British Gangsters: Faces of the Underworld (2012–2015) User Reviews

Great watch

[eddieryan-66144 · 8/10 · 23 August 2020]

Really enjoyed this programme, hope they make more like it, dont believe all the macho bull that these gansters say i think alot of it is exxagerated to make them great tough guys, but still worth a watch

Excellent series

[njboden · 9/10 · 17 April 2023]

Bernard O'Mahoney never fails to impress with his TV programmes about gangsters and this series is no exception. I've recently watched the series about Belfast and Liverpool and I've just watched the episode, called 'Live By The Sword' about people who have suffered due to police misconduct. Bernard addresses the famous case of the Birmingham Six in an interview with Paddy French, where he explains that he was old outright by a corrupt cop that he was innocent but would be sent down anyway and how he was beater and subjected to a mock execution.

Another interview was with the family of Harry MacKenney, who was wrongly arrested, charged and convicted of being a serial killer on the word of a fantasist who carried out at least some of those killings himself. Incredibly the police knew that one person who was allegedly killed was still alive but they covered it up and let him go down for the murder!

The other interview was with the Liverpool gangster Steven 'the devil' French who is less sympathetic but he claimed that the police intentionally released false information about him to his gangster associates to make them think he was a grass and so nearly got him killed.

An excellent series that I would highly recommend watching.

Fascinating series

[patrickscanlon · 10/10 · 14 December 2014]

This is without doubt the most fascinating true crime series ever made.How these guys managed to convince the UKs most infamous villains to take part is nothing short of amazing. They actually took the time and effort to leave London which is unique in itself. Glasgow, London, Manchester and Newcastle are featured but I particularly enjoyed episodes 5 and 6 which looked at two different aspects of crime. Interesting, informative and a stark warning to anyone considering a life of crime...this series has the lot! With the increase in drug related crime its unlikely programmes like this will be made in the future as the old school villains are a dying out.

British Gangsters, the most comprehensive unique true crime series ever made

[bernie1560 · 10/10 · 12 March 2014]

Its pointless debating the issue because British Gangsters Faces of the Underworld IS the most comprehensive series on British Villains ever made. Paul Massey, Paul Ferris, Eddie Richardson, Frank Fraser, Freddie Foreman and many others appear for the first and no doubt only time in the same series. Forget the rest this is the best, the access the show was given is second to none by a long shot. As for the content, the list of exclusives is endless. Unusually the person being interviewed was allowed to speak without being questioned and this resulted in them becoming relaxed and talking much more openly than one would ever expect. The overall end result is a brilliant series that will in years to come be seen as an important record of our colourful social history.

No story, just old men telling fairy tales

[ersbel · 18 August 2017]

If you have a taste for old men's fairy tales, than you should probably watch this. But overall, this is an amateurish job. Simple interviews, simple lighting, some old photos thrown in from the good old days. Nothing new or spectacular. The final goal is not to offend some other gangster alive or tease some prosecutor so the off voice is telling far more than the old men. And the amusement with the lower class accent runs thin far before half show.

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