TV preview: Damilola, Our Loved Boy

It's almost 16 years since the death of 10-year-old Damilola Taylor, who was stabbed on the North Peckham estate in south London, where he lived with his parents and two older siblings.
By The Newsroom
Published 3rd Nov 2016, 12:33 BST
Updated 16th Nov 2016, 15:48 BST
TRAGIC END: Sammy Kamara plays 10-year-old murder victim Damilola Taylor in Damilola, Our Loved Boy, which follows his journey from Lagos to London, and his familys quest for justice.TRAGIC END: Sammy Kamara plays 10-year-old murder victim Damilola Taylor in Damilola, Our Loved Boy, which follows his journey from Lagos to London, and his familys quest for justice.
TRAGIC END: Sammy Kamara plays 10-year-old murder victim Damilola Taylor in Damilola, Our Loved Boy, which follows his journey from Lagos to London, and his familys quest for justice.

It was a crime that shocked the nation. Now a feature-length drama, told primarily from the point of view of Damilola’s father, Richard, reveals the personal story behind the headlines, following his journey from Lagos, Nigeria, to London, and the family’s quest for justice.

It was the now instantly recognisable picture of Damilola smiling at the camera, looking like he might burst with laughter at any point, which was etched onto executive producer Colin Barr’s mind.

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“Quite often with these stories, we’re all guilty of having lazy assumptions about what a story is, from what we read in the newspapers or what we see on television, and I thought it would be interesting to see behind all of that,” he said.

“It’s not the killer’s story [two teenage brothers were later found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to eight years in youth custody], it’s not the judicial system’s story, it’s not the story of the police, it’s not the story of anything other than the Taylor family.”

Damilola, Our Loved Boy, BBC1, Monday, 8.30pm

Related topics:LondonColin Barr