Maxine is a true-life drama that gives a new perspective on the 2002 murders of Soham schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, turning the spotlight onto school assistant Maxine Carr.
This tragic case from 2002 shocked the nation and the initial disappearance of the two 10-year-old school friends from the town of Soham in Cambridgeshire, UK, led to the biggest manhunt in British history. With newcomer Jemma Carlton playing Maxine and White House Farm’s Scott Reid playing Ian Huntley, this three-part drama will examine the investigation into Maxine and her caretaker boyfriend Ian Huntley, who was later imprisoned for the murders. It delves into Maxine’s tumultuous relationship with Huntley, examines why she lied to the police for him and shows how she came to be regarded as "the most hated woman in Britain".
Filming for the three-part drama started in Ireland in May 2022. Here's everything you need to know about Maxine including interviews with actors Jemma Carlton and Scott Reid....
Maxine release date
The three-part drama Maxine is available on Netflix from Autumn 2023, having previously been shown in the UK on Channel 5 from Monday October 10 2022.
Is there a trailer for Maxine?
Yes a trailer for Maxine was released by Channel 5 which you can watch below...
Maxine plot — what happens in the Netflix drama
Maxine will examine the horrific murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman through the eyes of Maxine Carr, the fiancé of Ian Huntley. The schoolgirls, who' been friends since they were four, went missing after a family barbecue, leading to a huge manhunt. Eventually, their school caretaker Ian Huntley was found to have been behind the crimes and it emerged that Carr had falsely provided an alibi for him to the police. This story focuses on Huntley and Carr's difficult relationship and examines why she decided to lie for him, which led to her imprisonment in 2003 for perverting the course of justice. It also reflects the media frenzy around the case and how Carr quickly became public enemy No1.
Maxine cast — Jemma Carlton on playing Maxine Carr
Jemma Carlton plays Maxine Carr, who was Holly and Jessica’s teaching assistant and lied to the police to cover up Huntley’s crimes. This is her first lead role but she did also star in the 2018 comedy movie Detective Dover, playing Stacy Goff.
Speaking to whattowatch.com about playing Carr, Jemma says: "I watched hours and hours of documentaries before we started filming. There's a lot of footage of Maxine from interviews she did at the time so that was useful in terms of trying to nail her physicality and her voice.
"The research team worked so hard to create a timeline of events that was as accurate as possible so we could tell this story truthfully."
Scott Reid on playing Ian Huntley
Scott Reid is playing school caretaker Ian Huntley whose media interviews and crocodile tears alerted the police to his guilt. Scott is best known for playing DC Mick Clark in the ITV true crime series White House Farm. He also starred in Line of Duty, Still Game, Carnival Row and Deadwater Fell, plus he played Nigel in the 2020 movie The Forgotten Battle.
When asked if he had any reservations about playing such a reviled person Scott told us: "After meeting the director and hearing about the care, diligence and respect that the channel was approaching it with, I knew the story was going to be told in the right way and that eased any concerns or worries and gave me the confidence to go forward with it."
Did the families of Holly and Jessica have any input into this dramatisation?
Scott Reid told us: "One of the assurances made to myself and Jemma at the start was that the channel had reached out to the families and also a lot of people involved in the case, whether that be people who worked at the school or lived in Soham. We were assured that everybody was given the time, respect and reached out to with the utmost care that they all deserve."
Location news — where was Maxine filmed?
The drama Maxine was filmed outside Dublin, Ireland in the coastal town of Bray.
Scott Reid says: "We didn't film in Soham itself and I think that was a good decision as it allowed us to be in an environment where the case wasn’t so fresh in people’s minds. It also allowed us to be away from the press who always want a sneaky peak of filming."
How did Scott and Jemma find the experience of portraying such dark events?
Scott Reid says: "As soon as I hear the director say ‘cut’ I'm back to being Scott. I'm only interested in doing my work, being diligent and focusing on the task at hand. Once a scene is done, beyond worrying about my next scene I’m just trying to just live in the moment. Ultimately this is a dramatisation and we’re creating a programme."
Jemma told us: "I agree. With Maxine I was able to take off the make-up, the hair, the contact lenses at the end of the day so that helped. I also liked listening to music. I listened to a lot of Paolo Nutini filming this (the Scottish singer-songwriter) and I also made a playlist from 2003, the year of the case, so there was a lot of Gareth Gates ( the pop singer and first ever winner of Pop Idol)."
Who else is starring in Maxine?
In Maxine, Steve Edge is playing Press Association reporter Brian Farmer. He’s best known for playing Billy Dawson in ITV comedy Benidorm, plus The Reluctant Landlord and The Madame Blanc Mysteries. Them and Finding You actor Natalie Britton will star as tabloid journalist Jane Kerrigan while Kate O’Toole, Barry John Kinsella and The Vikings actor Laurence Foster also feature.
* Take a look at our guides to other top Channel 5 dramas below...
* The House Across The Street
* Riptide
* The Catch
* The Teacher
