The Sixth Commandment | Preview (BBC One)

New drama starring Timothy Spall as Peter Farquhar, Anne Reid as Ann Moore-Martin, Éanna Hardwicke as Ben Field and Annabel Scholey as Ann’s niece, Ann-Marie Blake, alongside Sheila Hancock as Liz Zettl and Ben Bailey Smith as Simon Blake.

The Sixth Commandment tells the story of how the meeting of an inspirational teacher, Peter Farquhar (Timothy Spall), and a charismatic student, Ben Field (Éanna Hardwicke), 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 (Anne Reid), 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.

Written by Sarah Phelps (A Very British Scandal, The Pale Horse), The Sixth Commandment is produced by Wild Mercury Productions (a Banijay UK Company) and True Vision Productions.

The distinguished cast includes Timothy Spall (Mr Turner, Spencer), Anne Reid (Last Tango in Halifax, Sanditon, Dinnerladies), Éanna Hardwicke (Lakelands, Normal People), Annabel Scholey (The Split, The Salisbury Poisonings), Sheila Hancock (Unforgotten, A Discovery of Witches, Great Canal Journeys), Ben Bailey Smith (The Split, Andor), Conor MacNeill (Industry), Adrian Rawlins (Baptiste, Chernobyl) and Amanda Root (Summerland, Unforgotten).

The Sixth Commandment begins Monday 17th July on BBC One.