There simply have been no worthy counterparts—until now. Untold aims to explain and investigate one of the most famous murders in British history with the same level of high-end production and watchdog intensity.
The first episode of the 10-part series sees Jukes lay down the biographical part of Daniel Morgan’s life that lead up to his murder. As expositional first episodes go, it works. While at certain points I just wanted to get on with the investigation, it's a necessary first step that pays off later. It’s not until the second episode that we really get into the details following Morgan's death.
One of the factors that made Serial a success was the way WBEZ saw pacing and music as integral parts of a story on par with the facts and interviews. Untold’s opening vignettes capture this well, teasing the audience of the story to follow. Atmospheric music is used to great success in setting scenes, something that often fails modern podcasts, and '80s-era South London comes alive with meticulous care.
Morgan's brother Alistair accompanies Jukes through much of the story, emphasizing that while this is a podcast that’s going to be downloaded because it’s entertaining, this is a high-stakes investigation with personal consequences. A life-changing burden where, even 30 years later, hunting for the truth of what really happened on the night Daniel was murdered continues to fuel and haunt the Morgan family.
Untold is a more than just the story of an unsolved murder. It’s a story of jealousy, grief, police corruption, and what happens when accountability goes missing from culture. It's the rare podcast that encapsulates everything that’s great about the medium and proves there’s always room for thoughtful, detailed storytelling.
Untold is released every Thursday, and is available wherever you download podcasts.