Everything you need to know about Catching a Killer: A Diary From the Grave
The one-off documentary is airing on Channel 4
The latest one-off documentary from the Catching a Killer team focuses on a fascinating true crime case from last decade.
Catching a Killer: A Diary From the Grave has been named the Radio Times Documentary of the Week – so should be well worth a watch.
Here’s everything you need to know about it…
When is Catching a Killer: A Diary From the Grave on TV?
The episode will air on Monday 13th January 2020 at 9pm on Channel 4.
It will be repeated on Tuesday 14th January at 11pm on Channel 4 and Friday 17th January at 9pm on 4seven.
Is Catching a Killer: A Diary From the Grave based on a true story?
The documentary focuses on an unusual case dating back to 2015, following the death of elderly teacher Peter Farquhar in the village of Maids Moreton.
Although the death was not treated suspiciously at first, the subsequent death of Farquhar’s neighbour Ann Moore-Martin just 18 months later alerted police to the fact that all might not be well. The theory was compounded when they found that a young man, Ben Field, would be a beneficiary of both of their wills.
This documentary sees officers look at Peter’s diary as they uncover what proved to be a very tragic true story indeed.
What is Catching a Killer: A Diary From the Grave about?
Naming it the Documentary of the Week, Alison Graham wrote in this week’s Radio Times, “Peter Farquhar was an academic and a former English teacher, adored by his former pupils and loved by his family. But at 69, Peter, a man who had been in good health, died after a long period of confusion and illness. It later emerged that he had been poisoned by the man he loved, Benjamin Field, who was left Peter’s house in his will.
“This extraordinary documentary follows the inquiry by Thames Valley Police after doubts are raised about the case of Peter Farquhar’s death. Detectives interview family members, including Peter’s brother, his friends and, after his arrest, Ben Field.
“There are some difficult scenes filmed in a mortuary after Peter’s body is exhumed as scientists seek traces of whatever had been used to kill a kind, gentle man who recorded his every feeling in his daily journals, which were to prove crucial in the subsequent trial.”
Peter Farquhar wrote three books, Between Boy and Man, A Bitter Heart and then A Wide Wide Sea, which was dedicated to Field.
Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
