Olivia Colman’s true crime series has 100% piqued our interest

Landscapers, starring Olivia Colman as convicted killer Susan Edwards, promises a “darkly comic” retelling of the 1998 Mansfield ‘garden bodies’ murders.

Updated on 2 April: It seems as if filming has begun in Mansfield on Olivia Colman’s new drama, which will bring the grim true story of William and Patricia Wycherley’s murders to life on screen.

As per the Nottingham Post, TV and lighting crews have been spotted in Mansfield’s Market Place from company PKE Lighting, which has assisted in the production of shows including Sherlock, Broadchurch and Doctor Who.

And a spokesperson for the company has now confirmed that they’re there to begin work on Sky Atlantic and Now TV’s new true crime series, Landscapers.

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Here’s what we know about the show, which is being directed by Academy Award-winner Alexander Payne, so far.

What’s the plot of Landscapers?

As reported on 2 December 2020: Inspired by real events, Landscapers brings us the story of mild-mannered Susan and her husband, and asks us how they came to kill Susan’s parents and bury them in the back garden of their Mansfield home, in a crime that remained undiscovered for over a decade. 

What is the true story behind Landscapers?

Patricia and William Wycherley were shot dead at their home in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, on the May Day bank holiday weekend in 1998.

The next working day, their daughter, Susan, cleared £40,000 from their account. And she and her husband, Christopher, continued to withdraw large sums of money from their account for the next 15 years, spending thousands on Hollywood souvenirs, particularly autographs of movie star Gary Cooper.

“They didn’t lead a particularly lavish lifestyle,” DCI Griffin said of the couple, as per the BBC.

“It would seem that the vast majority of their money was spent on memorabilia, on authenticated autographed items on people that they admired.”

Landscapers: Olivia Colman will portray convicted killer Susan Edwards.

“It’s staggering to think that’s what they spent their money on,” added Griffin. “But that’s what they did.”

What happened to the real Susan and Christopher Edwards?

Around September 2012, Susan and Christopher Edwards became nervous that police were onto them, and fled to France.

But, despite having siphoned off a total of £245,000 of the Wycherleys’ money, just over a year later they had just one euro between them.

They eventually emailed a confession to police in the UK, and announced that they planned to surrender ourselves to the UK Border Force authorities.

A jury at Nottingham Crown Court found the pair guilty of murder just over 16 years after they committed their crime. 

Who stars in the cast of Landscapers?

Colman, who has won acclaim for her performances in The Favourite and The Crown, will be portraying Susan Edwards in Landscapers.

David Thewlis, who played Remus Lupin in the Harry Potter movies, will portray her character’s husband, Christopher.

“This is without doubt the very finest project I have worked on for many years,” says Thewlis.

“Everything about Landscapers is magical, there is nothing like it and I’m impatient to get to work so that its brilliance can be shared with the rest of the world.”

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Is there a trailer for Landscapers?

Filming has only just begun on Landscapers, so we have a wee while to wait before we’ll be gifted a trailer.

What have people said about Landscapers so far?

The official press release for Landscapers promises that “this blackly comic, narratively playful true crime drama is based on extensive research, hours of interviews and direct access to the accused, who have always protested their innocence of murder.

“[As such], this is the story of a unique murder case involving four lives lived on the margins of society, that turns into an exhilarating and darkly funny exploration of love and fantasy: its power and its peril.”

Landscapers: it remains to be seen who will star opposite Olivia Colman as Christopher Edwards.

How many episodes of Landscapers will there be?

It’s another easily digestible miniseries, comprising of just four episodes.

When will Landscapers be available to watch on Sky Atlantic and Now TV?

Landscapers is just one of many must-watch TV shows coming to our screens in 2021.

We will be sure to bring you further details as and when they become available.

Images: Getty

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