ITV has unveiled a series of compelling documentary films for this autumn.
Gordon Ramsay, Ross Kemp, Susanna Reid, Sir Trevor McDonald and Piers Morgan are among the names attached to front a series of crime documentaries.
The films will explore a range of subjects, including hidden criminal worlds, the workings of a criminal mind, the international cocaine trade, police investigations and current punishments in place in Britain.
The season includes a documentary from Sir Trevor McDonald exploring the pivotal time in a murder investigation known as the 'Golden Hour' and a documentary looking at the investigation of missing 13 year old Becky Watts.
Piers Morgan meets serial killer Mark Reibe in a one-off documentary, Ross Kemp spends a week in one of the most notorious prisons in Britain, and Gordon Ramsay investigates the criminal world of cocaine in the UK and going overseas to South and Central America.
Sue Murphy, Head of Factual Entertainment, who commissioned the season, said: “Crime and the way we treat prisoners are subjects of great importance in modern Britain. It affects us all and tells us much about the dark side of human nature and society."
"In this season of brand new crime programmes, well-known figures immerse themselves in challenging and often dangerous precincts, to bring ITV viewers an authentic, unflinching insight into hidden and extreme worlds."
An Hour To Catch A Killer
Sir Trevor McDonald presents this one-off documentary that follows the Northumbria homicide team during the crucial window of time known as the 'Golden Hour', which determines the outcome of a murder investigation.
The Golden Hour is described by the British Police's murder Investigation Manual as the time when crucial decisions are made by detectives and what impact this has on whether they will catch the killer.
Homicide detectives from Northumbria Police force start filming themselves from the second a call comes in, when the clock starts ticking on their chances of finding the culprit. For the first time the entire murder squad wear HD body Cameras, recording every moment as the first 60 minutes counts down.
Viewers are able to venture inside the crime scene with unrestricted access to the investigation and are taken through the investigation as it develops, taking every step with the detectives until the murderer is found.
In the documentary, Sir Trevor McDonald interviews the family members of the murder victim. He said, “An Hour To Catch A Killer will reveal the expertise of Northumbria Police's Homicide Team, through unprecedented access to every layer of the investigation."
"The use of Body Worn Cameras will provide an incredibly intimate insight into the crucial 'Golden Hour' of a murder inquiry as we follow the team's race against the clock to catch the killer.”
Gordon on Cocaine
Gordon Ramsay investigates the dark criminal world of cocaine production in Britain, exposing the cruel trade and fatal realities behind the glamourous facade of the Class A drug.
In the two-part documentary, Ramsay explores the use of cocaine in the restaurant trade and the ways in which the careers and lives of business men and women are ruined by abuse of the drug.
The subject matter is personal to Ramsay, who has seen the effects of the drug addiction first-hand as he lost his close friend to a cocaine overdose in 2003.
He travels to South and Central America, where he sees how the illegal drug is made and meets hired assassins and a drug smuggler. On his journey, he witnesses the immediate aftermath of a cocaine-related murder and he joins a Colombian anti-narcotics unit on a raid, where he is shown the brutal reality of the 'war on drugs'.
“I’ve wanted to understand the 'world' of cocaine ever since I lost one of my chefs at my flagship restaurant in Chelsea and I wanted to learn why it’s becoming such an epidemic not just globally but specifically in the culinary world," said Ramsay. "Understanding and seeing how it’s made, transported, distributed, abused and prevented, has opened my eyes to the dreadfully dark side of cocaine that is simply not talked about and shown me that it’s far from glamorous and harmless."
Ross Kemp in Jail - Inside Barlinnie
Ross Kemp joins prisoners in the HMP Barlinnie prison in Glasgow for a unprecedented look at life in one of the toughest prisons in the UK.
Over the space of a week, Kemp immerses himself within prison life; meeting prisoners and officers to discover the workings of the prison, what it is like to live a life behind bars, and how the prison got its violent and tough reputation.
During his time behind bars, Kemp meets prisoners who are preparing to leave, as well as repeat offenders who struggle to adjust to life on the outside.
“I’m delighted to be working with ITV and STV Productions on a documentary about HMP Barlinnie in Glasgow," said Kemp. "I’m looking forward to spending time not only with the inmates but also with the prison officers and attempting to get to the heart of what makes this iconic prison tick and trying to understand why so many who leave prison, often return.”
The Murder of Becky Watts - Inside the Investigation
The documentary examines the case of missing 16 year old Becky Watts, which made headline news and caused a major police investigation in 2015 before the discovery that her stepbrother Nathan and his girlfriend Shauna were guilty of her murder.
Presenter Susanna Reid speaks to the her relatives about the impact that this shocking crime had on their family. She said, "Hearing from a devastated family which has lost a young girl to such a shocking crime brings home how vital it is for killers to be brought to justice."
She added, "And in this film we see an incredibly close, eye-opening perspective on how the culprits try to cover their tracks and the way detectives use their experience, expert skills and instincts to unravel their lies in their tireless determination to uncover the truth."
The film reveals exclusive information about the workings of the case, including never-before-scene police recordings and video footage and the strategies and tactics that were used to catch the young girl's killers.
Serial Killer with Piers Morgan
Piers Morgan interviews one of America's most dangerous and manipulative killers, Mark Reibe, in this eye-opening documentary.
Meeting Reibe at Florida's maximum security Blackwater Prison, Morgan presses the inmate on his crimes and why he astonishingly withdrew his confession to the murders of thirteen young women.
Morgan challenges Reibe, who is already serving life for the murder of Donna Callaghan, in a tense search for the truth.
“The serial killer subject of this programme is the single most dangerous person I have ever encountered - a man who ruthlessly preyed on dozens of young women, killing as many as 13," commented Morgan. "He ended our interview by ripping off his microphone and storming off as I confronted him about the full scale of his barbaric murder spree. In that moment, viewers will see him for what he is: an apparently normal, mild-mannered and slightly built human being capable of sudden furious rage."
"It is both a riveting encounter and a shocking insight into the warped, twisted mind of a serial killer.”
The Crime and Punishment series of documentaries will be shown in consecutive weeks this autumn.
