The drama is based on real events surrounding the 1974 disappearance of John Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucan, but it also incorporates a speculative element about his fate, framed through author John Pearson's 2003 research into the former Clermont Club.

The story is structured around a fictionalized version of writer John Pearson investigating the case in 2003 while researching a book about the Clermont Club, piecing together the events through interviews with Lucan's contemporaries.

The series received generally positive reviews in the British press, with critics such as Sameer Rahim of the Telegraph and Sam Wollaston of The Guardian praising the performances of Rory Kinnear, Christopher Eccleston, and Catherine McCormack.

Sarah Hughes of The Independent praised the acting and craft of the drama but criticized it as 'murder regurgitated as entertainment,' arguing that victim Sandra Rivett was reduced to a bit part in her own story.

The production sparked strong criticism from real-life family members: Sandra Rivett's son Neil Berriman said the show profited from his mother's death, while Lord Lucan's daughter Camilla Bingham stated the Lucan family never endorsed the drama and felt it offered no new insights.

In response to family criticism, ITV defended the drama, stating it was not a re-hash of the story but an attempt to provide new insight into the events of 7 November 1974 and to answer the mystery of Lord Lucan's fate.