In Media and Popular Culture
Harold and Fred (They Make Ladies Dead) was a 2001 strip cartoon in Viz, also featuring serial killer Fred West. Extracts from the strip were subsequently merchandised as a coffee mug.
Shipman, a television dramatisation of the case, was made in 2002 and starred James Bolam in the title role. The case was also referenced in an episode of the 2003 television series Diagnosis: Unknown called "Deadly Medicine" (Season 2, Episode 17, 2003). Shipman's activities also inspired D.A.W., an episode of the American TV series Law & Order: Criminal Intent. In it, the police investigate a physician who they discover has killed 200 of his patients.
Both The Fall and Jonathan King released songs about Shipman. The Fall's song is, "What About Us?", from the 2005 album Fall Heads Roll. King's song became controversial when, six months after its release, it was reported to be in Shipman's defence, urging listeners not to "fall for a media demon".
A Canadian film, Fatal Trust, directed by Philippe Gagnon and starring Amy Jo Johnson, came out in 2006 and makes a non-specific reference to the Shipman case just before the closing credits. It also seems to have been partly inspired by his story.
Read more about this topic: Harold Shipman
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