Des - David Tennant playing the infamous Scottish serial killer, Dennis Nilsen

[Savage Henry]

Didn’t really care for it.  The book that it is largely based on, Killing for Company, is much more insightful, and actually publishes and analyses the drawings which the TV series barely mentions.  
 

[Bert Raccoon]

People actually complaining about how much time the characters spend smoking. People really will get their knickers in a twist over anything nowadays.

[Sergeant Wilson]

9 hours ago, Detournement said:

Did you know Dennis Nielsen well?

As I've said befor on other murder threads, I knew people who did. I believe it was fairly accurate. 

44 minutes ago, Bert Raccoon said:

People actually complaining about how much time the characters spend smoking. People really will get their knickers in a twist over anything nowadays.

I was disappointed a the lack of DHSS/Jobcentre action. The guy I knew said he was expected at a branch meeting of the union the day after he was arrested, they waited ages for him. The fact he only worked there 6 months, was an EO, rather than entry level AO and had been elected union rep tells you about recruitment then.

He probably wasn't  the worst they took on.

[Arch Stanton]

On 15/09/2020 at 19:55, Ralstonite said:

It's always interesting hearing stuff like this. I don't think people are born this way. 

Tennant is a fellow Ralstonite. I don't know him personally, but his da was the local vicar and many people around here know him well. Apparently when he was about seven years old he got up and spoke in front of the congregation at the church and folk said he was very confident and precocious.

Have you not heard Div's "Sliding Doors" story?

[Ralstonite]

11 hours ago, scottmcleanscontacts said:

It was rife then, certainly if you believe auld arseholes that frequent the pubs in Perth. I remember well talking to one guy who is probably in his 60's now. He revelled in telling his stories about his pals and him heading through to Edinburgh in the late 1970's and early 1980's for a bit of casual 'poof bashing'. His words, not mine.

He apparently regrets it now though, so guess that is alright then

Well if he sincerely regrets it, then fair enough. However, bragging about it implies he might not be genuine. 

[Ralstonite]

23 minutes ago, Arch Stanton said:

Have you not heard Div's "Sliding Doors" story?

Aye, mate. Fascinating. 

[scottmcleanscontacts]

Well if he sincerely regrets it, then fair enough. However, bragging about it implies he might not be genuine. 

I have my doubts about the sincerity of the regret, and as you say, why brag about it?

[The Moonster]

Watched all 3 parts last night, thought it was really good and Tennant was brilliant. Sort of wish they'd fleshed things out over a few more episodes but I enjoyed it.

[Dee Man]

I would have like to have seen a far more gory version with Nilsen bringing the bodies up from the floorboards and sitting them on the chair as he sat and watched the telly with them (obviously they weren't watching TV but you know what I mean).

Eta: And further to the theories about why he became a serial killer, it states in the program when his problems started:

Spoiler

Nilsen said it stemmed from when he saw his dead grandad in a coffin at home. 

 

Edited September 17, 2020 by Dee Man

[ICTChris]

People actually complaining about how much time the characters spend smoking. People really will get their knickers in a twist over anything nowadays.

It’s kind of a lazy shorthand in TV for “this is in the past” to have everyone smoking indoors all the time. Although in this one they did seem to be constantly puffing, although cigarettes were a minor plot point

[Sergeant Wilson]

1 hour ago, ICTChris said:

 

It’s kind of a lazy shorthand in TV for “this is in the past” to have everyone smoking indoors all the time. Although in this one they did seem to be constantly puffing, although cigarettes were a minor plot point

 

I thought it illustrated the pressure they were under and the griminess of the situation. I've read Killing for Company but can't remember if it's mentioned but I expect that Nilsen, the copper and Masters were all heavy smokers, so maybe just authenticity.

[ICTChris]

https://twitter.com/LewisAEA/status/1306325042066796544?s=20

[Ralstonite]

3 hours ago, Dee Man said:

I would have like to have seen a far more gory version with Nilsen bringing the bodies up from the floorboards and sitting them on the chair as he sat and watched the telly with them (obviously they weren't watching TV but you know what I mean).

Eta: And further to the theories about why he became a serial killer, it states in the program when his problems started:

  Reveal hidden contents

Nilsen said it stemmed from when he saw his dead grandad in a coffin at home. 

 

Aye. However, I don't believe Nilsen was being honest either with himself or his interlocutor. What you have described is not a reasonable explanation for a predilection for necrophilia, or killing people and boiling their heads. The tabloids claim he was a cannibal too, though I don't recall that being referenced in the series. That sort of behaviour indicates deep, pathological abnormality which is unlikely to be attributable to a single, traumatic event.

I am guessing, however I imagine that being gay back then would have been embarrassing and scandalous. Maybe that's why he moved to London. However, it must be partly  biological - either brain damage or some congenital condition, plus whatever trauma he experienced/

[sfha]

The TV show has had to limit the goryness, for what there was in it, out of respect for the families involved, and rightly so. On Brian Masters' book, my wife read it and was agog at its content and thoroughly recomends it.

[WilliamBragg]

Spoiler

 

Been nightshift all week so planning to watch this on Saturday with Mrs WilliamBragg and a few light refreshments.

Sounds like it is worth a watch.

Did anybody watch the follow up documentary as plan to watch that as well.

Edited September 18, 2020 by WilliamBragg

[Dee Man]

8 hours ago, Ralstonite said:

Aye. However, I don't believe Nilsen was being honest either with himself or his interlocutor. What you have described is not a reasonable explanation for a predilection for necrophilia, or killing people and boiling their heads. The tabloids claim he was a cannibal too, though I don't recall that being referenced in the series. That sort of behaviour indicates deep, pathological abnormality which is unlikely to be attributable to a single, traumatic event.

I am guessing, however I imagine that being gay back then would have been embarrassing and scandalous. Maybe that's why he moved to London. However, it must be partly  biological - either brain damage or some congenital condition, plus whatever trauma he experienced/

I think seeing a dead body at a young age is a far more reasonable explanation for an obsession with death than experiencing homophobia in later life. I don't even see the link there at all tbh. I'm guessing the vast majority of openly gay men back then experienced homophobia but didn't go on to become serial killers. 

[Ralstonite]

3 minutes ago, Dee Man said:

I think seeing a dead body at a young age is a far more reasonable explanation for an obsession with death than experiencing homophobia in later life. I don't even see the link there at all tbh. I'm guessing the vast majority of openly gay men back then experienced homophobia but didn't go on to become serial killers. 

He was attracted to men, and hated the fact, so he took (mostly gay) men back to his flat and killed them.

Open top coffins are common in lots of countries, I seriously doubt that caused him to kill men and chop up their bodies. But loathing the feelings he had for men, the cause of his isolation and humiliation, is far more likely in my opinion.

 

Incidentally, how many folk on here, who watched it, believe he should have been hanged? No questions about his guilt, and he didn't really show much remorse. However, I'm not sure what it would have achieved.

[Dee Man]

2 hours ago, Ralstonite said:

He was attracted to men, and hated the fact, so he took (mostly gay) men back to his flat and killed them.

Open top coffins are common in lots of countries, I seriously doubt that caused him to kill men and chop up their bodies. But loathing the feelings he had for men, the cause of his isolation and humiliation, is far more likely in my opinion.

 

Incidentally, how many folk on here, who watched it, believe he should have been hanged? No questions about his guilt, and he didn't really show much remorse. However, I'm not sure what it would have achieved.

I can't understand why you think chopping up bodies because he didn't like being gay is more likely than him being exposed to death at a young and impressionable age. I doubt anyone knew Nilsen better than himself so I don't know what he stood to achieve if he wasn't being honest when he said his problems stemmed from that. 

Personally I think it's a lot more complex than just that though. I'm guessing there was more trauma in his childhood, possibly abuse, that he didn't want anyone to know about. 

[Brother Blades]

 
Incidentally, how many folk on here, who watched it, believe he should have been hanged? No questions about his guilt, and he didn't really show much remorse. However, I'm not sure what it would have achieved.

Nah, the death penalty is wrong.

[Bigmouth Strikes Again]

7 hours ago, WilliamBragg said:

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

Did anybody watch the follow up documentary as plan to watch that as well.

Watched that last night, focuses on the victims families, heartbreaking stuff.