Created By Rob Williams.
The Witness premiered on June 4, 2026.
Distributed By Netflix.
The Witness (2026) TV Series Review
The Witness (2026) is a touching true-crime drama based on real events.
The series tells the story of a family whose lives change forever after the murder of Rachel Nickell.
It follows her partner, André, and their son, Alex, as they deal with grief, loss, and the challenges of moving on.
The performances are strong and emotional, helping viewers connect with the characters.
The show focuses on the human side of the tragedy rather than the crime itself.
With only three episodes, it tells a powerful story in a simple and respectful way.
Overall, it is emotional, meaningful, and worth watching.
CR Rating: 8.5/10.
The Witness Actors
Jordan Bolger as André Hanscombe
DOB: November 9, 1994.
Bio: English actor born in Radford, Coventry, and trained at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts.
Before The Witness, he built a strong screen profile through Peaky Blinders, The 100, The Book of Boba Fett, This Town, and The Woman King, moving smoothly between British drama and bigger international projects.
Role: Bolger plays André Hanscombe, Rachel Nickell’s partner, who is suddenly left to raise their son alone after her murder.
In the series, André is not just a grieving father, he is a man pushed into the middle of a media storm, a flawed police investigation, and the long struggle to keep Alex safe while processing trauma and loss.
Episodes: 3 eps.
Interesting facts: Before becoming an actor, Bolger trained extensively in dance and has also studied martial arts.
Notable Works: Peaky Blinders, This Town, The Woman King, The 100, The Book of Boba Fett.
Max Fincham as Alex Hanscombe
DOB: June 28, 2004.
Bio: English actor from London who has already worked in a mix of British and international projects, including Dark Money, The Alienist, Pokémon Detective Pikachu, and Invasion.
He is one of the younger actors in the cast, and his earlier work already shows the kind of emotional control useful for a serious role like this.
Role: Fincham plays teenage Alex Hanscombe, the older version of the child who witnessed his mother’s murder.
His role bridges the gap between the innocent child trauma of the crime and the later life of someone still living with the emotional and public fallout.
Episodes: 3 eps.
Interesting facts: Fincham began working professionally as a child actor and has accumulated credits across several major British and international productions.
Notable Works: Dark Money, The Alienist, Pokémon Detective Pikachu, Invasion, Ricky Zoom.
Jahsaiah Williams as Young Alex Hanscombe
DOB: N/A.
Bio: British child actor whose professional screen career is still developing.
He came to wider attention through appearances in British television productions, including a role in EastEnders.
Role: Young Alex Hanscombe is the two-year-old son of Rachel Nickell and André Hanscombe.
Following his mother’s murder, Alex becomes one of the most tragic figures connected to the case.
Episodes: 2 eps.
Interesting facts: Because The Witness deals with real-life tragedy and sensitive subject matter involving a child, the production reportedly took particular care in how the material was handled during filming.
Notable Works: EastEnders.
Eleanor Williams as Rachel Nickell
DOB: N/A.
Bio: British actress whose screen credits include appearances in television dramas and feature films.
She has steadily built experience through supporting and guest roles before landing one of her most prominent parts in The Witness.
Role: Rachel Nickell is the young mother whose murder on Wimbledon Common in 1992 became one of Britain’s most infamous criminal cases.
Although Rachel’s screen time is limited by the nature of the story, she remains the emotional heart of the series.
Episodes: 2 eps.
Interesting facts: The production was developed with a strong emphasis on portraying Rachel as a real person rather than reducing her to a true-crime victim.
Notable Works: Endeavour, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.
Neil Maskell as DI Keith Pedder
DOB: 1976.
Bio: English actor, writer, and director with a long career in British crime, horror, and drama.
He is especially known for Utopia, The Football Factory, Kill List, Litvinenko, Peaky Blinders, and Hijack, and he has long been a strong fit for intense authority roles.
Role: Detective Inspector Keith Pedder is one of the senior officers involved in the investigation into Rachel Nickell’s murder.
As the inquiry unfolds, Pedder becomes part of the police effort to identify the killer amid mounting public pressure, media scrutiny, and investigative challenges.
Episodes: 3 eps.
Interesting facts: Maskell trained at Anna Scher Theatre as a child and later studied at the Miskin Theatre, which helped build his long, grounded screen style.
Notable Works: Utopia, The Football Factory, Kill List, Litvinenko, Hijack, Peaky Blinders.
Kevin Eldon as DCI Mick Wickerson
DOB: October 2, 1959.
Bio: English actor, comedian, writer, and voice performer born in Chatham, Kent, England.
He is one of Britain’s most respected character comedians, known for a career that spans sketch comedy, radio, television, film, and stage work.
Role: DCI Mick Wickerson is part of the senior police structure in the investigation.
In a case this sensitive and complicated, that means he is one of the officers helping set strategy while the pressure of public scrutiny rises.
Episodes: 2 eps.
Interesting facts: Eldon has been a practising Buddhist since 1990, and his comedy background gives him a very distinctive rhythm even in serious drama.
Notable Works: Big Train, Brass Eye, Jam, Hot Fuzz, Four Lions, Hugo.
Mark Stanley as DS Ivan Agnew
DOB: April 29, 1988.
Bio: English actor born in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.
He trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and has established himself as one of Britain’s strongest dramatic performers of his generation.
Role: DS Ivan Agnew is one of the detective figures working the Nickell case.
The role places him in the middle of the investigative machinery, where routine policing is constantly complicated by media interest and the pressure to solve a brutal public crime.
Episodes: 3 eps.
Interesting facts: Stanley’s path from Leeds to Guildhall gave him a strong classical base before he moved into screen drama.
Notable Works: Game of Thrones, Happy Valley, Dickensian, Dark River, Sulphur and White.
Jon Pointing as DC Nick Sparshatt
DOB: September 1986.
Bio: British actor, writer, and comedian best known for Big Boys, Plebs, Pls Like, Smothered, and Sweetpea.
He has made a name for himself in comic and character-driven work, which is useful in a show that mixes serious true-crime material with human, sometimes unsettling detail.
Role: DC Nick Sparshatt is one of the detectives working the case.
He helps round out the police team around Keith Pedder and Mick Wickerson, giving the investigation its procedural depth.
Episodes: 2 eps.
Interesting facts: Pointing has earned BAFTA attention for Big Boys, which shows how quickly he has moved from rising talent to widely recognised screen performer.
Notable Works: Big Boys, Plebs, Pls Like, Smothered, Sweetpea.
James Dryden as DC Paul Miller
DOB: November 13, 1989.
Bio: British actor who has appeared in a variety of film and television productions, ranging from major studio projects to television dramas.
His growing screen résumé includes work in fantasy, science fiction, action, and dramatic productions.
Role: DC Paul Miller is part of the police team investigating the Nickell case.
He helps reinforce the day-to-day detective work behind the series’ larger emotional and legal themes.
Episodes: 2 eps.
Interesting facts: Dryden’s theatre-and-screen profile suggests he is comfortable in both presentational and naturalistic acting styles.
Notable Works: Time Bandits, Deadpool & Wolverine, Ready Player One.
Sean Gilder as DCS Nicholas Campbell
DOB: March 1, 1964.
Bio: English actor and playwright born in Brampton, England.
He has enjoyed a long and respected career across television, film, theatre, and radio.
Role: DCS Nicholas Campbell is a senior police figure, so he sits high in the command chain during a case that attracts enormous public and institutional pressure.
In a story like this, that makes him part strategist, part public face, and part decision-maker.
Episodes: 3 eps.
Interesting facts: Gilder studied at Queen Mary University of London and Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, which helped ground his long stage-to-screen career.
Notable Works: Hornblower, Shameless, The Fall, King Arthur.
Kerry Godliman as Grandma June
DOB: November 17, 1973.
Bio: English actress and comedian born in Perivale, West London, England.
She trained at Rose Bruford College and began her career in stand-up comedy and radio before transitioning into television and film.
Role: Grandma June is Alex’s grandmother, which makes her an important family anchor in the aftermath of Rachel’s murder.
Her presence helps the series show how grief travels through a family, not just through the immediate partner and child.
Episodes: 2 eps.
Interesting facts: Godliman is married with two children, and recent interviews show her reflecting openly on family, midlife, and career balance.
Notable Works: Derek, Bad Move, After Life, We Live in Time.
James Bradshaw as DCI Tony Nash
DOB: March 20, 1976.
Bio: English actor trained at the Birmingham School of Acting.
He is known for The Grimleys, Hollyoaks, Endeavour, and various stage and television roles, and he often brings a calm, professional energy to procedural drama.
Role: DCI Tony Nash is another senior investigator in the case, which means his presence helps shape the official response to Rachel Nickell’s murder.
The role fits the series’ careful attention to how police leadership, pressure, and decision-making affect real investigations.
Episodes: 1 ep.
Interesting facts: Bradshaw’s theatre background is strong, and his Endeavour work made him an especially natural fit for a police drama.
Notable Works: The Grimleys, Hollyoaks, Endeavour, The Line of Beauty, Brideshead Revisited.
More Actors
• Claire Rushbrook as Dr Jean Harris-Hendriks.
• Paul Chahidi as Professor Paul Britton.
• Steve Stamp as Robert Napper.
• Jamie Bisping as Colin Stagg.
FAQ – The Witness (2026) TV Series
What is The Witness about?
The series tells the true story of André and Alex Hanscombe after the 1992 murder of Rachel Nickell on Wimbledon Common. It focuses on grief, survival, and the impact of the investigation on a father and son.
Is The Witness based on a true story?
Yes. The drama is based on real events and draws inspiration from Alex Hanscombe’s memoir Letting Go.
What genre is The Witness?
It is a true-crime drama and limited series that combines crime, investigation, and emotional family storytelling.
How many episodes are in The Witness?
The limited series consists of three episodes.
Where can I watch The Witness?
The series is available exclusively on Netflix.
Conclusion
The Witness (2026) is a heartfelt and emotional true-crime drama that focuses on the people affected by tragedy rather than the crime itself.
With strong performances, thoughtful storytelling, and a respectful approach to real events, it delivers a powerful viewing experience.
It is a moving series that stays with you long after the final episode.