Shadow World - Breakin' the Cycle is the story of two feared London gangsters, Colin and D, who, in the early 2000s decide to try and escape the cycle of crime by making a movie based on their own lives as gang leaders and drug dealers. But the lines between fact and fiction quickly begin to blur, when they take a star-studded cast and a largely white, middle-class film crew into their world, in an attempt to make the UK's first authentic hood film. Accidental stabbings, drug dealing on set, and even a real-life shootout. Amongst the chaos, they're faced with the realities of leaving gang life behind, and the constant temptations of their old life threatening to drag them back in. Breakin' the Cycle is a series about friendship, guns, drugs, money and the sacrifices required when leaving one life behind in pursuit of another. What will it take for Colin and D to leave behind a world of guns, drugs, and gangs, and reinvent themselves as film-makers? Gripping stories from the Shadows - BBC investigations from across the UK.
When aspiring movie editor Lewis Albrow lands an unusual interview with Colin Browne and his right-hand man D, he believes he’s finally found his break into the film industry - but instead he’s pulled into a very different world. In prison, Colin Browne has written a script based on his life and his long-running criminal partnership with D, leading the gang Love of Money. But in Colin’s story, unlike in his life, the main protagonist manages to break free from his cycle of criminality. When the pair reconnect after Colin’s release, they realise the script could be a way out of crime. They meet a smooth-talking fixer who promises to help them turn it into a movie, and begin a new chapter in their lives. But how serious are they about the film’s central theme - breaking the cycle of a life of crime? Gripping stories from the Shadows - BBC investigations from across the UK. Presenter and Producer: Lewis Albrow Series Producer: Emma Barnaby Producer: Louis Hollis Assistant Editor: Georgina Savage Sound Designer, Composer, and Mix Engineer: Axel Kacoutie Script Editor: Jason Lewis Fact Checker: Jessica Hatcher-Moore Production Manager: Anna-Marie Batho Production Executive: Letisha Kidza Head of Production: Nicky Murphy Production Support: Emma Wood and Olivia Bouton Executive Producers for Raw: Deborah Dudgeon, David Waters, and Tim Wardle. Business Affairs: Amy Ofori-Attah, Clotilde Leroux, Damian Kent, and Emma Ong. Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke A Raw production for BBC Radio 4
Breakin' the Cycle: Trailer
Breakin’ the Cycle is the story of two feared London gangsters, Colin and D, who, in the early 2000’s decide to try and escape the cycle of crime by making a movie based on their own lives as gang leaders and drug dealers. But the lines between fact and fiction quickly begin to blur, when they take a star-studded cast and a largely white, middle-class film crew into their world, in an attempt to make the UK’s first authentic hood film. Accidental stabbings, drug dealing on set, and even a real-life shootout. Amongst the chaos, they're faced with the realities of leaving gang life behind, and the constant temptations of their old life threatening to drag them back in. Breakin’ the Cycle is a series about friendship, guns, drugs, money and the sacrifices required when leaving one life behind in pursuit of another.
Stolen Years: 4. Closing Arguments
Will justice finally prevail? For Shadow World: Stolen Years, the trial of Paul Quinn reaches its verdict. After more than two decades will the victim of the brutal rape finally see the right man convicted? And at the conclusion of the trial will Andy feel a sense of closure? With two separate investigations still examining the failures in his case, the verdict is not the end of the story. Shadow World: Gripping stories from the shadows - BBC investigations from across the UK. Presenter and Producer: Jemma Gander Series Producer and Editor: Fran Robertson Assistant Editor: Christopher Whyte Composer: Sholto Sound design and mix: Chris Maclean Executive Producer for Goldhawk: Kate Holland Commissioning executive: Tracy Williams Commissioning editor: Dan Clarke A Two Step Films production in association with Goldhawk for Radio 4
Stolen Years: 3. Lucky Man
Why did it take so long to free an innocent man? In Shadow World: Stolen Years, the case against the new suspect in the 2003 rape case gathers pace, while Andrew Malkinson finally receives good news of his own. But as the series turns to the role of the Criminal Cases Review Commission and the appeal system, a deeper question emerges - how was he left in prison for so long? Shadow World: Gripping stories from the shadows - BBC investigations from across the UK. Presenter and Producer: Jemma Gander Series Producer and Editor: Fran Robertson Assistant Editor: Christopher Whyte Composer: Sholto Sound design and mix: Chris Maclean Executive Producer for Goldhawk: Kate Holland Commissioning executive: Tracy Williams Commissioning editor: Dan Clarke A Two Step Films production in association with Goldhawk for Radio 4
Stolen Years: 2. Without a Trace
Who is Mr B? In Shadow World: Stolen Years, a DNA match reopens a 20 year old rape case that should have been solved years earlier. As police investigate the new suspect, Andrew Malkinson begins to reckon with the damage of a wrongful conviction and whether recovery after so many years in prison, is possible. Shadow World: Gripping stories from the shadows - BBC investigations from across the UK. Presenter and Producer: Jemma Gander Series Producer and Editor: Fran Robertson Assistant Editor: Christopher Whyte Composer: Sholto Sound design and mix: Chris Maclean Executive Producer for Goldhawk: Kate Holland Commissioning executive: Tracy Williams Commissioning editor: Dan Clarke A Two Step Films production in association with Goldhawk for Radio 4
Stolen Years: 1. Contaminated Memories
How can a victim of a traumatic crime appear to be so sure, yet so wrong? In the first episode of Shadow World: Stolen Years we confront the eyewitness evidence that helped convict Andrew Malkinson in 2004. As a new suspect faces trial over the 2003 rape, Andy meets another woman who made the same devastating mistake, offering him an answer to the question that has haunted him for years. Shadow World: Gripping stories from the shadows - BBC investigations from across the UK. Presenter and Producer: Jemma Gander Series Producer and Editor: Fran Robertson Assistant Editor: Christopher Whyte Composer: Sholto Sound design and mix: Chris Maclean Executive Producer for Goldhawk: Kate Holland Commissioning executive: Tracy Williams Commissioning editor: Dan Clarke A Two Step Films production in association with Goldhawk for Radio 4
Stolen Years: Trailer
Andrew Malkinson’s wrongful conviction of a brutal rape in 2003 has been recognised as one of the worst miscarriages of justice in UK history. He’s angry and says the criminal justice and appeal systems let him down. Now that the right man has been convicted, he wants answers, and reform. So why did he spend all those years in prison while the perpetrator remained free? And what does his case tell us about the justice system that failed him? In Shadow World: Stolen Years, filmmaker and journalist Jemma Gander (co-director of The Wrong Man: 17 Years Behind Bars) follows the next chapter of this extraordinary case. As Andrew tries to rebuild his life, fresh questions emerge about the role of the police, the courts, and the institutions that failed him. “You don’t know what you’re capable of withstanding until you are forced to. But it’s just horrific”. Twenty three years later, a man is found guilty of the crime Andrew Malkinson was falsely accused of.
Impulsive: 10. Reflections
Impulse control disorders are a common side effect of dopamine agonist drugs - it’s generally accepted that they will affect around 1 in 6 people taking these drugs for Parkinson’s. So why are these side effects so hard to talk about? How can people get past their guilt and shame to access the support they need? And if subtle changes in the activity of chemicals in our brain can cause us to behave so differently - what is personality? Details of organisations offering help and support with some of the issues raised are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. If you have any concerns about medication you’re taking, speak to your doctor. Presenter: Noel Titheradge Producer: Lucy Burns Editor: Matt Willis A BBC News Long Form Audio production
Impulsive: 9. Blame Game
Respected local solicitor Andrew is sent to prison - but the devastating impact of the side effects of his Parkinson’s medication continues. BBC Investigations Correspondent Noel Titheradge has been contacted by more than 200 people about their experience of behavioural side effects of dopamine agonist drugs. So who’s taking responsibility? We hear from pharmaceutical companies, regulators and doctors. There have been significant developments in the way these drugs are used - but what effect have they had? Details of organisations offering help and support with some of the issues raised are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. If you have any concerns about medication you’re taking, speak to your doctor. Presenter: Noel Titheradge Producer: Lucy Burns Editor: Matt Willis A BBC News Long Form Audio production
Impulsive: 8. Collateral
Andrew’s a respected local solicitor when one day he’s arrested. He has defrauded his elderly clients of more than £600,000, which he’s spent on sex workers and antiques. His wife Frances and daughter Alice are shocked - this seems completely out of character. Then they learn there could be a connection to Andrew’s Parkinson’s medication. But will the judge accept this as mitigation for his crimes? Details of organisations offering help and support with some of the issues raised are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. If you have any concerns about medication you’re taking, speak to your doctor. Presenter: Noel Titheradge Producer: Lucy Burns Editor: Matt Willis A BBC News Long Form Audio production
Impulsive: 7. Missed connections
Lucy’s stumbled on a connection between her gambling problem and her medication. But her mental health team says they don’t know what she’s talking about. Freddie’s reached breaking point. And, one day, he notices his dad’s medication leaflet on the kitchen table, sparking a full-blown crisis. It’s been known for more than two decades that drugs affecting dopamine levels in the brain have potential side effects including impulse control disorders like hypersexuality, or compulsive shopping or gambling. Warnings have been added to patient information leaflets - but many of the people who’ve contacted BBC investigations correspondent Noel Titheradge about their experiences say the risks weren’t made clear. Why weren’t they warned about the potential side effects of these medications before it was too late? Details of organisations offering help and support with some of the issues raised are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. If you have any concerns about medication you’re taking, speak to your doctor. Presenter: Noel Titheradge Producer: Lucy Burns Editor: Matt Willis A BBC News Long Form Audio production
Impulsive: 6. Chasing Losses
Lucy’s on her lunchbreak when she tries her first scratchcard - soon, she’s hooked. She’s never been interested in gambling before, but after a few months the glove compartment of her car is full of scratchcards. And then she starts gambling online… Lucy’s taking a medication called Aripiprazole for her mental health condition. It’s a partial dopamine agonist - a different mechanism to the dopamine agonist drugs used for Parkinson’s and Restless Legs Syndrome that we’ve heard about in previous episodes. But it’s got similar side effects. For Lucy, this means compulsive eating, hypersexuality - and a gambling problem that’s spiralling out of control. Details of organisations offering help and support with some of the issues raised are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. If you have any concerns about medication you’re taking, speak to your doctor. Presenter: Noel Titheradge Producer: Lucy Burns Editor: Matt Willis A BBC News Long Form Audio production
Impulsive: 5. Restless
Lisa has Restless Legs Syndrome - it feels like her legs are on fire and they keep moving around. It’s affecting her sleep, so she’s pleased to hear that there’s a treatment: a commonly used Parkinson’s medication called Pramipexole. The prescriber doesn’t mention any side effects. But Lisa’s dosage of Pramipexole keeps increasing as her symptoms keep returning, and she starts behaving in ways that feel out of character. After an argument with her husband, she starts an affair with a man she meets online. Soon she’s meeting strangers for sex. And even while her personality’s changing, her condition keeps getting worse… Details of organisations offering help and support with some of the issues raised are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. If you have any concerns about medication you’re taking, speak to your doctor. Presenter: Noel Titheradge Producer: Lucy Burns Editor: Matt Willis A BBC News Long Form Audio production
Impulsive: 4. Big Pharma, Big Secret
When BBC Investigations correspondent Noel Titheradge first started looking into this story, he set about finding insiders who knew what had gone on inside the pharmaceutical companies that made them. He contacted former staff and officials, cold called potential whistleblowers - and then he got lucky. Someone shared an internal report from the drug company GlaxoSmithKline which revealed that they’d been aware of fifteen cases of “increased libido” in patients taking their dopamine agonist Ropinirole, including cases of paedophilia and indecent behaviour. The report had been published in 2003, three years before warnings appeared on patient leaflets - and thirteen years before Steve started taking the drug. Details of organisations offering help and support with some of the issues raised are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. If you have any concerns about medication you’re taking, speak to your doctor. Presenter: Noel Titheradge Producer: Lucy Burns Editor: Matt Willis A BBC News Long Form Audio production
Impulsive: 3. Dopamine Hits
Freddie finds out his dad’s been scammed - to his horror, he hears that his father Bill has been speaking to multiple women in Ghana who he’d met on Skype, and sent them £300,000. And Steve’s wife finds out about his camgirl habit when he makes a payment to one of the sites on their joint credit card. Neither Bill nor Steve has any idea why they’ve been behaving erratically. Noel meets retired neurologist Paul Morrish, who remembers that doctors were starting to notice their patients experiencing unusual side effects from dopamine agonist drugs as far back as the early 2000s. So why weren’t some patients being properly warned fifteen years later? And neuropsychiatry professor Valerie Voon from the University of Cambridge explains how dopamine affects our perception of reward vs risk - which means people taking dopamine agonists can be prone to taking more risks. Details of organisations offering help and support with some of the issues raised are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. If you have any concerns about medication you’re taking, speak to your doctor. Presenter: Noel Titheradge Producer: Lucy Burns Editor: Matt Willis A BBC News Long Form Audio production
Impulsive: 2. Wonder drugs
Not long after his diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease, Steve starts chatting to camgirls online. But soon he’s going on the sites every night, even logging on while his wife’s asleep next to him in bed. How long can he keep it a secret? Steve’s one of more than 200 people who contacted BBC Investigations correspondent Noel Titheradge about their experiences of side effects caused by dopamine agonist drugs. When medications turn out to have life-changing side effects, how do we balance the benefits with the risks? Details of organisations offering help and support with some of the issues raised are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. If you have any concerns about medication you’re taking, speak to your doctor. Presenter: Noel Titheradge Producer: Lucy Burns Editor: Matt Willis A BBC News Long Form Audio production
Impulsive: 1. Warning Signs
When Freddie’s dad Bill is diagnosed with Parkinson’s, his medication gives him a new lease of life. He starts ticking things off his retiree bucket list - travelling, skydiving, golf. But then Freddie notices that his previously sensible father has started behaving unusually. BBC Investigations correspondent Noel Titheradge has spent more than a year speaking to people whose behaviour changed radically after taking a category of prescription drugs called dopamine agonists. These drugs boost dopamine activity in the brain - they were prescribed more than 1.5 million times in the UK last year to treat Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders. But they have well established side effects - around 1 in 6 people who take them develop impulse control disorders, which can include hypersexuality, binge eating, compulsive gambling and shopping. If these side effects have been known about for decades, why weren’t some patients and their families properly warned or monitored? Details of organisations offering help and support with some of the issues raised are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. If you have any concerns about medication you’re taking, speak to your doctor. Presenter: Noel Titheradge Producer: Lucy Burns Editor: Matt Willis A BBC News Long Form Audio production
Impulsive: Trailer
Early in 2025, BBC Investigations Correspondent Noel Titheradge published his first story about a category of prescription drug with unusual side effects. People who take dopamine agonist drugs for conditions like Parkinson’s disease or Restless Legs Syndrome often report impulse control disorders - problems with gambling, compulsive eating or shopping, or hypersexuality. He wasn’t expecting the response. After that first article was published more than 200 people got in touch - that’s me, they said, that’s my partner, that’s my dad. So Noel started digging. Details of organisations offering help and support with some of the issues raised are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. If you have any concerns about medication you’re taking, speak to your doctor.
Anatomy of a Cancellation: 6. Post Mortem
Katie Razzall considers the fallout from the controversy surrounding Kate Clanchy’s award-winning memoir Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me. She explores the deep divisions the case exposed: in publishing, on social media, and among writers. Has the industry changed? What is the cost of this controversy, and who gets to tell their story? In Shadow World: Anatomy of a Cancellation, the BBC’s Culture Editor Katie Razzall revisits a story that rocked the UK’s publishing industry in 2021. It led to what some saw as the unjustified cancellation of a prize-winning writer and teacher - but to others, was a long overdue reckoning for the world of publishing. It grew into a culture war about race, class, and who has the right to say what. Anatomy of a Cancellation explores a range of different perspectives to consider how people now view one of the most controversial literary rows in recent memory. Presenter: Katie Razzall Producer: Charlotte McDonald Additional production: Octavia Woodward Production co-ordinators: Sophie Hill and Katie Morrison Sound design and mix: James Beard Story editing: Meara Sharma Series producer: Matt Willis Senior news editor: Clare Fordham Commissioning executive: Tracy Williams Commissioning editor: Dan Clarke
Anatomy of a Cancellation: 5. The Rewrite
A sensitivity reader Helen Gould speaks publicly for the first time, revealing the emotional and professional complexities of revising a book already in print. Katie Razzall interrogates the role of sensitivity readers, and asks: who gets to decide what’s acceptable in literature—and what happens when those boundaries shift? In Shadow World: Anatomy of a Cancellation, the BBC’s Culture Editor Katie Razzall revisits a story that rocked the UK’s publishing industry in 2021. It led to what some saw as the unjustified cancellation of a prize-winning writer and teacher - but to others, was a long overdue reckoning for the world of publishing. It grew into a culture war about race, class, and who has the right to say what. Anatomy of a Cancellation explores a range of different perspectives to consider how people now view one of the most controversial literary rows in recent memory. Presenter: Katie Razzall Producer: Charlotte McDonald Additional production: Octavia Woodward Production co-ordinators: Sophie Hill and Katie Morrison Sound design and mix: James Beard Story editing: Meara Sharma Series producer: Matt Willis Senior news editor: Clare Fordham Commissioning executive: Tracy Williams Commissioning editor: Dan Clarke It was a BBC Long Form Audio production for Radio 4.
