Murder on the Home Front (ITV 2013, Tamzin Merchant, James Fleet)

Two-part crime drama set during the birth of modern forensics – the London Blitz of 1940.

When a number of young women are found murdered with swastikas carved on their tongues, DI Freddy Wilkins (David Sturzaker) has a prime suspect in vulnerable loner Wilfred Ziegler (John Hefferman). But the passionate and briliant Home Office pathologist Dr Lennox Collins (Patrick Kennedy) and his vivacious young secretary Molly Cooper (Tamzin Merchant) have their doubts. Employing ground-breaking forensic techniques, can Lennox and Molly save a seemingly innocent man from the gallows or is there more to these murders than meets the eye?

In part two, with the killer’s body count rising and Freddy Wilkins under pressure to close the case, can forensics help pathologist Dr Collins and his assistant Molly ensure that the right suspect is brought to justice? How far are they prepared to go to get their man? Lennox soon learns that not only is he fighting a battle to modernise the way in which crimes are solved, but he is also clashing with the authorities who will go to any lengths to ensure the country’s morale is sustained and keep bad news from the public.

Based on the real life story of Molly Lefebure who spent much of world war II working with forensic pathologist Dr Keith Simpson and first published her story in 1955 as Evidence For The Crown.

production details
UK / ITV / 2×60 minute episodes / Broadcast 9-16 May 2013

Writer: David Kane
Memoir: Molly Lefebure
Producer: Christopher Hall
Executive Producers: Sally Woodward Gentle, Gareth Neame
Director: Geoffrey Sax

cast
Patrick Kennedy as Lennox Collins
Tamzin Merchant as Molly Cooper
Emerald Fennell as Issy Quennell
James Fleet as Prof Stephens
David Sturzaker as DI Freddy Wilkins
Iain McKee as DS Brady
Ryan Gage as Danny Hastings
Amanda Fairbank Hynes as Jane
John Heffernan as Wilfred Ziegler
Holly Atkins as Mrs Clayton
Richard Bremmer as Charlie Maxton
Remy Kouakou Kouame as Snakehips Johnson
Ria Zmitrowicz as Wilma Grey
Jake Curran as Norman Beckett
Patrick Knowles as Pawel Rosanski
Angus Wright as Carver
Daniel Rabin as Granger
Joey Batey as Dixie
John Bowe as Ronald Terry
Susie Blake as Miss Jenkins