WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS PRISONERS RENEWED FOR FURTHER TWO SERIES

Woodcut Media, the female-led independent content producer and distributor, has announced a two-season order for its hit documentary series World’s Most Dangerous Prisoners.

The London- and Hampshire-based company has also announced that Aidan Dunford has been promoted to the role of senior development executive, charged with leading the award-winning independent’s expanding development team.

Seasons two and three of World’s Most Dangerous Prisoners follows the successful 10 x 60 mins formula of season one. The new seasons will again be distributed by FilmRise in the US under the title World’s Most Evil Prisoners, with the complete series distributed internationally by Woodcut International. Overseen by showrunner Emma Griffiths, the new episodes are exec produced by Kate Beale and Koulla Anastasi for Woodcut Media and Danny Fisher and Jonitha Keymoore for FilmRise.

Each of 20 new episodes of World’s Most Dangerous Prisoners takes an in-depth look at one prisoner whose chilling crimes have earned them the ultimate sanction of a whole-life sentence. The new series features some of the most dangerous inmates currently detained in the world’s top-security prisons who, despite being behind bars, still manage to torture, kidnap and even kill.

Woodcut Media has secured access to those most closely involved with these violent offenders, including victims, former cell mates, prison staff and journalists, as well as experts in law enforcement, forensic psychology and correctional facilities, who share their insights into why and how these prisoners are so dangerous.

In further news, development producer Aidan Dunford has been promoted to senior development producer. Dunford, who joined Woodcut eight years ago as a junior exec in the development department, has contributed to the commissioning of dozens of series and specials, including World’s Most Dangerous Prisoners. In his new role, he will steer Woodcut Media’s creative development, overseeing the crime and specialist factual slates, and the production of premium pitch materials. 

Koulla Anastasi, managing director of Woodcut International, said: “This double order for World’s Most Dangerous Prisoners is a testament to our ongoing ability to identify and develop stories that enthral and fascinate, while using the lens of quality entertainment to try to make sense of the behaviour of violent criminals. Working with such prolific US partners assures us of an extensive audience that clearly very much enjoys our shows. This, plus our rich pipeline of new shows in development, means we have a lot to thank Aidan for over the past years, which is why this promotion is so richly deserved.”

Among the new-season highlights of World’s Most Dangerous Prisoners is an episode on Billy Joel Tracy, on death row for a fatal assault on a correctional officer, which contains archive footage that has never been seen outside of the courtroom.

The episode on Casey Pigge, meanwhile, includes powerful interviews with Pigge's ex-girlfriend — also the daughter of one of his victims — and a fellow prisoner who witnessed Pigge murder another inmate on a transportation bus.

Also featured is Ricky Dubose, who committed suicide after being sentenced to death for killing two prison guards. In addition to a damning and detailed interview with the sheriff and district attorney who worked tirelessly to chase, catch and put Dubose behind bars, the episode features touching interviews with one of the victim’s wife and daughters.

More details will be announced in due course.