University News Last updated 15 February 2017
The ground-breaking Channel 4 programme ‘Interview with a Murderer’, fronted by Birmingham City University criminologist Professor David Wilson, has been announced as the Best Documentary Programme in the Broadcast Awards 2017.
‘Broadcast’ is the leading publication for the broadcast industry, with annual awards recognising and rewarding the UK’s most successful and pioneering content, creators and channels.
Produced by Monster Films and ITN Productions, ‘Interview with a Murderer’ fought off competition from BBC One’s ‘Behind Closed Doors’ and ITV’s ‘The Murder of Sadie Hartley’ to scoop the esteemed accolade of Best Documentary Programme.
First aired in June 2016, ‘Interview with a Murderer’ saw Professor Wilson uncover new revelations surrounding the unsolved child murder of Carl Bridgewater.
In the 90-minute documentary, Professor Wilson conducts a series of revealing interviews with convicted murderer Bert Spencer, the man never charged with, yet widely suspected of killing Carl in 1978 – a crime he has always denied.
Professor Wilson spent more than 20 hours in the company of Bert after Spencer asked the criminologist to challenge him on his account in order to set the record straight.
During the programme, Bert Spencer’s first wife, Janet Spencer, comes forward to speak to Professor Wilson and discloses new allegations about Bert’s behaviour on the day that Carl died.