ABC News expands its long-running investigative series with a new Disney+ true crime documentary examining Britain’s most notorious criminal cases.
ABC News is taking one of its best-known news brands international for the first time, with Disney+ launching the first overseas edition of the long-running 20/20 franchise.
The new six-part documentary series, 20/20: Britain’s Most Notorious Crime Investigations, will premiere in the United Kingdom next week on Disney+, while viewers in the United States will be able to stream it on both Disney+ and Hulu.
Produced by Candle Media-backed documentary company Candle True Stories in partnership with ABC News Studios, the series revisits six of Britain’s most infamous criminal cases through new reporting, archival material, and in-depth analysis.
Among the featured investigations are the murder conviction of Jane Andrews, the former aide and dresser to Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York; the case of Ben Field, the churchwarden accused of manipulating elderly victims into rewriting their wills; and the disappearance and murder of Joanna Yeates, a case that captivated the United Kingdom and inspired multiple television dramatizations.
The remaining episodes examine the disappearance of Ben Needham, who vanished while on the Greek island of Kos in 1991; the crimes of Scottish serial killer Peter Tobin; and the murders committed by TikTok influencer Mahek Bukhari, who was convicted of orchestrating the deaths of her mother’s lover and his friend during a high-speed chase.
The project marks a significant milestone for the nearly 50-year-old 20/20 franchise, which debuted in 1978 after being created by legendary television executive Roone Arledge as a competitor to CBS’s 60 Minutes. Now hosted by David Muir and Deborah Roberts, the program has evolved from a traditional news magazine into one of television’s leading destinations for investigative reporting and true crime storytelling, particularly after expanding to a two-hour format in 2019.
The UK adaptation also reflects Disney+’s growing investment in premium unscripted programming and true crime content. The streaming service has recently expanded its documentary slate with titles including Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth, Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story, and Flintoff, while additional true crime projects, including Lightbox’s The Devil in My DMs, are also in development.
James Goldston and Alicia Kerr serve as executive producers, with Ralph Perring serving as co-executive producer.
David Sloan is senior executive producer, while Eamon McNiff executive produces for ABC News Studios. The Hulu Original was commissioned by Sean Doyle, Vice President of Unscripted for Disney+ EMEA.
20/20: Britain’s Most Notorious Crime Investigations marks the first time ABC News has expanded its flagship investigative newsmagazine internationally, bringing one of American television’s longest-running documentary brands to a global audience through Disney+.
The six-part series will debut in the United Kingdom on Disney+ next week, while audiences in the United States will be able to stream it on Disney+ and Hulu.
