“Too compelling to miss”: Why Sheridan Smith’s “creepy” crime drama The Widower should be your next TV binge
It’s no secret that we can’t get enough of Sheridan Smith – she is one of Britain’s best actresses after all – and Netflix has just given us another reason to love her. Her brilliantly creepy crime drama, The Widower, which first aired on ITV in 2014, has just been added to streamer and when we say it’s too compelling to miss, we mean it.
The three-part series stars Sheridan as the real-life Claire Morris, who was killed by her husband Malcolm Webster (Reece Shearsmith) for insurance money. Created by BAFTA Award-winning producer and screenwriter Jeff Pope, the drama explores how the former nurse was convicted of murdering his first wife Claire, and attempted to kill his second wife Felicity Drumm (Kate Fleetwood), to cash in their insurance policies.
With the series now available to binge on Netflix, here’s everything you need to know about The Widower before you tune in, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.
What is The Widower about?
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Set over a 13-year period, the chilling three-part true crime drama portrays how Surrey nurse Malcolm Webster (Reece Shearsmith) poisoned and murdered his first wife Claire Morris (Sheridan Smith) and attempted to do the same to his second Felicity Drumm (Kate Fleetwood), in order to claim hundreds of thousands of pounds in life insurance.
Reece previously explained to The Custard TV that The Widower’s intention is to shine a light on Webster’s victims. He said: “Our story isn’t really about [Webster], it’s about the women he affected. It’s their story and how they were duped. He was really charming with women because he spent a lot of time with them. I think he saw people as commodities and in his way if they dared to challenge him.”
What actually happened in real life?
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Former nurse Malcolm Webster married his first wife Claire Morris in Scotland in 1993. During their short marriage, he drugged her with Temazepam. On May 27th 1994, Webster murdered Morris in a faked car crash and received more than £200,000 in insurance policies after her death.
Three years later, Webster married his second wife Felicity Drumm in New Zealand. He attempted to kill her on several occasions, including three house fires, to fraudulently obtain £750,000 from her nine insurance policies. Felicity survived Webster’s attempts on her life.
In May 2011, Webster was found guilty of murdering his first wife Morris in 1994 and attempting to murder his second wife Felicity in New Zealand to cash in on their life insurance. He was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 30 years.
Who’s in the cast of The Widower?
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The cast of The Widower includes:
- Sheridan Smith as Claire Webster
- Reece Shearsmith as Malcolm Webster
- Fiona O’Carroll as Lucy
- Kate Fleetwood as Felicity Drumm
- Archie Panjabi as Simone Banerjee
- John Hannah as DI Charlie Henry
- James Laurenson as Brian Drumm
- Juliet Alderice as Margaret Drumm
- Fereday Holmes as Jane Drumm
- Alex Ferns as DCI Neil Thompson
- Joanna Roth as Trisha Heron
- Paul Blair as DC Peter Jarvis
Is The Widower any good?
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Yes – as you’d expect from an ITV drama starring Sheridan Smith, The Widower is a gut-wrenching and poignant drama that will stay with you long after you’ve watched it. Expect powerful performances from both Reece and Sheridan and moving yet sensitive portrayals of the victims. The Hollywood Reporter called The Widower “absorbing”, while The Independent said Reece was “in a league of his own”.
Is there a trailer for The Widower?
Yes! You can watch the full trailer for The Widower below:
How can I watch The Widower?
Good news – you can watch all three episodes of The Widower on Netflix now.
What other crime dramas can I watch?
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For another crime drama based on a real-life case, The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox is a must-watch. Starring Sharon Horgan, the eight-part series tells the tale of Amanda Knox’s wrongful conviction for the murder of her roommate Meredith Kercher in Perugia. You can watch the drama now on Disney+. If you’re in the mood for a lighter watch, try Only Murders in the Building. The series follows inter-generational friends Mabel (Selena Gomez), Charles (Steve Martin) and Oliver (Martin Short) as they investigate a slew of murders that take place in their New York apartment building for their true-crime podcast. Series 1-5 of Only Murders in the Building are available to watch on Disney+.
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