Steeltown Murders

First Air Date: 2023-05-15

Status: Ended

Rating: ⭐ 7.1/10 (30 votes)

Genres: Crime, Mystery

Overview: The hunt to catch the killer of three young women in the Port Talbot area in 1973 and the remarkable story of how - in the first case of its kind - the mystery was solved almost 30 years later using pioneering DNA evidence. Contrasting the policing methods of the 1970s with the forensic breakthroughs of the early 2000s, the series portrays a town dealing with the repercussions of an unsolved case three decades on, and asks if justice can ever truly be found.

Seasons: 1

Episodes: 4

Official Website

Top Cast

Scott Arthur

as Young DC Paul Bethel

Sion Alun Davies

as Young Phil 'Bach' Rees

Keith Allen

as Dai Williams

Gareth John Bale

as DC Geraint Bale

Aneurin Barnard

as Joseph Kappen

Kriss Dosanjh

as Young Rowan Anwar

User Reviews

Peter McGinn

⭐ 8/10

May 22, 2023

Yet another British mini-series based on actual events. This follows a cold case that is taken up again due to advances in DNA technology and science. The small team is run by DCI Paul Bethel, who worked on the case the first time around.

I confess I was a little confused at first, not immediately realizing that we were watching DCI Bethel in both time frames, past and present. It seems that had a third murder to add to the suspect.Somehow I started out thinking there were two separate investigations, one of which was looking at just the third murder. But once I realized my error I kept up with events just fine. If you watch a lot of British tv as we do you will recognize. Few good supporting actors in the cast.

Since this is based on real events, it is funny to see some common police show cliches showing up, such as the detective so dedicated to his job that his marriage suffers. I guess chiches are overused because they are often accurate. Still the wrong and the acting were strong.

As a side note, there is an accompanying documentary about the case that I expect to watch soon.