The Sixth Commandment: BBC release date, trailer, cast with Timothy Spall and Anne Reid – is it a true story?

The Sixth Commandment, a new true crime drama starring Timothy Spall, is set to begin on BBC One on Monday 17 July 2023.

The series, which also stars Anne Reid and Éanna Hardwicke among others, dramatises the 2019 deaths of Peter Farquhar and Ann Moore-Martin (typically referred to as the Maids Morton murders in the years since it occurred).

Here’s everything you need to know about The Sixth Commandment ahead of its BBC One debut.

What is The Sixth Commandment about?

According to the official BBC One synopsis, “The Sixth Commandment tells the story of how the meeting of an inspirational teacher, Peter Farquhar and a charismatic student, Ben Field, set the stage for one of the most complex and confounding criminal cases in recent memory. It also focuses on how suspicions around Field’s relationship with Ann Moore-Martin, Peter’s deeply religious neighbour, unlocked a series of chilling revelations.”

“The Sixth Commandment explores the way in which both Peter and Ann were manipulated by Field, capturing the extreme gaslighting, the gripping police investigation and the high-profile trial. While poignantly highlighting the devastating effect of isolation and loneliness, as Field closed in on them, it also celebrates both Peter and Ann’s lives as cherished mentors, much loved relatives, and adored friends.”

Who stars in The Sixth Commandment?

Timothy Spall plays Peter Farquhar, a teacher in Maids Morton. Spall is best known for films like Home Sweet Home, Denial, and Secrets and Lies, while on television he’s appeared in the BBC Two Cold War drama Summer of Rockets, Sky’s horror series The Enfield Haunting, and the Netflix Western Perpetual Grace, LTD.

Anne Reid plays Ann Moore-Martin, a retired headteacher and Peter Farquhar’s next-door neighbour. Reid, in recent years, has been best known for starring in BBC One dramas like Years and Years and The Last Tango in Halifax; you might also recognise her from Dinnerladies, Coronation Street, and The Mother.

They’re joined by Éanna Hardwicke (Normal People), Annabel Scholey (The Split), Sheila Hancock (Unforgotten), Ben Bailey Smith (Andor), Conor MacNeill (Industry), Adrian Rawlins (Baptiste) and Amanda Root (Summerland) among others.

Who writes and directs The Sixth Commandment?

The Sixth Commandment was written by Sarah Phelps, a prolific screenwriter who is best known for a series of Agatha Christie adaptations for BBC One (including The Pale Horse, And Then There Were None, and The ABC Murders). 

The series was directed by filmmaker Saul Dibb, who is best known for directing The Salisbury Poisonings. Dibb previously worked with Phelps on the crime drama Dublin Murders, an adaptation of Tana French’s novels of the same name. 

Is there a trailer?

Yes, there is! You can watch it right here.

When and how can I watch The Sixth Commandment?

The Sixth Commandment begins on BBC One on Monday 17 July at 9pm, with the second episode following at the same time on Tuesday 18 July. The series follows the same release pattern the week after.

You’ll also be able to stream the series online on BBC iPlayer, where all four episodes will be available to watch as part of a boxset immediately after the television broadcast of the first episode.

How many episodes are there?

The Sixth Commandment is a four-part drama, with each episode running to around an hour long.

Is The Sixth Commandment a true story?

Yes, it is. The Sixth Commandment dramatises the 2019 murders of Peter Farquhar and Ann Moore-Martin; both were killed by Ben Field, a local church warden who believed that in killing Farquhar he would stand to receive a large inheritance.

The series takes its title from the sixth of ten commandments in the Bible, which instructs “thou shalt not murder”. 

Where was The Sixth Commandment filmed?

The Sixth Commandment was filmed on location in Bath and Bristol – around a hundred miles from Maids Morton, where the murders took place in real life.

Why should I watch The Sixth Commandment?

It’s one to watch if you’re a fan of Timothy Spall and Anne Reid, or if you’ve enjoyed previous BBC One true crime efforts.