Calling all true-crime drama fans! ITV has just unveiled the cast of its upcoming four-part true-crime drama Believe Me – and it looks like the ultimate one-night binge-watch.
Believe Me, starring Line of Duty star Daniel Mays, tells the true story of three women who were sexually assaulted by John Worboys, a taxi-cab driver who became one of the most notorious criminals in Britain.
Told over four parts, the drama focuses on the aftermath of two of the women who reported sexual assaults by John, and how the Police failed to thoroughly investigate the allegations, leading these women to feel that they weren't being believed.
HELLO!'s Acting TV Editor Nicky Morris said of the show: "You know you’re in safe hands with Daniel Mays, who has appeared in some of Britain’s best dramas, from Line of Duty and The Long Shadow, to A Thousand Blows, and Believe Me sounds like another cracker. I’ll certainly be tuning in."
Read on for everything you need to know about the new series…
What is Believe Me about?
Written by award-winning screenwriter Jeff Pope MBE, the four-part drama gives a platform to the horrific true crime inflicted by one of the UK's most prolific criminals.
According to the official synopsis: "Believe Me tells the story of three victims of one of the most prolific sex attackers in British history, John Worboys, dubbed by the media as the 'black cab rapist' after preying on women under the cover of being a 'respectable' licensed taxi-cab driver.
"John Worboys was convicted in 2009 for sexually assaulting twelve women between 2006 and 2008, with their cases selected from a large number of suspected further victims.
"His modus operandi was to claim that he'd had a win at a casino or on the lottery, then persistently offer women he'd picked up in his cab after a night out a glass of champagne, which he'd laced with drugs, and which rendered his victims unconscious.
"The drama focuses on the ordeal of two of the women who reported sexual assaults by Worboys, and how the Metropolitan Police failed to thoroughly investigate these women's allegations, leading them to feel that they were just not believed.
"Believe Me will relate how this left Worboys free to commit assaults undetected for many years. Following his trial came the realisation that he was linked to allegations of further sexual offences against over a hundred women.
© NurPhoto via Getty Images"The two women then joined forces with solicitor Harriet Wistrich and Phillippa Kaufmann QC, and decided to sue the Metropolitan Police under the Human Rights Act for their failure to properly conduct investigations into their allegations of sexual assault, leading to them being subjected to degrading treatment and contributing to their distress.
"The drama highlights how these women fought against all odds to have their cases heard, whilst looming in the background was Worboys' first parole hearing.
"Unbelievably, eight years after he was convicted for his crimes, his victims were made to fight again to keep him behind bars."
Who stars in Believe Me?
Daniel Mays (Line of Duty, Des, A Thousand Blows, The Long Shadow, Moonflower Murders) will bring the notorious John Worboys to life.
Meanwhile, Aimée-Ffion Edwards (Slow Horses, Peaky Blinders, Dreamland, Mr Burton) Miriam Petche (Industry) and Aasiya Shah (Raised by Wolves, Bloods, The Beast Must Die) are set to play the women John sexually assaulted.
What have the crew said?
In a statement, creator Jeff Pope said: "The series goes on an emotional journey with the victims of Worboys’ attacks, showing what happened to them when they reported being raped and assaulted, the pain and indignity of the process and how this de-humanised them.
© Getty Images"But most shocking of all is how they felt that not being believed by the police and having the attacks recorded, essentially, as non-crimes, was as traumatising for them as the actual assaults."
Believe Me will land on ITV1 and STV and be available for streaming on ITVX and STV Player.
