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Watch The Vanishings on Channel 5 and other great true crime dramas
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Don’t miss gripping true crime drama The Vanishings, plus where else you can watch some of the most chilling cases from the genre now
By Charlotte Briggs, Feature Writer
- Published
- 5 February 2025
There’s nothing that grips the world quite like true crime. Whether it’s being a part of the compelling search for justice from your sofa or simply the subject matter of your favourite podcast, it’s a genre that fascinates many of us.
Which brings us to The Vanishings, a six-part true crime drama that’s coming to Channel 5 and is essential viewing for any true crime fan. Inspired by horrifying real stories from Ireland’s Vanishing Triangle, a term coined for the high-profile disappearances of Irish women between the late 1980s and 1990s, the series stars India Mullen (Normal People, Brassic) and Allen Leech (Downton Abbey) as an unlikely duo who must work together to stop a killer.
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So, what’s it all about? The drama begins with investigative journalist Lisa Wallace (Mullen), who in a desperate act to prevent a women’s shelter from closing writes an article about her own experience with violence towards women – the shocking murder of her mother. Unfortunately, the media buzz around the murder inspires the unnamed killer to send Lisa a bone-chilling letter, taunting her with pictures of the murder and with a threat of striking again.
Shortly after, news comes of a woman who’s gone missing. This spurs Lisa and Detective David Burkely (Leech) to fight through Garda red tape and catch the killer as more young women disappear. To make matters worse, the murderer taunts Lisa with psychological mind games where she’s forced to choose his next victims. Just when it looks like our detective duo are getting closer to unveiling the killer, they’re led to the deeply corrupted core of the Garda (the national police and security service of Ireland).
Also starring are Aaron Monaghan (The Banshees Of Inisherin), Laoise Sweeney (Vikings: Valhalla), Derbhle Crotty (Notes On A Scandal), Philip O’Sullivan (Game Of Thrones) and Gráinne Good (Citadel). Don’t miss The Vanishings airing from Thursday 6 February at 9pm on Channel 5 HD (CH 105). If you can’t wait to feed your true crime obsession, then find out where you can watch more terrifying true crime dramas on Virgin TV now.
Until I Kill You
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Find it in Apps > ITVX now
Episodes: 4
Starring: Anna Maxwell Martin, Shaun Evans
Based on: The story of Delia Balmer, who evaded death at the hands of her former partner and serial killer John Sweeney and later gave a vital testimony against him.
Why true crime fans should watch it: This astonishing true story shines a necessary light on the ordeal that Balmer survived at the hands of Sweeney and the institutions that failed her. Don’t miss companion documentary Until I Kill You: The Real Story that’s also narrated by Maxwell Martin in Apps > ITVX now.
Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story
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Find it in Apps > Netflix now
Episodes: 9
Starring: Nicholas Chavez, Cooper Koch, Chloë Sevigny, Javier Bardem, Nathan Lane
Based on: Two brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez, who fatally shot their parents in their Beverly Hills home in 1989 to seize their family fortune.
Why true crime fans should watch it: Kevin Murphy’s Monster anthology series has proven to be a smash hit with true crime fans everywhere, earning a total of six Golden Globe nominations and one win. You can also watch the Jeffrey Dahmer edition in Apps > Netflix now.
Four Lives
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Find it in Apps > BBC iPlayer now
Episodes: 3
Starring: Sheridan Smith, Stephen Merchant
Based on: The families of four murdered young gay men and their fight to bring serial killer Stephen Port to justice.
Why true crime fans should watch it: Four Lives delivers a fresh take on the genre by telling its story through the eyes of the victim’s grieving families instead of through the killer or detectives assigned to the case.
The Long Shadow
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Find it in Apps > ITVX now
Episodes: 7
Starring: Toby Jones, David Morrissey, Katherine Kelly, Mark Stobbart
Based on: The five-year manhunt for serial killer Peter Sutcliffe AKA the Yorkshire Ripper.
Why true crime fans should watch it: As one of British history’s most famous serial killer cases, The Long Shadow not only captures the cat-and-mouse element of hunting Sutcliffe – one of Britain’s most notorious serial killers – but also the reign of terror he caused for the residents of West Yorkshire and beyond.
The Thing About Pam
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Find it in Apps > Paramount+ now
Episodes: 6
Starring: Renée Zellweger, Josh Duhamel, Judy Greer, Katy Mixon
Based on: The murder of cancer-stricken Betsy Faria at the hands of her friend Pam Hurp, who successfully framed Betsy’s husband for the crime before being convicted.
Why true crime fans should watch it: Unlike a lot of true crime dramas, The Thing About Pam takes a darkly comedic stance towards its portrayal of Hurp and it pays off.
Steeltown Murders
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Find it in Apps > BBC iPlayer now
Episodes: 4
Starring: Philip Glenister, Steffan Rhodri, Aneurin Barnard
Based on: The 30-year cold cases of Geraldine Hughes, Pauline Floyd and Sandra Newton who were murdered in Wales.
Why true crime fans should watch it: The drama gives viewers a first-hand reconstruction of how scientists came up with a trailblazing way of bringing Wales’ first known serial killer to posthumous justice, by developing an investigative tool now known as familial DNA.
Des
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Find it in Apps > ITVX now
Episodes: 3
Starring: David Tennant, Daniel Mays
Based on: The arrest and conviction of Scottish serial killer Dennis Nilsen, who murdered at least 12 young men and boys between 1978 and 1983 in London.
Why true crime fans should watch it: Tennant gives a chilling performance as the notorious killer Nilsen that was applauded by critics and audiences alike.
The Sixth Commandment
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Find it in Apps > BBC iPlayer now
Episodes: 4
Starring: Timothy Spall, Anne Reid, Éanna Hardwicke
Based on: Ben Field, who was charged with the murder of author and retired teacher Peter Farquhar.
Why true crime fans should watch it: The BAFTA-winning series was penned by screenwriter Sarah Phelps, who’d already made a splash in the crime genre with Dublin Murders and Agatha Christie’s Ordeal By Innocence and The Pale Horse under her belt.
The Fall: Skydive Murder Plot
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Find it in Apps > Channel 4 now
Episodes: 3
Starring: MyAnna Buring, Neil Bishop
Based on: The attempted murder of skydiver Victoria Cilliers, who miraculously survived a 4,000ft drop with a broken parachute that’d been tampered with by her husband, Emile.
Why true crime fans should watch it: The series uses a clever combination of dramatic reconstructions and interviews with the investigating police officers to unravel a barely believable story of affairs, debt, sex clubs, escorts and murderous intent.
The Serpent
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Find it in Apps > Netflix now
Episodes: 8
Starring: Tahar Rahim, Jenna Coleman
Based on: Charles Sobhraj, a French criminal who preyed on Western tourists travelling on the hippie trail in South Asia throughout the 1970s.
Why true crime fans should watch it: The Serpent is a must watch for any true crime fan who wants to learn more about how this charming yet incredibly dangerous mass murderer recruited his followers and remained undetected for so long.
The Vanishings release date
Don’t miss The Vanishings from Thursday 6 February on Channel 5 HD (CH 105) and On Demand > Channel 5.
How to watch Netflix with Virgin TV
If you have a Virgin TV 360 box or Stream from Virgin Media, there are four ways to navigate to the Netflix app:
1. Use your voice
A. Just press and hold the voice button and say “Netflix” to open the app.
2. Via the app section
A. Press Home.
B. Go to the right and select Apps.
C. Select Netflix in the Apps screen.
3. Via channel 204 if you’re a Virgin TV 360 customer
A. Tuning to this channel automatically launches Netflix.
4. Navigating down to the Netflix icon in the homepage if you are a Stream customer
To search for Netflix content on your Virgin TV 360 and Stream from Virgin Media, select the Search icon from any full-screen menu. Enter your Search term using the on-screen keyboard. Press back and then right to highlight the “All” filter. Press OK and select Netflix. You can now view and select from the Netflix results for your search term.
To access Netflix if you have a Virgin TV V6 box, powered by TiVo®:
Press home on your remote
Select Apps & Games
Select All Apps
Select Netflix
Our Biggest TV, Biggest TV Volt and Ultimate Volt bundles already include Netflix in Full HD. You can also add Netflix to any other bundle that includes broadband and TV – just hit Customise your package to add it.
How to watch Paramount+ with Virgin TV
If you’re a Virgin TV 360 box or Stream from Virgin Media customer, you can get Paramount+ direct on your telly once you’ve got a subscription to the service. Simply sign up online, then log in on the box. And because Paramount+ is fully integrated into Virgin TV 360 and Stream, you can search without even going into the app. Just select Search & Discover from the Home menu and type in the name of the show or movie you’re after. You can also voice search Paramount+ shows with your remote, or say “Paramount Plus” to get to the app even faster.
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TV channels: Channels, content and features available depend on your chosen package. Channel line-ups and content are subject to change at any time and to regional variations.
HD: HD TV set, V HD Box, TiVo box or Virgin TV V6 connected with HDMI cables required for HD channels. Number of inclusive HD channels depends on package.
Catch Up TV: Catch Up TV content available for up to 7 days or up to 30 days after broadcast, depending on content.
On Demand: Content available to view depends on TV package. Time limits apply for viewing chargeable On Demand content – see http://virginmedia.com. Once purchased, all chargeable On Demand content must be viewed within 48 hours. Premium channels and upgrades must be kept for at least 30 days.
Netflix: Netflix subscription required at extra cost.
Paramount+: Paramount+ subscription required at extra cost. TV 360 and Stream customers only.
