Landscapers: Olivia Colman drama about Mansfield double murder misses out on Bafta success

Landscapers, starring Colman and Harry Potter actor David Thewlis, aired late last year on Sky and HBO to critical acclaim – although many readers of your Chad were less than impressed.

The four-part drama, written by Colman’s husband Ed Sinclair, detailed the murders of William and Patricia Wycherley in 1997 in Forest Town by their daughter and son-in-law Susan and Christopher Edwards.

The Wycherleys were shot in cold blood in their home in Blenheim Close and buried in their own back garden – remaining undiscovered until 2013 when police recieved a tip-off.

It would later emerge that after the killings, the Edwards had build an intricate web of lies – writing letters to doctors and Government officials posing as the Wycherleys, and even sending Christmas cards to relatives who thought the elderly couple were travelling in Ireland.

Over the years, the Edwards netted hundreds of thousands of pounds from their ill-gotten gains – much of which was spent on signed photographs of Gary Cooper and other Silver Screen stars.

And it was only when they were contacted by the Department of Work and Pensions in 2021, demanding to see William Wycherley, who would have been turning 100, that the couple knew the game was up and fled to France.

Landscapers was nominated in the best mini-series category at the BAFTA TV Awards, while Thewlis was shortlisted for best actor.

However, at last night’s awards at the Royal Albert Hall, Landscapers missed out to BBC One prison drama Time, while Thewlis missed out to Sean Bean, star of Time.

Colman, who won an Oscar in 2019 for The Favourite, and a clutch of previous acting gongs from Bafta, was not been nominated for her portrayal of Susan Edwards.

But despite the critical acclaim from the industry and national newspapers, many of your Chad readers seemed unimpressed after the first episode aired.

Some accused the production of making light of the double murder and glamorising the Edwards for their actions, while others criticised its portrayal of police investigating the crimes.