The True Story Behind Netflix's 'Legends' Explained, 'War On Drugs', Beta Project, Neil's Research

'Legends' has been making headlines ever since its release on Netflix. However, the show has raised questions among fans about whether it is inspired by real events and how accurate they are.

Legends has been making waves ever since its release on Netflix. The show follows a team of four customs officers tasked with infiltrating and dismantling one of the biggest gangs in the UK. To make the mission possible, they had to assume new identities called 'Legends'. However, ever since the 'inspired by real events' series was released on Netflix, fans have wondered what's real and what's fictional. 

Created by Neil Forsyth, Netflix's 6-episode series, Legends, is said to be based on a true story. The series recounts how a team of untrained customs officers were made to temporarily abandon their lives, including their families and day jobs, in order to go undercover and infiltrate the drug trade under the pretence of false identities. So, as the series gains everyone's attention, let's take a quick look at who these people were.

Meet the "Legends"

Legends is said to be set in London and Liverpool, both known as drug epicentres in the United Kingdom. So, as we dive into what's real and what's not, let's first meet the team of 'Legends' as introduced in the series. The undercover team is led by 'Don' essayed by Steve Coogan. The four officers involved in the mission were 'Guy Stanton', played by Tom Burke; 'Kate', played by Hayley Squires; 'Bailey', played by Aml Ameen; and 'Erin', played by Jasmine Blackborow. 

What is Legends about?

Legends being 'inspired' by true events. However, the show does add a key disclaimer: "Some elements have been created for dramatic purposes and to protect those involved." The epilogue offers some real-life context to the events that occurred back in the day. It could be summarised as: 

"In the 1990s, undercover investigators from Her Majesty's Customs helped British law enforcement seize more than twelve tonnes of heroin with a street value of over one billion pounds. They did so with a fraction of the training and resources of their international counterparts, and with the public largely unaware of their work."

Inside the history of the War on Drugs in England

The story dates back to the 1990s, when the UK was falling into recession, and drug use became more widespread than ever. It developed into an epidemic that forced the government to target directly through proactive police measures and spend loads of money to execute the mission. The 1990s saw the use of opioid drugs grow throughout the decade. However, by the end of the 1990s, a BBC report suggests that heroin usage in the UK had peaked with around 350,000 users.

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The former PM, Margaret Thatcher, coined the term 'War on Drugs' and represented law enforcement becoming more intense following the growing number of young deaths. In 1990, she publicly addressed the drug crisis and stated:

"The insidious threat to our way of life from drugs and from the evils they bring in their wake: disease, corruption, violence, crime, breaking up families and destroying young lives."

The undercover customs officers mission

The top-secret operation, also known as 'Beta Project', began in the late 1980s and early 1990s. At the time, Britain's Customs division was fighting a losing battle against drug smuggling. However, it wasn't the first time undercover officers had been sent into the field in the UK. According to reports, the first major use of undercover officers against drugs was 'Operation Julie', which took place in the mid-1970s, where they targeted LSD. However, as the 'Beta Project' took shape, uniformed officers were recruited to work undercover. The entire operation was conducted with limited financial backing, forcing the team to rely on invention to portray their legendary alter egos. 

Neil Forsyth opened up about his research process for Legends 

What's On Netflix previously talked to Legends creator, Neil Forsyth. During the conversation, the writer talked about his creative process for the series. He revealed how he researched the history of what happened and how the undercover officers handled the situations. However, Forsyth admitted that he did take creative liberties to develop the story into a 6-episode series. He was quoted as saying:

"I did need to condense and simplify it. Otherwise, it would be extremely complicated, and we'd have far too many characters. It's about figuring out how to take the true story and make it manageable for six episodes of television, because real life is very messy. So we did the research, gathered everything that happened and all the people involved, and decided which characters to concentrate on. In some cases, these are composites of real-life people, to give a real breadth of experience, while being completely true to the spirit of what happened and the major incidents that occurred."

Who is the real Guy Stanton?

One character who caught everyone's attention in the series was 'Guy Stanton', the viewers were left stunned by the aftermath he suffered, even though much of it was left ambiguous. However, the story was not much different for the real 'Guy Stanton' either. He joined HM Customs at the age of 17 and worked his way up to become an investigator in 1984. He was regarded as one of the most successful undercover officers in his field and was notably known for his involvement in the 1997 sting of David Huck.

image credit: Netflix/YT

What are your thoughts on Netflix's Legends? Let us know.

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