Dead Gorgeous (ITV1 2002 with Fay Ripley and Helen McCrory)

UK / ITV-1 – Carlton – WGBH Boston / 1×120 minute episode / Broadcast 21 October 2002 @ 9:00pm

Writer: Andrew Payne / Novel: Peter Lovesey / Music: Jennie Muskett / Producer: Barney Reisz / Executive Producers: Rebecca Eaton, Charles Elton / Director: Sarah Harding

In the thriller Dead Gorgeous writer Andrew Payne channels Alfred Hitchcock and Patricia Highsmith with his tale of two old friends who meet by chance after the war in 1946. Their financial circumstances are somewhat different but they discover they have something in common – they hate their husbands. Rich Antonia Ashton’s hatches a plan that they will kill each others husbands and she proceeds to murder Rose Bell’s cruel husband while Rose is elsewhere with a perfect alibi.

But Rose has second thoughts when it comes her turn to return the favour – she meets Antonia’s husband and discovers the picture painted of him by Antonia is far from the truth – he is a nice, pleasant and interesting man, and Antonia’s resentment of him stems from his refusal to grant a divorce so she can marry her lover. So Antonia has to force the issue . . .

cast
FAY RIPLEY as Rose Bell
HELEN MCCRORY as Antonia Ashton
RON COOK as Hector
LLOYD OWEN as Vic
JONNY PHILLIPS as Barry Bell
DERMOT CROWLEY as Mr Smart
MICHAEL MUELLER as DS Painter