Netflix has confirmed they are making a series about the murder of British television presenter Jill Dando, who was mysteriously killed in 1999.
Dando was one of the most recognisable figures on British television, who presented a variety of programmes for the BBC, including Breakfast Time and the Six O’Clock News. The recipient of the BBC’s 1997 ‘Personality of the Year’ award was also the host of Crimewatch at the time of her death. Tragically, Dando was shot outside of her home in Fulham, and it still remains unresolved.
Subsequently, the story surrounding her death has been the subject of the BBC documentary, The Murder of Jill Dando’s and ITV’s Jill Dando: The 20 Year Mystery. Barry George was convicting of murdering Dando, he spent eight years imprisoned after an appeal and retrial.
Announcing the show on Twitter, Netflix said: “Netflix is in production on a documentary series about the life and tragic death of Jill Dando. The multi-part series will blend archive, new research and revelatory interviews to revisit Dando’s life, career, and what would become one of the most notorious unsolved murders of the 20th century.”
Despite the police profiling over 2,000 suspects, they are still yet to resolve the crime. Many theories have been floated, including the murder being a result of Dando’s journalistic work which they wanted to silence, and also the attack potentially being carried out by a Serbain hitman.
Last year, Netflix pointed their true crime lens at British television once more in Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story. On the sub-genre, Best of Netflix said: “Detailing gruesome murders, scandalous characters and strange disappearances, the most popular of such documentaries thrive in the context of real-life tragedy despite the consequence of resurfacing such trauma for the relatives of the actual victims.”
While the release date for Netflix’s series on Dando is unconfirmed, it’s expected to drop on the streaming platform later this year.