and George Michael weren’t openly gay. Add to that life in a small village and being a devout Christian and it’s no surprise he kept it hidden.

I think Martin was also a victim. Ben saw him and identified someone who was lonely and manipulated him. I do believe Martin knew what was going on but was in denial.

I would like to have learned more about Ben. Was he actually ordained? I noticed that he didn’t swear on the bible. Was the faith a sham to find victims? What about his past? Were there others?

Absolutely wonderful drama. Acting was perfection

I noticed the bible thing too, I wondered if it was because it's not used in court anymore.

When you're in the throws of being used and manipulated by a person such as Ben Field it's very difficult to see exactly what is going on, they are very convincing and don't allow you the headspace to be able to see what they're doing. I can understand why Martyn was in that situation. I would imagine he'll have had a lot of healing to do himself afterwards. That's just going by the drama, it's a long time since I watched the C4 documentary.

I suspect with Ann's death it was that they didn't have enough evidence to get a conviction, although most people would put good money on her not dying then or in that way if she hadn't had any dealings with Ben Field.

It was a very well made drama of horrific events that should never have happened.

I thought it was really well done. Superb acting particularly from the Ben actor. I was surprised to find out that's he's Irish. Very convincing unlike other Irish actors who can't do a different accent to save their life.

It was beautifully done and thinking of Ann and Peter's family

Ben was a chilling physopath

RaraRachael · Today 19:23
I thought it was really well done. Superb acting particularly from the Ben actor.

Yes, Timothy Spall was 'acting' - and wonderfully too. But, the Ben character was just chillingly 'Ben' - didn't appear to be 'acting' at all.

Those who like a drama based on real life May like this

Starts tonight

Be warned about suicide

www.mumsnet.com/talk/telly_addicts/4858120-the-girl-from-plainville-wed-and-thur-10pm-ch-4-tv-pace-no-spoilers

Oh really enjoyed this if I can put it like that. Timothy Spall in that first episode broke my heart with his loneliness and desire to be loved. What an actor!

I have watched this and the documentary. It is chilling that Ben could do this. Since he fooled two intelligent retired teachers I can see how he could have fooled Martin too. In the documentary it seemed there were other people who thought they knew Ben (the vicar and the girlfriend) and were also unaware of what he was doing. The documentary also mentioned that Ben had a psychiatric assessment as part of his application for ordination and was evaluated as a possible psychopath. I found it interesting that a professional could see what other intelligent people could not.

We will all come across a Ben at least once in our lifetime, hopefully not as malevolent but Narcs/ psychopaths can very very persuasive and charming. It is so frustrating that you can see them for what they are and others can't . A professional can see it because they are not emotionally involved.