How a new TV drama has reopened wounds for relatives as Jane Andrews’s story returns to screens

The new dramatization of jane andrews has landed as a sharp emotional blow for the family of Tom Cressman: Rick Cressman, a business owner from Warwickshire and the victim’s brother, said a private screening left him "very, very tearful" more than 25 years after the killing. The series’ arrival matters now because it collides with long-standing family requests to protect Tom’s memory and with continuing debate over how the case and the woman convicted for it are presented on television.

Jane Andrews drama’s first impact: family grief and the question of legacy

Rick Cressman said the drama reopened painful memories and reinforced his determination to protect his brother’s memory and legacy. He described a changing scenario over 25 years, and noted a forthcoming production from a US news network and a major streaming service would mark what he called the 12th TV production about the case. Rick said he had been concerned about the commissioning of the four-part drama and was given a private screening ahead of broadcast; he has cooperated with media over the years from a sense of duty to his brother and said he cannot have that memory "besmirched by people just creating stuff. "

Event details and how they are dramatised

The drama, a four-part series that premiered on Sunday night, follows the life of Jane Andrews and stars Natalie Dormer as Sarah Ferguson with Mia McKenna-Bruce as Jane Andrews. The programme is described by its commissioning partner as a gripping true-crime drama and is said to come from the makers of a high-profile royal drama. The case at the centre of the story: businessman Tom Cressman was murdered in London in 2000. Rick Cressman said his brother Tom, who was a businessman, was attacked with a cricket bat and fatally stabbed by his partner while he slept at their London home. Jane Andrews, from Cleethorpes in north-east Lincolnshire, had been employed by the duchess for nine years. The context of who became involved in police efforts to track Jane Andrews down is unclear in the provided context. The then-34-year-old denied murdering Tom because he would not marry her but was convicted and ordered to serve at least 15 years in prison in 2001.

Family reaction and public fatigue with repeated dramatizations

Rick Cressman said repeated dramatizations have been intrusive: "It is a problem to fictionalise a genuine living story we're living and breathing; our family's here and I've always tried to cope with a lot of the intrusions that we've had to cope with. " He said protecting his brother's memory has become increasingly important and that the announcement in December of 2024 that a four-part fictionalised drama was to be made was a major issue for him. By the time he reached the final episode of the new series, he said he was feeling tearful.

Legal and advocacy perspective: appeal history and framing of the accused

Harriet Wistrich, who represented Jane Andrews at her appeal in 2003 for the Centre for Women’s Justice, commented that Jane Andrews was convicted more than 25 years ago, served her prison sentence and has attempted to move on. She argued that Jane’s past employment with a now discredited section of the royal household means media interest persists and intensifies each time a one-sided TV programme is made. The comment noted Jane Andrews did not contribute to the new drama nor to earlier documentaries, and that the public are presented with an incomplete view that does not explore why a vulnerable woman in her circumstances may have been driven to kill. The commentary criticised use of tropes such as "fatal attraction killer" and "gold hunter" and pointed to the Sally Challen precedent and evolving understandings of coercive control and mental health as potential grounds for a fresh appeal should Jane Andrews wish to pursue one. A more in-depth press briefing has been prepared by the campaign group.

Here's the part that matters for viewers and relatives: portrayals of real crimes reshape public memory long after trials end, and that effect is exactly what has prompted the family’s guarded response.

• Shows and casting noted: Natalie Dormer as Sarah Ferguson; Mia McKenna-Bruce as Jane Andrews; the new four-parter opens with a working-class Jane trying to fit into royal life while managing worsening mental health.
• Rick Cressman described a history of multiple TV productions about the murder and said the forthcoming US news network/major streaming service project would be the 12th.
• Tom Cressman was attacked with a cricket bat and fatally stabbed while he slept at his London home; the killing took place in 2000 and the convict was ordered to serve at least 15 years after a 2001 conviction.
• Advocacy input stresses unresolved questions about coercive control, mental health, legal appeals and one-sided media portrayals.

Television round-up and wider viewing context mentioned alongside the drama

Other listings and cultural notes mentioned in the same coverage included: the films One Battle After Another, Sinners, Marty Supreme and Hamnet as the most nominated of the night; the British films I Swear, The Ballad of Wallis Island and Pillion were flagged; coverage for an awards night was hosted by Alan Cumming and included a performance by KPop Demon Hunters. Winter Olympics references included a biathlete’s confession of infidelity, an ice routine by Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson described as a highland fling, and a closing ceremony at the Verona Arena billed to hand the 2030 baton to the French Alps. A concert in Lisbon by the Gulbenkian Orchestra was listed with Ravel’s La Valse, Debussy’s La Mer and the symphonic poem Vltava by Bedřich Smetana conducted by Aziz Shokakimov. Film and TV recommendations also ranged from classic Breathless to quiz and panel show formats and competitive sport listings: a Premier League fixture (Nottingham Forest v Liverpool) at 1pm followed by another at 4. 25pm; a Women’s FA Cup fixture (Chelsea v Man Utd) at 1pm and Liverpool v Everton at 4pm; and a Six Nations match France v Italy at 2. 20pm from Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille. (Schedules and listings are presented as they appeared and are subject to change. )

What’s easy to miss is how consistently the family has linked repeated dramatizations to renewed intrusion; that thread runs through both the emotional reaction and the legal and advocacy responses noted here.

If you’re wondering why this keeps coming up: the convergence of casting choices, a high-profile royal connection and ongoing advocacy around coercive control keeps the story in public conversation long after the criminal conviction.