Based on Brian Master’s biography of Nilson, the drama delves into the aftermath of his countless killings, with the opening scene beginning with his arrest where body parts have been discovered in his drain.
Set to the 80s backdrop of political unrest and rocketing unemployment rates, Des offers a chilling and fascinating look into one of the world’s most dangerous men.
The show intends “in no way to celebrate the macabre, but to memorialise the victims as much as anything”, revealed Tennant. “That’s one of the reasons for telling this story. Of course, when you do a story like this, everyone involved is very aware that you have to tread carefully and that you must be sensitive to the variety of reactions that it will provoke,” he revealed.
Clear your calendars, people. A chilling new true crime drama is set to land on our screens tonight, and if you’re prone to getting stuck into a true crime drama, then this is just the ticket to put the Monday blues at bay.
In Des, ITV’s gripping new three-part drama set in the 1980s, David Tennant takes on the role of Dennis ‘Des’ Nilson, a Scotish cold blooded killer who repeatedly got away with heinous crimes to the homeless and vulnerable before his eventual arrest aged 37.
Forty years on, ahead of the TV shows release tonight, we take a look at who Dennis ‘Des’ Nilson was, and where he is in 2020…
Where is Dennis Nilson now in 2020?
Nilson was sentenced to life imprisonment on 4 November 1983. He was imprisoned at Full Sutton maximum security prison. After serving 35 years in prison, Nilson died on 12 May 2018 in his cell.
What happened during his time in prison?
David Tennant said he was able to prepare for the role by reading what Nilson wrote whilst in prison. “The notebooks – he wrote and wrote and wrote in prison,” he stated.
Where had he been working before his arrest?
After stints in the police force, the army and working as a chef, he was working in a job centre at the time of his arrest. It was suggested that he left the police force after experiencing homophobic abuse.
Where did his murders take place?
Nilson murdered at least 12 people between 1978 and 1983 at his North London home. They were usually homeless or vulnerable men who were lured in by the promise of food and shelter, prompting Nilson to be named ‘Kindly Killer. ’
