The Wimbledon Kidnapping
From Monday 22 November 9.40pm
Exploring the mysterious disappearance of Muriel McKay, the UK’s first kidnapping case and one of the most infamous cases of mistaken identity.
Britain’s first kidnap and ransom case galvanised the nation in 1969.
On 29th December, Muriel McKay disappeared from her suburban home in Wimbledon. She was kidnapped by mistake, the real target being the wife of media tycoon, Rupert Murdoch.
Such was the strangeness of the case that everyone from the police, family, Fleet Street, and hundreds of clairvoyants all struggled to decipher the vanishing of the respectable 55-year-old housewife.
For the first time, one of the men convicted in this astonishing crime story tells their account.
Following the Drug Money
Thursday 25 November 8.00pm
Drug gangs collect millions in cash, but how do they get the money into a bank account?
BBC’s Panorama investigates a crime gang that has laundered hundreds of millions of dollars around the world. The team follows the dirty money trail from the streets of Europe to the gold markets of Dubai and to the gang leaders in Morocco.
Discover how bankers and accountants help facilitate the crime - and how some drug money ends up in the bank accounts of bigname companies.
Endeavour
From Friday 26 November 8.30pm
It’s 1971 and crime in Oxford is ever-present. Though the events of the past year still weigh heavily on Endeavour’s (Shaun Evans) mind, there’s no chance of ‘light duties’ at the CID – crestfallen and rarely without a scotch in-hand, Endeavour finds himself right back in the thick of it.
Bearing a likeness to a spate of recent Angry Brigade attacks, an explosive murder at an Oxford college has potentially far-reaching political ramifications. Meanwhile, the IRA have made a threat against the life of the Oxford Wanderers’ star striker.Tasked with the duty of acting bodyguard, Endeavour is shown the glitz and glamour of football stardom – a world away from the game played out on the pitch. A world, in which, footballers are the stars of the show and team loyalty falls secondary to commercial interests.
With the IRA’s threat making front-page news, all eyes are on the upcoming match between the Oxford Wanderers and their rivals, Minnows Cowley Town. The stakes are high – a stadium full of potential perpetrators – forcing the CID to bring in backup. But, when further foul play ensues, the pressure mounts to keep the revered footballer safe.
Back at the college, Endeavour casts doubt over the political motivations for the bomb attack and turns his investigation towards the personal, leading him to a surprising discovery.
Production credits: Endeavour is a Co-Production of Mammoth Screen and Masterpiece, in association with ITV Studios. Executive Producers: Roger Allam, Shaun Evans, Russell Lewis, Damien Timmer and Helen Ziegler.
The Larkins
From Saturday 27 November 7.30pm
Set in the late 1950’s, The Larkins follows the golden-hearted wheeler dealer Pop Larkin (Bradley Walsh) and his wife Ma (Joanna Scanlan), together with their six children, including the beautiful Mariette (Sabrina Bartlett), as they bask in their idyllic and beautiful patch of paradise in Kent.
Fiercely loyal to each other and their community, there’s an overwhelming sense of plenty in their lives and a lot of joy and raucous laughter. With an endless supply of delicious, hearty meals alongside the odd cocktail or two, the Larkins are always happy to share what they have with others, despite the fact that what they have is sometimes obtained by unusual means!
Sadly, their good heartedness is not always shared by certain members of the local community and village gossip (particularly from the Normans) about Pop and his family is often rife.
From government officials and snobbish second homeowners to aggressive urban developers, the Larkins never take threats to their idyllic way of life lying down but when Cedric ‘Charley’ Charlton (Tok Stephen) arrives to inspect their taxes things are looking bleak for The Larkins.
Soon distracted by the beautiful Mariette, Charley quickly discovers that he has a romantic rival in the form of the handsome and mysterious Tom Fisher (Stephen Hagan). Mariette, on the other hand, may have plans of her own, which don’t involve men.
From May Day Fairs to straw-man pram races and donkey derbies, there’s never a dull moment with The Larkins.
Production credits: Produced by Objective Fiction, Genial Productions and Objective Media Group Scotland in association with All3Media International. Executive producers are Ben Farrell, Charlotte Lewis, Sophie Clarke-Jervoise and Simon Nye, Toby Stevens and Bradley Walsh.
