There's a new BBC One drama in the pipeline, with Stephen Merchant and Sheridan Smith taking the lead roles...
It has been announced that Stephen Merchant and Sheridan Smith will star in new BBC One drama The Barking Murders, which is due to commence filming this spring.
This new factual drama will go beneath the headlines to shed new light on this real-life story by telling it from the point of view of the families of Stephen Port’s victims.
It will be focusing on their fight to uncover the truth about what had happened to their lost sons and brothers in the face of a now widely criticised police investigation.
Stephen Port drugged and murdered four young men, Anthony Walgate, Gabriel Kovari, Daniel Whitworth and Jack Taylor, who he met on a dating app.
He will spend the rest of life in prison after receiving a whole-life sentence at the Old Bailey in 2016.
Actress Sheridan Smith, who is famous for her roles in Mrs Biggs, Cilla, The Moorside and most recently, Cleaning Up, will play Sarah Sak, the mother of victim Anthony Walgate.
Stephen Merchant who is best remembered for his roles in Extras and The Office will play serial killer Stephen Port in the highly anticipated drama.
Another famous face, Jamie Winstone, will also be joining the cast as Donna Taylor, one of the sisters of another of Stephen's victims, Jack Taylor.
On joining the cast, Stephen Merchant says: "This is a story that can’t be ignored - how four young lives were lost and their families’ brave attempt to uncover what happened.
"This factual drama will shed light on their story, so it’s a privilege to be a part of telling it with the brilliant combination of Jeff Pope, Neil McKay and the BBC."
Sheridan Smith adds: "I love playing real life characters - especially an inspirational woman like Sarah Sak - but with it comes responsibility.
"Along with the other families, Sarah went through so much heartache and it would have been easy for her to just accept what she was being told by the police, but something inside made her keep fighting for her son."
Picture credits: Main image and Stephen Merchant image: PA Images, Press Association Images and Sheridan image by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP
