The Widower: Underrated Sheridan Smith drama based on 'twisted' true story hits Netflix
Viewers have praised Reece Shearsmith's "chilling" performance in The Widower
The Widower, an ITV true crime drama starring Sheridan Smith and Reece Shearsmith, has entered the Netflix chart.
Netflix has licensed several superb ITV shows this month. Des (featuring David Tennant’s terrifying portrayal of Dennis Nilsen), A Mother’s Son, and all three series of Broadchurch are all available to stream now.
They’ve always been among the best ITVX dramas, but the simple fact remains that Netflix is the biggest streaming platform in the world. If something is on there, it’s probably going to be watched more than it would be anywhere else.
So, it’s the perfect place for an unsung series like The Widower to get the reception it always deserved.
What is The Widower about?
The Widower follows Malcolm Webster, a seemingly mild-mannered nurse in a happy marriage. However, after his first wife asks to see his debts, he drugs her, kills her, and claims her life insurance payout.
This marks the beginning of Webster’s murderous scheme, but things don’t go exactly to plan with his second wife – or his third fiancée.
The series (originally released in 2013) comes from Jeff Pope, the screenwriter and producer behind some of the best true crime shows of the 21st century.
For example, he won a BAFTA for See No Evil: The Moors Murders, and he was an executive producer on Appropriate Adult, The Moorside, and Little Boy Blue.
Who’s in the cast?
Reece Shearsmith (Inside No. 9) takes on the lead role in The Widower, playing Malcolm Webster.
Sheridan Smith (I Fought the Law) portrays his first wife, Claire, while Kate Fleetwood (The Wheel of Time) and Archie Panjabi (Doctor Who) play Felicity and Simone respectively.
The Widower cast also includes:
- Fiona O’Carroll (Mrs Brown’s Boys) as Lucy
- John Hannah (A Touch of Cloth) as DI Charlie Henry
- James Laurenson (The Crown) as Brian Drumm
- Alex Ferns (EastEnders) as DCI Neil Thompson
- Joanna Roth (In Plain Sight)
Shearsmith’s chilling performance as Webster has been lauded by viewers online since the show dropped on Netflix. “He was excellent in this,” one user wrote on Reddit.
“Reece’s performance is superb – it’s all in the subtle expressions, the chilling looks, the deceptive charm, the brazen confidence of the pathological liar,” another user wrote in an earlier post.
“Reece’s performance as Malcolm Webster is fantastic, so subtle and menacing,” a third fan commented.
It doesn’t have enough reviews for a Rotten Tomatoes score, but critics’ write-ups have been near-unanimously positive.
Is The Widower based on a true story?
Yes, The Widower is based on the real-life crimes of Malcolm Webster.
Webster was the subject of the longest trial for a single accused in Scottish legal history. He was eventually sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Claire Morris in 1994 and the attempted murder of his second wife, Felicity, in 1999.
At his sentencing in 2011, the judge said he’d committed “cold-blooded, brutal, and callous” crimes of financial gain; specifically, his partners’ life insurance policies.
Webster has appealed against his convictions multiple times, but they’ve never been fully upheld. He’s now 66 years old and still incarcerated.
In an interview with The Custard in 2014, Shearsmith said he felt a “weight of responsibility” in playing Webster.
“We had to get this right for the people who were involved. I didn’t question whether I should be doing it because everyone involved in his original crimes were on board with the script before we started filming,” he explained.
“You’ve got be careful not to make it salacious or enjoy it too much. I hope people can see that I was trying to be very ordinary.”
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