The Hunt For Bible John has been dubbed ‘the best true crime documentary ever made’

If you’re a huge fan of true crime, why not start off the year with watching the best of the best?

BBC documentary The Hunt For Bible John – which investigates the cases surrounding a serial killer named Bible John, who was never caught and punished – has been rated highly by critics and fans.

It originally aired on BBC Scotland in November of last year, but has returned to screens this January, including BBC iPlayer. Here’s everything you need to know about the documentary.

What is The Hunt For Bible John about?

It interviews criminologists and forensic psychologists in an investigation of a serial killer named, you guessed it, Bible John. He killed three young women in the 1960s: Patricia Dooker was 25, Helen Puttock was 29 and Jemima MacDonald was 32.

The most chilling detail of the doc is that Bible John has never been found. It looks at how the murderer managed to escape arrest and wasn’t picked up by numerous police investigations, at the time of the murders and since.

Bible John isn’t exactly a traditional given name for a serial killer, but there’s a creepy reason for it. A witness has described the murderer quoting extensively from the Old Testament. Goosebumps.

There have been some interesting attempts at guessing Bible John’s identity, but none have been definitive yet.

What are people saying about The Hunt For Bible John?

Many fans have taken to Twitter with positive reviews, calling it “a powerful two-part documentary and a fascinating piece of social history”, “absolutely riveting” and a fascinating portrait of 1960s Glasgow”.

As well as calling it “exceptional”, another calling the documentary “a real true insight to the Glasgow of my childhood and the abject poverty some faced”. However, due to the fact that the documentary also follows a series of murders, it’s definitely not for those who would call themselves faint of heart.

Some have even gone so far as to call it “bleak” and “grim viewing” which, given the subject matter, isn’t totally surprising.

Where can I watch The Hunt for Bible John, and is there a trailer?

Both episodes of the documentary are available to watch now on BBC iPlayer, and a quick teaser is available to watch here.