Today’s world sees us bombarded from every angle with increasingly shocking content – but what is it that leads so many of us to relish the portrayal of real-life horror from the comfort of our living rooms?

Serial killers, criminals and kidnappers – think Peter Sutcliffe, Jeremy Bamber and even Karen Matthews – have all been the subject of on-screen dramas, as unspeakable acts become spectacles on our screens.

This panel will explore our nation’s morbid curiosity, asking why our collective fascination with true crime productions is driving ratings sky high. Is it the subversive conduct and motivations of extreme characters? Is it the failure of the police investigations? Should storytelling be more focused on the victims, or is there a line to be drawn?