artin Clunes’s compelling crime drama Manhunt has landed on Disney+, and fans of the detective genre might want to clear their weekend plans to binge-watch this one. The chilling series, which aired on ITV in 2019, sees the Doc Martin star portray real-life London Met detective Colin Sutton, as he investigates the death of French student Amélie Delagrange, whose body was found on Twickenham Green in 2004. Her death led to the manhunt and arrest of serial killer Levi Bellfield.
While Martin Clunes is perhaps best known for playing the titular cantankerous doctor in the medical comedy drama Doc Martin, I think his portrayal of DCI Colin Sutton is his best role to date. The actor is superb in this compelling series, which kept me glued to my screen over three consecutive nights upon its initial release in 2019. This series does not disappoint. Keep reading to find out more.
What is Manhunt about?
The series dramatises the real-life investigation into the murder of 22-year-old French student Amelie Delagrange, who had been living in Twickenham for three months when she was killed in 2004. It was Sutton’s investigation that linked Levi Bellfield to two previous murders, that of 13-year-old Milly Dowler in 2002 and 19-year-old Marsha McDonnell in 2003.
The series is based on the memoirs of Colin Sutton, a former senior investigating officer with the Metropolitan Police. At the time of the show’s release, Colin said that everything was done with “full disclosure” to the victims’ families, and that he had “real encouragement” from some. “They knew the story of the effort that went into the investigation and how hard we worked,” he told RadioTimes.com, adding, “And it was the best we could do for them because we couldn’t bring their loved ones back, but you can treat them with decency and respect and do your best to bring the perpetrator to justice.”
WATCH: The trailer for Manhunt
Are there more seasons of Manhunt?
There have been two seasons of Manhunt, the second of which aired in 2021 and is available to stream on ITVX. In the second instalment, DCI Sutton hunts down a notorious serial rapist and burglar whose 17-year reign of terror left elderly people living in south London fearing for their safety.
The show dramatises the manhunt for serial rapist Delroy Grant, who carried out a series of sex attacks on elderly people over a period of 17 years between 1992 and 2009.
What have viewers said about the show?
The series was a big hit among viewers upon its release and was described as “gritty”, “terribly heartbreaking and completely compelling” on social media. One viewer penned: “This excellent drama is extremely well acted in the main role by Martin Clunes. It’s three parts and I watched all three together because it was so thrilling and exciting,” while another added: “Superb, real-life drama. Some great acting, brilliantly and delicately handled.”