David Tennant’s Chilling 3-Part Crime Thriller Is Officially Leaving Netflix
Developed over time first seen 3 hours ago
Netflix will remove the three-part crime drama *Des* from its UK service on 8 November. The series stars David Tennant as serial killer Dennis Nilsen and dramatises the police investigation, interrogation and trial; its departure matters to viewers seeking a critically praised, dialogue-led true-crime drama.
Made for ITV in 2020, *Des* was the 11th entry in the channel’s series of dramas about notorious British crimes, following *Appropriate Adult* and *Little Boy Blue*. Tennant’s performance earned him an International Emmy Award, and the series holds a 90% “Certified Fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes; *Broadchurch* is also due to leave Netflix in the US on 1 November.
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In short
- *Des* leaves Netflix UK on 8 November.
- David Tennant plays Dennis Nilsen in the three-part drama.
- The series has a 90% Rotten Tomatoes score.
How this story developed
- 1 hour ago Netflix will remove the three-part crime drama *Des* from its UK service on 8 November. The series stars David Tennant as serial killer Dennis Nilsen and dramatises the police investigation, interrogation and trial; its departure matters to viewers seeking a critically praised, dialogue-led true-crime drama.
Full account
David Tennant’s three-part crime drama Des is scheduled to leave Netflix in the UK on 8 November 2026. First broadcast on ITV in 2020, the series dramatises the investigation and prosecution of Dennis Nilsen, who was arrested in 1983 and convicted of multiple murders. The departure date concerns the UK catalogue; it does not establish when, or whether, the programme will leave Netflix elsewhere.
Tennant plays Nilsen, while Daniel Mays portrays Detective Chief Inspector Peter Jay and Jason Watkins plays the writer Brian Masters. The drama begins with the discovery of human remains in the drains of Nilsen’s north London home. From there, it follows the police effort to establish what happened, the questioning of Nilsen and the path towards his trial. Its three-episode structure gives the investigation, and the difficulty of accounting for the victims, sustained attention.
Des drew strong reviews on its release, with particular praise for Tennant’s restrained portrayal. He won the 2021 International Emmy for best actor for the role. ITV reported that the first episode drew an average audience of 5.4 million when it aired in September 2020. Those figures describe its original broadcast reception, rather than its audience on Netflix.
The supplied report frames Des as a choice for viewers interested in psychological crime dramas, emphasising its conversations and investigation over depictions of violence. Its Netflix exit makes the series time-sensitive for UK subscribers, though streaming availability can change. A separate November 2026 departures list also names Des for 8 November. The second supplied report concerns the 2001 film From Hell and Johnny Depp; it offers no further reporting on Des or its removal.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
The first supplied report focuses on Des, Tennant’s performance and critical response. The second covers an unrelated film, From Hell, so the two reports do not present competing accounts of the same story. An independent departures list supplies the specific UK removal date, which is cut off in the provided excerpt of the first report.
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