M-Net is adding a powerful, thought-provoking 13-part local docu-drama crime series to its local productions offering. Based on true-life South African crimes that have shocked the nation, but have also resulted in the successful capture and prosecution of the perpetrators, Crimes Uncovered will be broadcast on M-Net and M-Net HD on Wednesday nights at 21:30.

The first episode airs on Wednesday, 4 July. Each episode of Crimes Uncovered, produced by Clive Morris Pictures, takes the viewer on a lifelike journey through the disturbing events of the crime. It also provides the rare opportunity to get to know the victims and their families and share their traumatic experiences.

M-Net’s Communications Manager, Lani Lombard, says Crimes Uncovered is a hard-hitting series that has been meticulously researched: "In order to deliver factually correct stories and re-enactments, it was essential that the production team and writers worked closely with the SAPS and familiarised themselves with all the paperwork and dockets involved in each case.

This exposed the team to crime scene photographs, criminal’s testimonies, judgments and never-been-seen before material. Spanning three years in the making, the end result is a concise unravelling and reconstruction of the ghastly crimes, demonstrating that crime is always hurtful and never pays."

Through interviews, dramatisations and archive footage, the series uncovers the mysteries and reveals what really happened in each headline-grabbing case. Crimes Uncovered allows viewers to gain a glimpse into the inner workings of the police and judicial services, and witness some of the excellent police, forensic and legal work that has been achieved in South Africa to date.

Driving the show is the sophisticated, suave and impeccable host Malcolm Gooding. Gooding’s credible and moving delivery brings a warmth and gravitas to the show.

The riveting interviews featured in Crimes Uncovered revolve around families and friends as well as officials from the South African Police Service, advocates, lawyers, scientists and experts from varying fields. Each story is brought to life in the most compelling and accurate form, ultimately paying tribute to the memory of those souls we have lost to crime in our country.

Says series creator, Clive Morris, “Our hope is that this series will establish a sense of confidence amongst our audience with respect to our country’s police force. We also would like to create an awareness with respect to the fact that it is more than just a victim who suffers at the hands of criminals. Indeed families and communities and the entire nation suffers the loss of loved ones as contributing members of our society. Each episode of the series is dedicated to the memory of each and every victim.”

The series kicks off on Wednesday, 4 July at 21:30 with its premiere episode featuring the murders of Brett Goldin and Richard Bloom. Lombard adds: “Coincidentally, this is the same day that the parole hearing for Goldin and Bloom’s killers will be taking place in Cape Town, proving that these harrowing stories remain as news-worthy today as they were when they originally took place.”

The full content breakdown of the Crimes Uncovered series is as follows:

4 July 2012 – Brett Goldin and Richard Bloom
11 July 2012 - Leigh Matthews part 1
18 July 2012 – Leigh Matthews part 2
25 July 2012 – Taliep Petersen
1 August 2012 – Advocate Barbie
8 August 2012 – Sheldean Human
15 August 2012 – Baby Jordan
22 August 2012 – Riaz Kadwa
29 August 2012 – Fanwell Khumalo
5 September 2012 – Sugar Cane Killer part 1
12 September 2012 – Sugar Cane Killer part 2
19 September 2012 – Father Sham
26 September 2012 – Lucky Dube