Steeltown Murders
Steeltown Murders is a four-part factual drama television miniseries written by Ed Whitmore and directed by Marc Evans. It was produced for the BBC by Severn Screen based in Wales and aired on BBC One. It stars Philip Glenister and Steffan Rhodri as detectives investigating the real-life murders committed by Joseph Kappen in Port Talbot in South Wales. It premiered on 15 May 2023 on BBC One, with all episodes immediately available on BBC iPlayer.

Synopsis
Twenty-first century technological advances help detectives with a cold murder case from 1973. Geraldine Hughes and Pauline Floyd both left the Top Rank nightclub in Swansea without ever making it home. Their bodies were discovered later in Llandarcy. Dubbed the case of the “Saturday Night Strangler”, it became the first documented case of a serial killer in Wales. Joseph Kappen was the real-life perpetrator.

Cast
 Philip Glenister as DCI Paul Bethell 
 Scott Arthur as young DC Paul Bethell
 Steffan Rhodri as DC Phil ‘Bach’ Rees 
 Siôn Alun Davies as young DC Bach Rees 
 Keith Allen as Dai Williams
 Rhys Rusbatch as young Dai Williams
 Sharon Morgan as Pat Williams
 Karen Paullada as DSI Jackie Roberts
 Richard Harrington as Dr Colin Dark
 Nia Roberts as Karina Bethell
 Elinor Crawley as young Karina Bethell
 Priyanga Burford as Sita Anwar
 Natasha Vasandani as young Sita Anwar
 Kriss Dosanjh as Rohan Anwar
 Calista Davies as Geraldine Hughes
 Jade Croot as Pauline Floyd
 Steve Nicolson as DI Tony Warren
 Oliver Ryan as DCS Ray Allen
 Richard Corgan as DS Chris Wynne
 Rhodri Miles as John Dilwyn Morgan
 Ben McGregor as young John Dilwyn Morgan
 Caroline Berry as Mrs Morgan
 Rosie Sheehy as young Mrs Morgan 
 William Thomas as Denver Hughes
 Gruffudd Glyn as young Denver Hughes
 Mair Rowlands as Jean Hughes
 Amy Morgan as young Jean Hughes
 Walter van Dyk as Mr Croiset
 Matthew Gravelle as Seb
 Mia Khan as Maya
 Richard Elfyn as DS Vic Jenkins
 Dyfan Dwyfor as young DS Vic Jenkins
 Gareth John Bale as DC Geraint Bale
 Joshua Jenkins as DC Si Owen
 Morgan Hopkins as DC Nigel Parke
 Rhys ap William as DS Jack Griffiths
 Dewi Rhys Williams as ACC Tim Bailey
 Phil Howe as DC Elwyn Wheadon
 Terema Wainwright as Hodges
 Lisa Victoria as Jane Marchant
 Wyn Bowen Harries as Walter Watkins
 Nicholas McGaughey as Thomas Willoughby
 Matthew Aubrey as Phil Blunt
 Maxine Evans as Jan Stiles
 Maria Pride as Christine Kappen
 Remy Beasley as young Christine Kappen
 Aneurin Barnard as Joseph Kappen
 Francine Morgan as Suzie
 Phylip Harries as Tony
 Arwyn Davies as Rhys Webber
 Amelia Donkor as Sylvia Kambray

Episodes

Production
The series is written by Ed Whitmore and made by Severn Screen. The four-part series is directed by Marc Evans with Hannah Thomas as producer in association with All3Media International. The executive producers on the series are Ed Talfan, Jon Hill and Ed Whitmore for Severn Screen with Helen Perry and Rebecca Ferguson for the BBC.

Filming
Filming began in South Wales in November 2022. The real life detective Paul Bethell was involved in the production and Philip Glenister said he felt “responsibility” to get the story right for the bereaved family members.

Broadcast
Steeltown Murders aired in the UK from Monday 15 May 2023 on BBC One, with all episodes becoming immediately available on BBC iPlayer.

Reception
The series was chosen as “pick of the week” in The Sunday Times on 14 May 2023. Commenting that “the evolution of police work drives the drama, but a careful script keeps sight of the victims and their families”. Lucy Mangan in The Guardian gave the series four stars, saying that the script "does full justice to the painstaking and never glamorous policework that finally found the Saturday Night Strangler, and the difference integrity makes to a job and to a life". Rachel Cooke in The New Statesman said she was left “bored and furious”.

See also 

 List of Welsh fiction television series

References

External links
 

2023 British television series debuts
2023 British television series endings
2020s British drama television series
2020s British television miniseries
BBC television dramas
English-language television shows
Television shows set in Wales