Britain’s Forgotten Serial Killer: Trevor Hardy explores the motivation behind little-known serial killer Trevor Hardy, dubbed the ‘Beast of Manchester’, who committed three horrific murders in the 1970s. At the time, Hardy’s crimes were over-shadowed by another, more high-profile case: the hunt for the ‘Yorkshire Ripper’.
Presented by forensic and legal medicine specialist Dr Jason Payne-James, the show focuses on previously unseen personal letters and documents found in Hardy’s prison cell after his death. Payne-James calls upon his network of forensic, psychology and investigative experts to analyse the serial killer’s motives. They also explore whether Hardy’s murder spree could have extended beyond the three deaths he was found guilty of committing.
The documentary will air exclusively on Crime + Investigation (CI) in the UK in January 2018.
Koulla Anastasi, Director, CI at A+E Networks UK ordered the programme and the executive producer at Time Inc. UK is Miki Mistrati.
Anastasi says: “CI is delighted to be working with TI Productions and their team of experts on this compelling UK commission. The show aims to shed light on Trevor Hardy’s motives for these horrific crimes, to address the unanswered questions that remain after his death.”
The documentary is the second commission for TI Productions UK, originating from an idea from Time Inc. UK’s Real Life portfolio. It will be supported with a series of editorial features in Time Inc UK’s portfolio of women’s weeklies and TV titles including Chat, Pick Me Up, Woman, What’s on TV and TV Times.
Executive producer Miki Mistrati adds: “Securing this second commission really establishes TI Productions in the TV business with more commissions planned. The documentary unearths some fascinating insights into the mind of this serial killer and it’s a coup to have a presenter of the calibre of Dr Jason Payne-James on board.”
Jason Payne-James is an internationally-renowned specialist in forensic and legal medicine. He is the former President of the Faculty of Forensic & Legal Medicine, and one of the first specialists in this field to be recognised by the UK General Medical Council. He has provided forensic expertise to, amongst others, the Independent Police Complaints Commission, the Metropolitan Police, the Home Office and the National Crime Agency.
TI Productions UK was launched in 2016 as an in-house TV production arm focused on creating quality factual and factual-entertainment programming for major UK broadcasters. The initiative aims to unlock the colourful stories and personalities in the pages of Time Inc. UK’s portfolio of more than 50 brands, says Time Inc UK.
