White House Farm
ITV, 9.00PM
While it hasn’t perhaps reached the heights of Jeff Pope’s devastating takes on the true-crime genre, Kris Mrksa’s evocative retelling of events surrounding the White House Farm murders has largely been sensitive in its handling of the story and respectful of those who were directly affected by the deaths. It’s worth noting, however, that not everyone has been happy with the characterisation of the now-deceased senior investigating officer DCI Thomas “Taff ” Jones (Stephen Graham), whom the series depicts as having little inclination to look beyond the obvious in his handling of the case. Jones, who died just before Jeremy Bamber came to trial, is barely present tonight as the series reaches its climax with Bamber’s (Freddie Fox) arrest for multiple murder.
Fox has been excellent throughout, capturing Bamber’s youthful arrogance and hedonism as well as his disbelief that the “little people” could ever bring him to court, but this finale really belongs to Mark Addy’s dishevelled DS Stan Jones and his efforts to convince Bamber’s ex-girlfriend (Alexa Davies) to testify in court. Plaudits too to Mark Stanley, who never lets us forget Colin Caffell’s aching sense of loss. Sarah Hughes