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Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
‘Stomach-churning' thriller rockets up the Netflix charts a whopping 14 years on from its ITV debut - as viewers warn ‘it left me with chills'
A 'stomach-churning' thriller has rocketed up the Netflix charts a whopping 14 years on from its ITV debut - with viewers warning 'it left me with chills'. Appropriate Adult, which first aired on ITV in 2011, is a two-part mini-series of TV films dramatising how serial killers Fred and Rose West were brought to justice. The couple tortured, raped and murdered at least twelve young women in Gloucester between 1967 and 1987 - including their daughter Heather, 16, and Rose's stepdaughter Charmaine, eight. The dramatisation runs from their arrests in February 1994 until Fred's suicide, aged 53, behind bars in January 1995 - while Rose, 71, is still now serving a life sentence. It stars Dominic West as Fred, Monica Dolan (Mr Bates vs The Post Office) as Rose and Emily Watson as social worker Janet Leach - Fred's appropriate adult during police interviews, so there can be no suggestion he did not understand them. Viewers have taken to IMDb to express how gripping this older dramatisation is - after a harrowing Netflix documentary on the Wests, released earlier this month, reawakened interest in the case. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. The documentary, called Fred And Rose West: A British Horror Story, focusses on the victims' families. For some, it was the first time they spoke out and opened up on camera about their trauma. Appropriate Adult, by contrast, hones in on Janet's pivotal role, present in all Fred's interviews about his horrifying crimes. The drama received a whopping eight BAFTA nominations at the time of its release, with Dominic (The Crown) and Emily (Chernobyl) winning the awards for best actor and actress respectively. One viewer said of the series, which is currently ranking in the streamer's top ten, said: 'I was very moved by this dramatisation. Brilliant acting which left me with chills. 'I had to keep reminding myself that these events actually happened because it's so stomach-churning. This is definitely a must-see!' Another said: 'Emily Watson's stunning BAFTA-winning performance sets the small screen ablaze in this gripping study of sociopathy and those seduced by it. 'Watson does some of her most memorable and powerful work here and it is a clear demonstration of a gifted actor at the height of her artistry.' Viewers have taken to IMDb (pictured) to express how gripping this older dramatisation is But not everyone was pleased with the TV show, as one commenter (pictured) took issue with what they felt was a too sympathetic portrayal of Fred But not everyone was pleased with the TV show, as one commenter took issue with what they felt was a too sympathetic portrayal of Fred. They said: 'It was repellent - as well as incomprehensible - to watch Leach's developing interest and fascination with Fred West. 'Anyone watching this [series] should first do some Googling to find out the details of what Fred and Rosemary West perpetrated. 'If anyone deserves to be called human monsters, it is this pair. 'In the light of this knowledge, the script's clear intention - to me anyway - to actually make West into a figure of sympathy is disgusting.' The opening credits explain: 'This is a true story. What follows is based on extensive research, interviews and published accounts. 'Some scenes have been created for the purposes of dramatisation.' But it felt all too real for Dominic, who told the BBC at the time of filming that playing Fred gave him nightmares: 'I have this recurring dream where I'm perched on a wall and Fred West is trying to grab me and pull me down.' The drama received a whopping eight BAFTA nominations at the time of its release, with Dominic (The Crown) and Emily (Chernobyl) winning the awards for best actor and actress respectively The couple (pictured) tortured, raped and murdered at least twelve young women in Gloucester between 1967 and 1987 - including their daughter Heather, 16, and Rose's stepdaughter Charmaine, eight He also defended the series against criticisms it might be too traumatising for the victims' families to watch. Dominic said: 'I think it's effective without being sensational in any way. 'Thousands of people still go missing in this country every year and are never found. 'Fred West preyed on runaways without being caught for 25 years. We should not forget this case because there could be others like him.' It comes after audiences saw for the first time the eerie home videos of the West family, featured in the Netflix documentary that landed earlier this month. Riding bicycles over hilly tracks, wading through rambling streams and with children excitedly running off in different directions, they look like an ordinary family enjoying a day trip to the countryside. You would never guess this was footage of the family life of Britain's most notorious and sadistic serial killers: the Wests. The extraordinary family archive appears alongside chilling police footage of the moments West began giving up the secrets of 25 Cromwell Street in Gloucester. Riding bicycles over hilly tracks (pictured), wading through rambling streams and with children excitedly running off in different directions, they look like an ordinary family enjoying a day trip to the countryside Over a series of visits, West coldly points out where he has hidden the bodies of the vulnerable young women who were held captive, raped and tortured at the Wests' infamous address which would become known as the 'house of horrors'. He could not look more relaxed with a cigarette in hand. At times he has a smile on his face or is cracking jokes. It would later emerge that over 20 years the couple murdered at least 12 young women including two of their own children. Nine were dismembered and buried under the cellar and the garden patio at Cromwell Street by builder West. Rose was found guilty in 1995 of murdering ten girls and women, while Fred was facing trial for 12 murders before his suicide the same year.
Daily Mail
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Appropriate Adult: Trailer, certificate and where to watch
Dominic West and Emily Watson star in a once-controversial ITV drama about Fred West 2011
Metro
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
'Sexy' Netflix period drama with near perfect rating has just days to stream
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video BBC political thriller The Hour which has been praised as 'outstanding' is imminently leaving Netflix UK. The 2011 drama which ran for two seasons is a star-studded affair featuring Dominic West, Ben Whishaw, Romola Garai and Peter Capaldi. Set in June 1956, the six-part drama, 'focuses on the launch of a new BBC program as the Suez Crisis is unfolding in the Middle East.' There's political intrigue, high-stakes reporting and messy romances – essentially all the ingredients which make a short BBC drama tick. And critics would agree with The Hour securing 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. As The New Yorker put it: 'With its casting, its look, its unfolding mysteries, its attention to important historical events, its sexiness, The Hour hits every pleasure center.' Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. And The Spectator added: 'The dialogue brims with zingers and has the velocity of an assault rifle, like the West Wing in its pomp, while the plot zooms along, twisting this way and that, oozing corruption, sex and ambition. And all against a setting best described as nostalgia on heat.' Den of Geek had nothing but love for the high-caliber cast, reflecting: Ben Whishaw is great as bitter, passionate hack Freddie, as is Romola Garai as Bel, an ambitious woman seemingly decades ahead of her own time. Both are upstaged, however, by the towering presence of Dominic West.' As for fans, one anonymous RT user said: 'Outstanding show: fantastic script by Abi Morgan who also did River and The Split and outstanding performances. Season 2 was even better than season one. The best show we saw this year!' 'Incredible cast and well written series, the historical setting is brilliant. Definitely worth a watch,' Debbra W echoed. In an interview with Uproxx at the time, writer Abi spoke about her approach to portraying women in the newsroom in this era. More Trending 'Well, Bel was inspired by a handful of women who were working at the BBC, most notably Grace Wyndham Goldie, who was a female producer of Panorama Tonight, which is like 60 Minutes. 'And so I knew those women existed, although they were a minority. But I think also what was kind of exciting for me also about Bel was I wanted to write about women in a post-war culture,' she said. She later added: 'I feel like this was a show that had a lot of women on it. Yet I'm still only one of a handful of female writers around. And invariably that sexism is still prevalent, still quite relevant to today.' View More » The last day to stream The Hour on Netflix is June 4. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: 'Chilling' true crime documentary takes Netflix charts by storm MORE: 7 shows Eurovision haters can watch tonight if they can't face the music MORE: Forgotten sequel to Denzel Washington thriller becomes surprise Netflix hit
Daily Record
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Netflix fans have just days to watch 'sexy' period drama with near perfect rating
The enthralling and 'steamy' historical drama — set in 1956 during the Suez Crisis and the Hungarian Revolution — is currently streaming on Netflix, but will depart from the streamer on June 5. British television drama series The Hour was first broadcast on BBC Two when it made its series premiere back in 2011. Starring Ben Whishaw, Dominic West, and Romola Garai, supported by Burn Gorman, Anna Chancellor, Tim Pigott-Smith, Juliet Stevenson, Anton Lesser, Julian Rhind-Tutt, and Oona Chaplin, the riveting historical drama has been penned by Brick Lane screenwriter Abi Morgan (who also serves as one of the executive producers on the show). With hour-long episodes across its two series, the show was mostly filmed in Hornsey Town Hall and its lead director was Coky Giedroy. The Hour is currently streaming on Netflix, but will depart from the streamer on June 5. Centred around a fictional current-affairs show being launched by the World Service in June 1956, The Hour is set in a BBC newsroom at the time of the Suez Crisis and the Hungarian Revolution. It follows maverick journalist Freddie Lyon (Whishaw), ambitious producer Bel (Garai), and enigmatic anchor Hector (West) as they launch the investigative news show — The Hour. Drama and tensions run high as the three protagonists become embroiled in a steamy love triangle, playing out against the backdrop of a cryptic murder. Set in the ruthless area of sexual politics, The Hour is a show that redefines the historical drama. Speaking to Digital Spy about what he felt when he first walked onto The Hour's set, actor Dominic West said: 'It's extraordinary, the detail. You get a sheet of paper which I have to hold while I'm being broadcast, which is in the background anyway. There's no way it'll ever be on screen, and yet it's a detailed timetable or list of detailed questions as it would have been." Actress Romola Garai also talked about her experience filming for the show and said: "You'll sometimes get someone say to you, 'Do you want something to hold?' because quite often it's nice to have a prop or something. "So you'll get a piece of paper and it's normally just the lunch menu! You'll get a piece of paper on this job and it'll be typed from a Corona typewriter and it'll be the schedule for a made-up show that isn't even in the script with all period dates of the shows that we would be covering. I think the production design might have OCD! It's really, really accurate." With a smashing 94 per cent rating on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, The Hour has been lauded by critics as well as audiences. One critic wrote: 'With its casting, its look, its unfolding mysteries, its attention to important historical events, its sexiness, The Hour hits every pleasure centre.' While another said: 'A gripping thrill-ride of a show; escapist and stylish despite playing a bit fast and loose with historical accuracy at times.' Another positive review added: 'The Hour is alternately ferocious and tender, and refreshingly clear-eyed about the interactions between gender and class,' and one reviewer observes: 'What makes it so engaging is that it works so well with and within the strictures of the well-thumbed genres it combines in equal parts: spy thriller, murder mystery, backstage drama, triangular romance.' Praise for director Abi Morgan also ran abound, with one viewer saying: 'Outstanding show: fantastic script by Abi Morgan who also did River and The Split and outstanding performances. Season 2 was even better than season one. The best show we saw this year! I just hope we see more shows from Abi Morgan. She is so talented.' Another audience review calls The Hour a 'fab series' that's witty and has 'great sets and clothes'. Commending the 'superb line up of the cream of actors', the audience review further states that the show is 'well cast', however 'the pace is a bit odd but it's great evening watching.'
South China Morning Post
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Meet Dominic West's daughters, Martha and Dora: their brother Senan starred as a young Prince William in The Crown – but which sister acted in The Pursuit of Love with Lily James and her dad?
It's been five years since married father of two Dominic West was pictured getting intimate with his The Pursuit of Love co-star Lily James in Rome. The paparazzi shots caused a scandal, and tabloids reported that his marriage to Catherine FitzGerald was 'as good as over'. Reflecting on the ordeal last June in an interview with The Sunday Times' Culture Magazine , West talked about how the negative headlines had impacted his family. 'I hesitate to speak on my wife's behalf because it was obviously horrible, particularly for her,' he said. 'But we do joke about it sometimes … It was an absurd situation. It was deeply stressful for my wife and my kids, but there were lighter moments. That was the best that came out of it, really.' Advertisement Dominic West celebrates his 55th birthday with his daughters Martha and Dora. Photo: Instagram Then last October, the actor was pictured celebrating his 55th birthday with his two daughters, Martha, 26, and Dora, 18. Martha, whose Instagram account is private, reportedly shared the photo of the trio on her account. In the Instagram Story, the West daughters are seen hugging their dad as they sing happy birthday to him, per the Daily Mail. Here's what we know about Dominic West's two daughters, who he seems to be on good terms with despite the scandal: How many children does Dominic West have? Dominic West has five children in total. Photo: EPA-EFE The Crown actor has five children in total. Per People magazine, he shares four children – Dora, Senan, Francis and Christabel – with his wife Catherine FitzGerald. Grazia UK notes that he also shares a daughter with ex-girlfriend Polly Astor. Dominic and FitzGerald's eldest son Senan even joined his father in season five of The Crown as a young Prince William – with no prior acting experience, per People magazine. Who is Dominic West's wife?
