Line of Duty’s Jed Mercurio ‘set to create drama based mostly on Lucy Letby’
Line Of Duty writer Jed Mercurio is reportedly set to create a drama based on the child serial killer Lucy Letby, with Sophie Turner and Jodie Comer in the running.
The former neo-natal nurse was sentenced to 14 whole life orders after being convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six others – she tried to kill one of the babies twice – at the Countess of Chester Hospital last August.
The series aims to ‘explore’ the ‘important story’ with Jed enlisting the help of hospital consultant paediatrician Dr Ravi Jayaram, according to reports.
The director, studied at University of Birmingham Medical School and previously worked as a hospital physician before leaving to write BBC medical drama Cardiac Arrest in 1994.
He hopes that getting Game of Thrones star Sophie or Killing Eve‘s Jodie Comer on board will garner attention.
Line Of Duty writer Jed Mercurio is reportedly set to create a drama based on the child serial killer Lucy Letby , with Sophie Turner and Jodie Comer in the running (Jed pictured in 2019)
The former neo-natal nurse was sentenced to 14 whole life orders after being convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six others last August
A TV insider told The Sun: ‘Jed sees this as an important story that should not just be chronicled in a drama but also explored.
‘It aims to try to explain how her crimes could have gone on for so long and how others — particularly Dr Jayaram — tried to act when suspicions were raised.
‘Bagging a high-profile name to play Letby would help give the show the attention it deserves too, but it’s not a role to take lightly.’
MailOnline has contacted a representative of Jed Mercurio’s for comment.
Letby was convicted of seven counts of murder and seven of attempted murder – one of the babies she tried to kill twice.
The jury was unable to reach verdicts on six counts of attempted murder in relation to five other children.
Mr Justice Goss sentenced Letby to 14 whole life tariffs for each guilty count, meaning she has no prospect of parole.
He said she had been responsible for a ‘cruel, calculated and cynical campaign of child murder’ between June 2015 and June 2016 at the Countess of Chester Hospital, where she worked.
In April, Line Of Duty star Marin Compston dashed fans’ hopes of an imminent seventh series as he revealed a major update on the future of the BBC crime drama.
He hopes that getting Game of Thrones star Sophie (pictured last month) or Killing Eve ‘s Jodie Comer on board will garner attention.
A TV insider told The Sun : ‘Jed sees this as an important story that should not just be chronicled in a drama but also explored’ (Jodie pictured in April)
The Scottish actor, 39, played Detective Inspector Steve Arnott in the hit show written by Jed, alongside Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar.
But speaking to The Mirror Martin revealed that there are ‘no immediate plans’ for another series of the beloved show – which aired its last episode in 2021.
Apologising for the lack of concrete information regarding the series, Martin hinted at scheduling issues being a factor in the lack of a new instalment.
‘They’re some of my closest friends, we all love Jed, and we’d all love to work together at some point but there are no immediate plans,’ he said.
