The BBC series is based on a true crime and has been branded "harrowing" and "the best television drama" - and it's essential viewing for fans of Broadchurch08:46, 30 Jun 2026A BBC crime drama led by two British acting icons has been branded "harrowing" and "the best television drama" owing to its "faultless acting" and "perfect script" - perfect for devotees of Broadchurch.There's a wealth of critically acclaimed BBC television programmes to watch and revisit, with some continuing to entrance viewers across the globe. There's a selection of gripping crime dramas that remain celebrated for years following their original broadcast.Whether it's the gritty, dark gem Happy Valley, or the eternally popular, Benedict Cumberbatch-led Sherlock, the adored police drama Line of Duty, or the notoriously gut-wrenching Broadchurch, there's content for all tastes.Those seeking a "completely enthralling" drama rooted in actual events should look to The Sixth Commandment, which premiered on BBC One in July of 2023.The four-part true crime drama series focuses on the real-life manipulation and killing of elderly pensioner Peter Farquhar by PhD student Ben Field, and the death of his neighbour Ann Moore-Martin, in the Buckinghamshire village of Maids Moreton.Peter had been a novelist and English lecturer, while Ann was a retired school headteacher. Field preyed upon them both for their wealth and started gas-lighting them in an attempt to persuade them they were losing their minds, hoping to profit from their altered wills.The BBC drama features Timothy Spall as Peter Farquhar, Anne Reid as Ann Moore-Martin, and Éanna Hardwicke as Ben Field. The wider cast also includes Sheila Hancock, Annabel Scholey, Ben Bailey Smith and more.Written by Sarah Phelps and directed by Saul Dibb, the series continues to be held in the highest regard to this day.The Sixth Commandment has earned an impressive 90% on the popular review-aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, where both critics and audiences have lavished the drama with glowing praise.One critic said: "Despite the sadness it is also compulsively watchable. It is likely it would not reach such heights with a lesser actor than Spall in the central role of Farquhar."Another agreed: "An excellent miniseries that, in its quest to be as natural as possible when it comes to recounting somber events, manages to be even more moving than perhaps it initially intended."A third wrote: "With this calibre of stars and an exceptional supporting cast, Ben Field's cold-hearted plots and manipulation are all the more shocking because we feel as though we know his victims so well - we're personally involved."A fourth said: "This show is so harrowing it borders on unwatchable. It also might well be the best television drama of the year."Article continues belowWhile another added: "This was [an] outstanding drama on every front. Phelps set a delicate, mournful tone from the off, which the brilliant Reid and Spall built on as only they can. Best of all, the entire drama allowed the victims their dignity."Viewers were just as enthusiastic. One simply said: "The best thing I have watched on television. Faultless acting, perfect script and completely enthralling. What an achievement."The Sixth Commandment is available to stream now on BBC iPlayer.