The original production was based on a novel by Boris Starling: the subsequent instalments have been written directly for television.
Messiah I is the only series to be directly adapted from the novel, and deals with a serial killer who sets out to commit twelve murders in the same vein as the Apostles.
However, in the series, Red is seen simply being taken away in a police car to give his side of the story as to how his killer died.
The plot deals with a killer who commits a series of elaborate and strange murders based around the killings of The Divine Comedy by Dante.
Messiah V sees Marc Warren take over as lead actor in the series, appearing as new character DCI Joseph Walker.
The plot of this series centres around a massacre in a crack den, followed by an acid attack, the murder of two sisters and a victim discovers with a missing heart.
The first part of the serial was generally positively received by critics, with The Daily Telegraph stating that despite the show lacking the shock value it had when it first started, the variations on the theme are enough to keep it going, and the directing and pacing remained good.
[3] The Herald called the show 'stylishly realised', though also asked why professional detectives would need a priest to figure out the serial killer was sending an apocalyptic message.