A Very British Murder with Lucy Worsley

The Ratcliffe Highway Murders, the Bermondsey Horror...renowned historian Lucy Worsley unpicks our fascination with murder in forensic detail in this gripping true crime documentary on BBC Select. In the 19th Century, Thomas De Quincey called Brits, 'a nation of Murder Fanciers'. Lucy looks at notorious killings from the time and explores the books, plays and songs they inspired.

Writers such as Dickens and Wilkie Collins were obsessed with murder. Renowned historian Lucy Worsley continues her deep dive into the murders and killings of the past in this sensational true crime documentary for BBC Select. During the Victorian era, the passion for stories concerning grisly crimes blossomed. But how much did the Jack the Ripper case influence stories such as Jekyll and Hyde?

As this thrilling true crime documentary on BBC Select concludes, historian Lucy Worsley looks at the Golden Age of crime fiction at the start of the 20th Century. Writers such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy L Sayers created intricate plots and whodunits that the public lapped up. But how much did real murders, such as the sensational killings conducted by Dr Crippen, influence entertainment?