The Pembrokeshire Murders

Unfortunately I think some reviews were expecting a shoot 'em up police story, hence their negative reviews. Real police work, as shown in this series, is a slog gathering and analysing the evidence to prove the case. I thought the acting was good, with Like Evans playing a subtle low-key role, whereas Keith Alan portrayed a believable devious character. The Pembroke landscapes added further credibility to the story, which culminated in a tense court room outcome.

The disturbing criminal profile of a sadist Even if the outcome of the plot is known, it is exciting to look over the shoulder of the investigative team Unexcited and simple. And that is exactly the strength of this mini-series. All in all, not a classic crime thriller, but sober, straightforward and without surprises, almost like a documentary.

A well-written and beautifully filmed mini-series, with a great lead and good supporting performances, this incredible drama focusses on the Bullseye Killer's crimes

Wilkins himself had some small part in seeing that the series stuck to the truth without sensationalising anything that had happened. As well as this, Cooper's son met with one of the screenwriters. The authenticity of the drama shows, as do the efforts of the director to ensure it gives fair representation of the victims

The best ITV drama I've seen

Pembrokeshire was the scene of several murder and violent crimes, which went unsolved, and spanned several years. The Pembrokeshire Murders solves the case of The Coastal Murders.

Another ITV drama series which tells the story of a real life crime, following on from White House Farm and Des, this was truly excellent.

Great to see that it was filmed in and around Pembrokeshire, you never know where they'll pitch their cameras these days, but this had a true air of authenticity to it.

A terrific cast play their part very well, Keith Allen is excellent as Cooper, however the standout is Like Evans, who takes up a rare television role, and brings Investigating Officer Steve Wilkins incredibly well.

If you're interested in the case, there is a very good documentary, The Bullseye Killer, worth watching once this show is finished.

I thought this was excellent, one of the best dramas on screen for a while, 9/10.

This series is a dramatization of real events which took place in Pembrokeshire, in the South West of Wales. In 2006 a new Detective Chief Superintendent, Steve Wilkins, decides to reopen a notorious pair of unsolved murders from the 1980s. He is hoping that advances in DNA analysis will tie items gathered at the time to somebody whose DNA is in the system. Similarities with other crimes leads Wilkins and his team to suspect convicted burglar John Cooper. He is in jail but is up for parole; Wilkins is convinced that he will kill again if released... he just needs to find that crucial piece of information that will enable him to press new charges.

Since this is based on real events it doesn't feature the sort of events one would expect in a fictional murder mystery... we don't get multiple suspects or moments of danger for the police. Instead we look at the more painstaking parts of real investigations; trying to find images of the suspect at the time of the crimes to match with a sketch made by a police artist based on a witness statement; checking for paint samples and searching for a pair of khaki shorts. It is fascinating to see the police trying to find which evidence is crucial during interviews with Cooper. The cast is impressive; most obviously Luke Evens and Keith Allen as Wilkins and Cooper respectively. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to fans of crime drama; even those who usually prefer the fictional variety.