Former Doctor Who star David Tennant is set to portray the infamous Scottish serial killer and necrophile Dennis Nilsen in Des, a new three-part drama series from ITV and New Pictures.
As reported by Deadline, the series is based upon Killing For Company: The Case of Dennis Nilsen by Brian Masters, and will chart the arrest and trial of Nilsen through his eyes, along with that of Masters (Jason Watkins) and Detective Chief Inspector Peter Jay (Daniel Mays).
Nilsen was responsible for murdering at least twelve young men and boys in London between 1978 and 1983; following his arrest and trial, he was sentenced to life imprisonment and died in jail last year.
“Dennis Nilsen’s crimes shocked the nation in the early 1980s,” said executive producer Kim Varvell. “Our programme focuses on the emotional impact of those terrible crimes, both on those who came into contact with Nilsen himself, and also on the victims’ families.”
Along with Tennant, Watkins and Mays, the miniseries will also feature Ron Cook, Faye McKeever, Chanel Cresswell, Barry Ward, Tony Way, Bronagh Waugh, Laurie Kynaston, Ross Anderson, Ben Bailey Smith, Jay Simpson, Silas Carson, Stuart McQuarrie, Jamie Parker, Lex Shrapnel, Gerard Horan, Joel Morris, Jonathan Coy, Amy Booth-Steel, Ken Bones, Andrew Woodall and Amaka Okafor.
