ITV has ordered a new film of the aftermath of the murder of teenager Brianna Ghey as well as a second series of TikTok: Murder Gone Viral examining cases of young murder victims.
Brianna (w/t) will explore the brutal murder of 16-year-old Brianna Ghey, which sparked widespread condemnation across the UK.
In February 2023 the teenager, who was trans, was stabbed to death by Scarlett Jenkinson, her so-called friend of just ten weeks, and Eddie Ratcliffe, a boy she had never met.
In this powerful film, made by MultiStory Media, part of ITV Studios, Brianna’s mother Esther speaks in depth for the first time about her “beautiful daughter” and how the devastating loss has driven her campaign for change.
Coming this year the 75-minute documentary features exclusive interviews with friends and family, plus murder detectives.
Cheshire Police has given exclusive access to their investigation, including evidence and custody suite interviews with the two killers, who were caught within 28 hours.
Detectives reveal for the first time how they quickly built up their case to bring the perpetrators to justice.
The documentary further explores Brianna’s upbringing in Warrington through interviews with her close friends, who have never spoken before. They tell for the first time about the “wonderful” and “amazing” person Brianna was, and speak about her trans journey.
In deeply personal conversations, Esther also discusses her ongoing campaign to make the UK safer for children.
Esther is calling for a public inquiry into peer-on-peer violence, why it is on the rise, and what can be done to stop it happening? She also wants the growing mental health crisis investigated among children and young people, and looks at whether social media is making children harm themselves or others.
The documentary will air on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV player and the TX will be confirmed in due course. ITV Studios will distribute the documentary internationally.
Esther Ghey, Brianna’s mum said: “I took part in this amazing documentary as a way to ensure that my family’s story was told truthfully, and people could get to know Brianna the way we did. I also wanted to find out more about the benefits of mindfulness, and the impact that harmful content online is having on teenagers and children. I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to speak to amazing people who highlight the issues that young people face in society right now. The statistics are shocking. I hope that this documentary contributes to the push for our children’s welfare, online and offline.”
Tom Giles, Controller of Current Affairs ITV said: “We are incredibly grateful that Brianna’s family entrusted us and MultiStory Media to bring this deeply personal story to ITV. We are privileged to have had the unique insight of Esther – as well as of the police force who worked on the case. The resulting documentary is a testament to the strength of character of Esther who, in the face of such an appalling crime, fights to this day to effect real change in society and to keep her daughter’s name alive.”
Mike Blair, Head of Documentaries, MultiStory Media & Executive Producer ‘Brianna’ said: “This is an incredibly powerful and emotional film featuring, at its heart, two quite remarkable people – Brianna herself of course and her extraordinary mother Esther. The love Esther has for her child comes shining through; as does her determination to turn the loss of Brianna into something positive and good for other children.”
TikTok: Murder Gone Viral
Alas commissioned is a second series of TikTok: Murder Gone Viral, a Nine Lives Media production for ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player.
This true crime brand continues with more murder cases, each of which went viral on the social media app TikTok.
Series two tells the stories of the killings of young British amateur footballer, Charlie Cosser and American 13-year-old cheerleader, Tristyn Bailey among others.
TikTok captures the responses of social media users’ and the victims’ families’ to each of these teenage murders at every stage of their case.
In Charlie Cosser’s case, TikTok was the platform his father Martin used to pour out his grief in real time and American cheerleader, Tristyn Bailey used the popular app to share her cheerleading dance routines, as well as the means through which many shared their own grief and followed the investigation.
Series two of TikTok: Murder Gone Viral comes at a time when the UK is currently experiencing an increase in younger people being affected by knife crimes, and in this series each case is about a fatal stabbing with each of the murderers, as well as their victims, being teenagers.
The documentaries explore the motivations behind each of these cases, asking why these frighteningly young perpetrators chose to kill.
In each of these cases, the parents of the teenage victims are turning their terrible pain into positive action by campaigning in different ways to prevent similar crimes in the future. Each wants to stop others from suffering in the way that they and their children have been forced to.
TikTok: Murder Gone Viral, series two was commissioned by Jo Clinton-Davis, Controller of Factual ITV and Sue Murphy, Head of Factual Entertainment ITV. For Nine Lives Media the Executive Producers are Cat Lewis and Jazz Gowans, the Series Producer is Katie Boyd and the Producer/Director is Robin Anderson.
Jo Clinton-Davis, Controller of Factual ITV said: “The murders in this series are all about very young victims tragically killed by their peers. Most were active on TikTok and through this prism we also see how the platform has impacted a murder case from its use by armchair detectives, to generating worldwide discussion, to acting as an emotional outlet.
“But above all, each is an individual story of heartbreak and a testament to the victims’ family and friends who have been determined to share their stories with a wider public, and find ways to bring an end to the senselessness of child on child murder.”
Cat Lewis & Jazz Gowans, Executive Producers Nine Lives Media said: “It has been a real privilege to work closely with the families of young murder victims, each of whom were taken far too early but each had already made a big, positive impact on the world, and especially on their families and friends. They will never be forgotten.”
TikTok: Murder Gone Viral is distributed internationally by ITV Studios.
Jon Creamer
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