Netflix adds BAFTA-winning Fred West serial killer drama viewers can watch in one night

Netflix have added a disturbing ITV drama about Fred and Rose West, following on from their successful true crime documentary.

The infamous pair of serial killers have come back into the fore of the public psyche after Netflix released a documentary which hit number one in the United Kingdom yesterday.

The documentary provided previously unseen footage of the Wests, particularly police interrogation recordings and video footage showing Fred West instructing officers where to dig in his garden to find the bodies of the young girls they murdered.

And now, Netflix have added another show focused on the two: a drama focused on one particularly bizarre aspect of the West’s case.

Called Appropriate Adult, it focuses on Janet Leach, a woman who was assigned as Fred West’s appropriate adult throughout the investigation into him.

Appropriate adults are usually provided to people who are unable to appear for police questioning with their parents or guardian. Fred West, however, was assigned one due to his illiteracy and the seriousness of his crimes.

The two-part mini-series released on ITV in 2011, but its addition to Netflix during a point of such discussion around the Wests is sure to give it a second life. Starring Dominic West as Fred West, Monica Dolan as Rose West, and Emily Watson as Janet Leach, the show was highly controversial, as some close to the case felt it would cause distress to the real people whose lives were impacted by the crimes of the Wests.

Despite this, the TV mini-series received largely positive reviews, with a 7.4 on IMDb, and 77% on Metacritic.

The series focuses on Janet Leach (ITV)

Serena Davies, writing for the Telegraph, gave the show five stars, calling it a ‘BAFTA shoe-in’. She ended up being right, with the series receiving eight nominations and wins for West and Watson.

However, the series attracted criticism, namely from one of the West’s surviving daughters.

Anne Marie West, who was 46 at the time and is now 60, survived her parents, and said in a statement regarding the show: “I felt physically sick when I heard about the plans to turn the tragic events which devastated so many people's lives into a TV drama.

"I haven't spoken about this for 10 years, and the only reason I am speaking now is because I want ITV to realise they will be causing unimaginable distress to the families of the young girls who were murdered.

“No one should kid themselves. The object of this drama is to make money. But the programme makers have to recognise that a lot of vulnerable young women died.

The series was highly criticised by the surviving daughter of the Wests (ITV)

"They were real people and their loved ones are real people too who are still suffering and their wounds will only be reopened by a TV drama like this."

ITV responded to the criticism from West’s daughter by pointing to the fact it was a factual drama focused on Leach.

Their statement went on to say: "We have sought to contact as many relatives and victims as we could with assistance from the police, to let them know about the project and try to address any concerns they may have.

"We have conducted dozens of interviews with individuals directly involved in the case over several years.

“It is certainly not ITV's wish to cause distress to the families of the Wests' victims, or their children, and Appropriate Adult does not contain any recreation of the actual crimes themselves.”

Appropriate Adult is now available to stream on Netflix and ITV X.