A MAJOR factual drama about the Moors Murders is to be filmed in Manchester and screened on ITV1 next year. See No Evil: The Story Of The Moors Murders will mark the 40th anniversary of Myra Hindley and Ian Brady’s 1966 trial at Chester Assizes.
Granada say the programme will “throw light on the untold story” of the killings and is based on two years of intensive research.
The roles of Hindley, who died in 2002 at the age of 60, and Brady, still held at Ashworth Hospital, Merseyside, have yet to be cast.
Both were jailed for life for the murders of Lesley Ann Downey, 10, and Edward Evans, 17. Brady was also convicted of killing John Kilbride, 12. They later confessed to the murders of Pauline Reade, 16, and Keith Bennett, 12.
Granada say the subject matter will be handled sensitively with no re-enactments of the abductions or murders. Brady has not been involved in the project.
Executive producer Jeff Pope said the film will show how Brady and Hindley were brought to justice. All the material set to be included is thought to already be in the public domain.
“We felt that now was the right time to make this programme. In the anniversary year of the trial when Myra’s heavily pregnant sister Maureen took the stand against her, we’re going to take an in-depth look at how two of Britain’s most notorious child killers were caught.”
Interviews
Filming starts in the Manchester area later this year. The research includes interviews with retired detectives, relatives on the murdered children and David Smith, Hindley’s brother-in-law, who was a key witness at the trial.
The drama has been written by Neil McKay, who has worked with Jeff Pope on previous factual dramas, including This Is Personal: The Hunt For The Yorkshire Ripper, Wall of Silence and Planespotting.
Neil said: “The drama provides a sober and unsensational account of the most notorious crimes of the last century. It tells the extraordinary story of how Ian Brady and Myra Hindley were brought to justice. But the focus is not only on their crimes, but also on the effects of those crimes on the families of the victims and on Myra Hindley’s sister Maureen.
“The response from the families of the victims to the project has been enormously encouraging and we hope the finished film will do them justice.” Granada say relatives have been fully consulted by the production team to ensure their stories are accurately portrayed.
Danny Kilbride, brother of John Kilbride, said: “I’ve gone through the script with the producer and it seems accurate. I’m pleased it’s being produced locally and I’d rather it was made in my lifetime so I can help as much as I can to try and make it true to life.
“These events shouldn’t be forgotten and every time a child goes missing it all comes rushing back. The more children are warned not to speak to any strange men or women, the better.”
Winnie Johnson, mother of Keith Bennett, whose body has never been found, said: “Keith was my eldest son and I won’t rest until he is found. All I want in life now is to keep the story in the public eye and keep the case open until Keith is returned to me.”
Alan West, the stepfather of Lesley Ann Downey, said: “People have got to know what happened. The younger generation might not know anything about it, but should do. It’s part of our history and it’s important to me to keep the memory of Lesley Ann alive.”
Jackie Reade, the niece of Pauline Reade, said: “I am pleased we have been consulted throughout and I think it’s been handled very sensitively. No matter what, we’ll never forget what happened.
The killings began in July 1963 when Hindley lured Pauline Reade into her car as the teenager walked along a Manchester street. She was taken to a remote spot on Saddleworth Moor and murdered. Over the next two years Brady and Hindley killed a series of young children around Manchester. John Kilbride was murdered in November 1963 after he was picked up at a market. Keith Bennett was taken by the couple in June 1964 as he made his way to his grandmother’s house. Lesley Ann Downey was murdered on Boxing Day 1964.
Her cries for help, recorded on tape by the couple, were later played at their trial. In October 1965, David Smith was tricked into going to Hindley’s Hattersley home late one night, where he witnessed the murder of Edward Evans. When Smith went to the police with his wife Maureen, Hindley and Brady were finally arrested.
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I think this kind of morbid fascination is sick, what happened was horrific it involved children and to make this programme is to sensationalise it and this should not be happen think about those members of the families who are left who don't want to be reminded of the events!!!!!!! try to find something else to fill the tv screen with not satisfying the morbid curiosity for those with no life
I agree with jane ,once again commercial television scrapes the barrel of human decency to dredge up what it thinks will sell advertising time it has nothing to do with 'untold 'stories,and I suppose we'll get big names for the lead roles , only recently we had a dramatisation of the shipman murders 'starring' james bolam ! while the public enquiry was still underway and victims families were still grieving.
What next ? Ant and Dec in 'whatever happened to thompson and venables'
isnt it time this case was buried for ever, brady and hindley get more air time than anyone else - forget it and move on.
I agree with Jane, some members of the victims families, were not even alive when this happened, but have suffered the aftermath of their relatives, brutal murder. They know all the details of what happened, down to the last detail, as they have grown up being told this all of their lives, and they don't need to see anymore publicity.
Some of the parents of the victims are no longer here, and the relatives that were born after these events took place, closed a chapter in their lives, when the victims parents passed away, and they don't want it being publisized all the time, as it takes them back to their feelings of it, and brings up issues for them, that they have to deal with time and time again. Hearing people talking about it at their workplace, feeling uncomfortable, with comments their collegues are making, and not being able to tell them to shut up, because people will start questioning why. Some people like living in the past, and getting their face back in the public eye. I am absolutely disgusted that yet another programme is being shown on those devil disciples. I don't understand why the youth of today need to know what happened???? What about members of the families, children's, children. Do they want it to affect yet another generation!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reading 'For the love of Lesley' by the mother of Leslie Anne Downey, it was out of all the books a more truthful, and inspiring insight. In it she vehemently opposed theatre and dramatisation of these killers and what they did. So why now she is dead are TV companies trying to show what is already known.To those like me who work behind media scenes to find Keith and to understand the historical setting which claimed these lives. It is an academic skill of interpreting this behaviour in order to be a tool for understanding this 'mistress and master' role of deviant minds. This has enabled us to see correlations in other countries of such behaviour of man and woman in tandem.It is now 41 years since Keith went missing and yet no film company has found where he is, although there have been a plethora of film makers on the Moors. To those film makers who do their homework they should find that in 1832 there was on that location a double axe murder and headlines sensationalising the Moors Murders over one hundred years later. The Bill o Jacks murders sealed this place as one of morbid fascination to some. If it were a scientific investigation instead of drama it would be fitting as yet another chance of using resources to find Keith for Winnie. This year again the Moors have been searched by many, many independents that have not found him, or any sign of where he is. This is very debilitating for all concerned in such admirable efforts. It is very hard to work as volunteers with our skills and know that film crews will be on the Moors. Surely the people of Saddleworth would like an end to this celebrity status of Myra. If one reads all the books on this subject, the contradictions in photographs and in the events are apparent. The book of Fred Harrison in 'Devils Disciple' years later opens a quicksand on prior theories and stories. Historically, my book will be on factual geology, industrial archaeology, and glaring differences as a 300 year old critique of the Moors. It is not the Moors that are infamous it is Myra Hindley. Even as she lived, she is more it seems infamous in death. That is why a drama is not the right medium for the people of Manchester, although it was in the drama replayed of the 'murder on the moors' in Oldham in 1960. That was the Bradbury murders as historical theatre drama. But at least it was over 100 years later. If you take my point.
One strange thing just happened. I gave over a year ago Ian Brady's book 'The Gates of Janus' to a person in Oldham. That book has just been returned as I write this.
i disagree with all the comments while we should feel lots of anger on these monsters. i think the programe will be a fansating look inside the minds of evil. having read most of the moors murderer books i think that after this movie that the case should be dead and buried just like the previous conments have said but this special will show everyone just how evil people can be and that stuff like this could happen to their children, it will be a warning to all kids everywhere not to trust strangers. However my thoughts are with thr poor mother of Keith Bennett and i hope it will be handled very sensitivly.
ian brady says he is the only one who knowes the truth about what happend on the 6oct 1965 but he is wrong on that date he and myra went to liverpool to collect the two suit cases they had left in lime st railway stasion just by chance they saw me and my mate playing around myra started t aking to us they took us in the cafe and got us tea and cake myra asked if we would like to go to manchester with them we said yes when brady went to get the tickets we both ran away brady must have done his nut they must got on the train back to manchester when they got off the train the first person they seen was evans but brady only had one victom and not one for smith but he must have been so angry with us running away he still went and murrded evans in front of smith did the police really think brady was so soft to think he would hide the suit cases in a local railway stasion which would put them away for life if they had not met me and my mate brady might not be in prison today
i would like to know where stephen mcgowan gets his facts from reading emlyn williams book on the 6th oct the two monsters where in millwards working together and no where near liverpool
The moors murders affected a lot of people, my husbands uncle was a journalist on the moors murders for a national newspaper. He was sickened by what he heard and couldn't believe the cruelty involved. After that he only ever reported on sport. Goodness knows what this factual drama will include I didn't think I'd ever see the day when TV would stoop so low.
I have read Emyln Williams book which Leslie Anne Downey's mother slates.
Last night mirrored parts of the Moors in 'Cold Blood'. This chose victims aged relation as 'wynne' and grey haired, small and using same words as Winnie Johnson. Even the way they took the long term serial killer to a remote landscape where he peeed on a grave and they did not acknowledge it sickened me.
I believe Ian Brady did NOT know and does not know EXACTLY where she placed Keith Bennett. The place he says is not what is on her so called 'map'.
Any drama is a soap opera and needs to consider if it is aiding finding Keith or just like tonight another 'best seller' for overseas markets as tonight is the serial killer 'Dr Harold Shipman'. Does anyone want to find Keith?
I watched the programmes and was very suprised at the approach but also very impressed with it, I think it got it all just about right, no playing down of the horror of what happened but no over dramatising either. Well done Granada
I was a 15 year old living in manchester at the time when these two evil people did what they.Its something i will never forget