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Season 1 – Des

Play trailer Poster for Season 1 – Des Sep 2020 Crime Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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90% Tomatometer 20 Reviews 92% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
When the police discover his drain clogged with rotting flesh and bones, Dennis Nilsen freely admits his crimes to the police; as they try to secure a conviction, biographer Brian Masters' attempts to understand his motives grow ever more obsessive.
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Des — Season 1

Des — Season 1

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Des is a smartly scripted, sufficiently eerie true crime drama anchored by a chilling performance from David Tennant.

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Critics Reviews

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John Anderson Wall Street Journal 10/14/2020
[Des] is delivered in three tautly constructed, economical episodes about crime and punishment, the crime, as usual, being more engrossing than the punishment. Go to Full Review
Liam Fay The Times (UK) 09/22/2020
David Tennant's performance as the titular psychopath, known as Des to his fellow civil servants, was richly detailed and impeccably controlled. Ultimately, however, the show's central strength was Luke Neal's agile screenplay. Go to Full Review
Scott Bryan BBC.com 09/19/2020
In short, it's a fascinating portrait of a terrible man. Go to Full Review
Graeme Tuckett The Post NZ 09/03/2021
Recommended, but only with a strong drink nearby. Go to Full Review
Hannah Brown Jerusalem Post 02/09/2021
It stars David Tennant, who was so memorable as DI Alec Hardy in Broadchurch, and he gives another tightly wound performance here. However, it is an extremely disturbing miniseries and not for the faint of heart. Go to Full Review
Josh Bell CBR 10/15/2020
Des captures this unassuming real-life serial killer thanks to an excellent performance from David Tennant, but it focuses just as much on two men who helped bring Nilsen to justice. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Diana I @RT86965059 10/05/2024 A. Psychological, look into a manipulative serial killer. Excellent script executed to perfection See more DMC M @Dee1957 09/07/2024 It was pretty good, I watched all 3 episodes at one time. The actors were good. David Tennant is a clone of Dennis Nilsen, it's uncanny. There's a Netflix doc called "The Nilsen tapes" and a clip of that reveals that he actually said more to police about his motives than what was in this 3 part series, I feel there could have been a lot more to this story other than the frustration the police had trying to get him convicted. See more ThaMago L @ThaMago 03/31/2024 Very good, wish we could see a little bit more tho See more Margaret W @RT01437659 01/09/2024 Excellently well-written, -acted, and -executed by the entire creative team, cast, and crew. It's hard to move on after watching and being confronted with such heinous violence inflicted on innocent human beings. I think that the questions of how to respond in such an unfathomable situation--primarily, seeking some form of justice, or at the least, closure and accountability, for the victims and wondering what might cause someone to be capable of this--were handled with what felt like a great deal of thought and respect. The leading performances are fantastic, as has been mentioned, but the supporting cast, especially the actors who played Sinclair's family, Allen's ex-partner, and Stotter, gave incredibly impactful performances in the short time they had on-screen. Take care in deciding to watch, as the series is incredibly upsetting (as it probably should be, given the horrific subject matter) but a worthwhile watch for sure. See more Gareth v @geewah 06/24/2023 A smart and excellent limited series on the arrest and trial of notorious serial killer, Dennis Nilsen. David Tennant's potrayal of Nilsen as both a bland individual and a chilling murderer is superb, as is May as tension riddled cheif dectective Peter Jay. One of the hidden gems of 2020. See more leokimvideo @RT20450894 05/31/2023 Impeccable acting, story telling and details BUT what was totally overdone was the endless smoking scenes. Honestly must have a record number of smoking scenes in a short series See more Read all reviews
Des — Season 1

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Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Sep 14, 2020 On Feb. 9 1983, Detective Chief Inspector Peter Jay discovers a drain clogged with rotting flesh and bones; he culprit, Dennis Nilsen, freely admits to the police that it's not just one or two bodies, but more than a dozen. Details Episode 2 Aired Sep 15, 2020 With limited resources, Jay and the police continue to dig into Dennis Nilsen's memories in an effort to convict him of the murders; when Des withdraws his cooperation and stops talking, Jay fears justice will be lost. Details Episode 3 Aired Sep 16, 2020 Reeling from Des' change in plea, Jay and the police throw themselves into proving premeditation; if they can show the court that Des was undoubtedly of sound mind when he committed his crimes, he will go down and never be released. Details
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Season Info

Director
Lewis Arnold
Creator
Luke Neal, Lewis Arnold
Executive Producer
Willow Grylls, Kim Varvell, Charles Pattinson, Elaine Pyke, Luke Neal, Lewis Arnold, David Tennant
Screenwriter
Luke Neal
Network
UTVHD
Genre
Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
British English
Release Date
Sep 14, 2020