Series · 2025
A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story
The series
A 1950s true crime drama about Ruth Ellis, the last woman in Britain to be hanged. This startling story reveals hidden truths about Ruth's murder of her lover, the legal case surrounding it and those who were also complicit.
Episodes
Season 1 · 4 episodes · 2025
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Episode 117 Feb 202548m
Episode 1
Ruth Ellis is arrested for killing her lover, David, with a gun in her hand. While the police see an open-and-shut case, her solicitor, John Bickford, suspects there’s more to the story.
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Episode 217 Feb 202546m
Episode 2
At the Old Bailey, Ruth faces judgment shaped by British class and legal biases. Bickford fears she’s withholding vital details that could save her. Outside the courtroom, we uncover her sacrifices for David and a toxic love triangle.
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Episode 324 Feb 202547m
Episode 3
Found guilty and sentenced to hang, Ruth reflects on her relationship, lost dreams, and pregnancy, as her lawyer pressures the Home Office for a reprieve. Desperate and reliant on Desmond for her son, Ruth faces the weight of her looming f…
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Episode 45 Mar 202545m
Episode 4
The day before Ruth's execution, she finally agrees to tell her new lawyer, Victor Mishcon, the full story, the whole truth. Mishcon has twenty-four hours to save her life.
Hollywood Box stories
Cast
Lucy Boynton
Ruth Ellis
Toby Jones
John Bickford
Laurie Davidson
David Blakely
Mark Stanley
Desmond Cussen
Arthur Darvill
Victor Mishcon
Bessie Carter
Carole Findlater
Joe Armstrong
DCI Davies
Nigel Havers
Cecil Havers
Toby Stephens
Melford Stevenson
Juliet Stevenson
Dr. Charity Taylor
Ed Sayer
Anthony FindlaterTony Wadham
Arthur Neilson
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