It's hard to create a perfectly polished TV series about a real-life tragedy and yet The Pembrokeshire Murders makes it look easy. The series, which first aired on ITV in 2021 and depicts the pursuit of a cold-blooded serial killer, quickly became one of the channel's best - and most watched - detective dramas and if you missed it, the 10/10 drama belongs at the top of your watchlist.

The three-part series comes from the makers of Line of Duty and Bodyguard and follows Detective Superintendent Steve Wilkins (Luke Evans) as he reopens two unsolved 1980s murder cases linked with a string of burglaries. The cases - of siblings Richard and Helen Thomas' murders in 1985 and Peter and Gwenda Dixon's murders in 1989 - remained unsolved for many decades - but thanks to extraordinary police work, John Cooper (Keith Allen) was eventually jailed for the murders.

With the series now available to watch on ITV, here's everything you need to know about The Pembrokeshire Murders before you watch it, including the plot, cast, and how to watch it.

What is The Pembrokeshire Murders about?

editorial use only mandatory credit: photo by warren orchard/shutterstock (12082627ah) luke evans as steve wilkins. the pembrokeshire murders tv show, series 1, episode 3, uk jan 2021 the pembrokeshire murders, is a british itv three part television drama miniseries, based on the pembrokeshire murders by welsh serial killer john cooper, as played by keith allen. in 2006, newly promoted detective superintendent steve wilkins, as played by luke evans, reopens two unsolved 1980s murder cases linked with a string of burglaries. new advances in technology lead to him reviewing a 1989 episode of the gameshow, bullseye, which led to the serial killer finally being caught.
WARREN ORCHARD/Shutterstock

The three-part series is adapted from the true crime book, The Pembrokeshire Murders, written by Senior Investigating Officer Steve Wilkins and ITV news journalist Jonathan Hill. It tells the true story of two unsolved double murders from the 1980s that cast a shadow over the work of the Dyfed Powys police force.

In 2006, newly promoted Detective Superintendent Steve Wilkins (played by Luke Evans) decided to reopen both of these cases - and the results were quite extraordinary. Employing pioneering forensic methods, Steve and his team found microscopic DNA and fibres that appeared to link the murders to a string of burglaries committed in the 80s and 90s. The perpetrator of the robberies was nearing the end of his prison sentence, but if Steve and his team were right, he was also a serial killer.

The murders, which took place in 1985 and 1989, shook Pembrokeshire to its core and remained unsolved for decades. The first murder saw Richard and Helen Thomas fatally shot in their home in Milford Haven in December 1985 before the killer burned down the mansion they lived in. At the time, the police were stumped and couldn’t catch killer John Cooper (Keith Allen). Another four years passed before John went on to rob and kill Peter and Gwenda Dixon along a coastal path.

editorial use only mandatory credit: photo by warren orchard/shutterstock (12082627aj) luke evans as steve wilkins, alexandria riley as di ella richards and llinor ap gwynedd as di roland powell. the pembrokeshire murders tv show, series 1, episode 3, uk jan 2021 the pembrokeshire murders, is a british itv three part television drama miniseries, based on the pembrokeshire murders by welsh serial killer john cooper, as played by keith allen. in 2006, newly promoted detective superintendent steve wilkins, as played by luke evans, reopens two unsolved 1980s murder cases linked with a string of burglaries. new advances in technology lead to him reviewing a 1989 episode of the gameshow, bullseye, which led to the serial killer finally being caught.
WARREN ORCHARD/Shutterstock

It wasn’t until 2006 that both cases were reopened in an investigation called Operation Ottawa, with Detective Superintendent Steve Wilkins (Luke Evans) returning to the area from London to solve the cases. Not long after, Steve suspected they were dealing with a serial killer when he noticed the patterns between the two double murders, as well as other horrific crimes committed. Many critical pieces of evidence helped solve the murders, including the killer’s appearance on a gameshow called Bullseye. Eventually, Dyfed-Powys Police were able to prove John Cooper (Keith Allen) was guilty and he was jailed for life in 2011.

Speaking of his role in the drama, Luke Evans told ITV: “It's a huge responsibility for me as the drama depicts a true crime which to this day still affects the families of those whose lives were tragically taken."

Who’s in the cast of The Pembrokeshire Murders?

editorial use only mandatory credit: photo by itv/warren orchard/shutterstock (12082454z) luke evans as steve wilkins and alexandria riley as di ella richards. the pembrokeshire murders tv show, series 1, episode 1, uk jan 2021 the pembrokeshire murders, is a british itv three part television drama miniseries, based on the pembrokeshire murders by welsh serial killer john cooper, as played by keith allen. in 2006, newly promoted detective superintendent steve wilkins, as played by luke evans, reopens two unsolved 1980s murder cases linked with a string of burglaries. new advances in technology lead to him reviewing a 1989 episode of the gameshow, bullseye, which led to the serial killer finally being caught.
ITV/WARREN ORCHARD/Shutterstock

The cast of The Pembrokeshire Murders includes:

Filming alongside Luke Evans are Keith Allen as John Cooper, , Alexandria Riley as Ella Richards, Caroline Berry as Pat Cooper, Oliver Ryan as Andrew Cooper and David Fynn as ITV News journalist Jonathan Hill.

  • Luke Evans (Beauty and the Beast, Murder Mystery) as Detective Superintendent Steve Wilkins
  • Owen Teale (The Rig) as Gerard Elias
  • Keith Allen (Marcella, Robin Hood) as serial killer John Cooper
  • Caroline Berry (The Feast, Mayday) as Pat Cooper, John Cooper's wife
  • David Fynn (Daddy Issues, Lazarus) as ITV News journalist Jonathan Hill
  • Oliver Ryan (The Red King, Pennyworth) as Andrew Cooper
  • Alexandria Riley (The Death of Bunny Munro, Silo) as Detective Inspector Ella Richards
  • Charles Dale (The Lakes, Casualty) as Detective Sergeant Gareth Rees
  • Steven Meo (Father Brown, Doctors) as Detective Inspector Lynne Harries
  • Richard Corgan (Baker Boys, In My Skins) as Detective Sergeant Glyn Johnson
  • Kyle Lima (The Way) as Detective Constable Nigel Rowe
  • Steffan Cennydd (Tree on a Hill, Criminal Record) as Jack Wilkins
  • Anastasia Hille (Keeping Faith, The Missing) as Dr Angela Gallop
  • Roger Evans (House of the Dragon) as Detective Chief Inspector Jim Morris
  • William Thomas (Tree on a Hill) as Detective Chief Inspector George Jones
  • Suzanne Packer (The Night Caller, Bang) as Chief Constable Tyler
  • Ian Saynor (Hidden) as Mr Justice Griffith Williams
  • Rhodri Evan (Tree on a Hill) as Detective Chief Superintendent Coles
  • Simon Nehan (Casualty) as Craig

Is there a trailer for The Pembrokeshire Murders?

Yes, you can watch the trailer for The Pembrokeshire Murders below:

Is The Pembrokeshire Murders any good?

man looking shocked
Shutterstock

Yes, if you're a fan of true crime dramas, it's well worth a watch. When it first aired in 2021, it became one of ITV's top-rated shows, averaging 12.1 million viewers over 28 days. It also picked up two gongs at the BAFTA Cymru Awards 2021, with Marc Evans winning best Director and the series being named Best Television Drama.

How can I watch The Pembrokeshire Murders?

You can watch all three episodes of The Pembrokeshire Murders on ITVX.

What other detective dramas can I watch now?

nicola walker, annika season 2
BBC

If you're a Nicola Walker fan, we'd recommend Annika. Annika Strandhed (Nicola Walker) is tasked with investigating murders that wash up in Scotland’s waterways and she often breaks the fourth wall and engages with the audience directly. Annika is available to watch on NOW. If you haven't already seen it, we'd also suggest checking out Unforgotten. Nicola plays DCI Cassie Start who, along with DI Sunil ‘Sunny’ Khan (Sanjeev Bhaskar), solves long-buried cold case murders. All six series of Unforgotten are available to watch on ITVX.