Ripper Street facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ripper Street |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Genre | |
| Created by | Richard Warlow |
| Starring |
|
| Theme music composer | Dominik Scherrer |
| Composer(s) | Dominik Scherrer |
| Country of origin |
|
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 37 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
|
| Producer(s) |
|
| Production location(s) | Dublin, Ireland |
| Cinematography |
|
| Camera setup | Single-camera setup |
| Running time | 58–76 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
|
| Release | |
| Original network |
|
| Original release | 30 December 2012 – 12 October 2016 |
Ripper Street is a British mystery drama TV show. It is set in Whitechapel, a part of East London. The show stars Matthew Macfadyen, Jerome Flynn, Adam Rothenberg, and MyAnna Buring.
The story begins in 1889, about six months after the famous Jack the Ripper murders. The first episode was shown on December 30, 2012, on BBC One. It later aired in the United States on BBC America in January 2013. Ripper Street came back for a second series in October 2013.
At first, it seemed a third series would not be made because not enough people watched the second series. However, in February 2014, Amazon Video decided to help bring the show back. Filming for the third series started in May 2014. This series became available on Amazon UK in November 2014. It later aired on BBC America and BBC One in 2015.
In June 2015, the show was renewed for a fourth and fifth series. It was announced in 2016 that the fifth series would be the last. The fourth series premiered on Amazon UK in January 2016. It then aired on BBC America and BBC Two later that year. The final six episodes of the fifth series were released on Amazon UK in October 2016.
Contents
The Story of Ripper Street
Series 1: The Hunt Begins
The first series starts in April 1889. It has been five months since the last Jack the Ripper killing. In Whitechapel, a police team called H Division is in charge of policing a busy area of East London. This area is home to many people who are not well-off. The H Division officers had tried to find the Ripper but did not succeed. When more women are found murdered in Whitechapel, the police worry that the killer has returned.
Detective Inspector Edmund Reid leads the H Division. He works with Detective Sergeant Bennet Drake and Captain Homer Jackson, a smart forensic expert. Jackson lives with Long Susan, who runs a local business. Their relationship becomes a bit difficult because Jackson is interested in Rose Erskine, one of Susan's employees. He also works closely with Reid and the H Division.
Reid and his wife Emily (Amanda Hale) had a daughter named Mathilda. She was lost and thought to have died in a river accident before the series began. A newspaper reporter, Fred Best (David Dawson), knows something about her disappearance. Emily is still sad, but she wants to help women in need in Whitechapel.
Series 2: New Challenges
The second series takes place in 1890. Emily has left Reid. Sergeant Drake has married Bella, another of Susan's employees. A new detective, Albert Flight (Damien Molony), joins the team.
Reid faces challenges from Inspector Jedediah Shine (Joseph Mawle). Shine was an Inspector in Hong Kong and now controls a nearby police area called "K" Division.
The series also shows events from history. These include Chinese immigration to London and the matchgirls' strike of 1888. It also touches on the "war of the currents" (about electricity) and Joseph Merrick, known as "the Elephant Man."
Series 3: A Reunion and a Mystery
In 1894, a train accident in Whitechapel causes many deaths. At the accident scene, Reid, Drake, Jackson, Rose Erskine, and Long Susan meet again after being apart for a long time. Reid investigates the crash and finds out it was caused by a plan to get money. The person behind it is Susan's lawyer, Ronald Capshaw. He wanted to steal valuable bonds to help their struggling business and improve Whitechapel.
Mathilda, Reid's daughter, is found to be alive. However, Susan tells Reid that Mathilda died after being rescued. Later, Reid gets a tip about where Mathilda was last seen. He and Drake find her, but she runs away. Reid goes home, and he and his daughter are finally reunited.
Series 4: New Beginnings and Secrets
Series 4 begins in 1897, the year of Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee. Reid has stopped being a detective and lives in Hampton-on-Sea with Mathilda. He returns to Whitechapel after Deborah Goren asks him to investigate a murder. She believes the accused person, Isaac Bloom, is innocent.
Meanwhile, Drake is now the head inspector of Whitechapel. He still works with Jackson, who has stopped his bad habits to save money. He wants to help Susan, who is in trouble with the law. When legal ways to free her fail, he helps her escape. Susan has to leave their son with Drake and his wife Rose. Susan hides, and Jackson pretends to be a sad widower to his friends.
Series 5: The Final Chapter
Series 5 continues the story from series 4. After Drake's death and other difficulties, Reid, Jackson, and Susan hide in Whitechapel with help from Mimi Morton. The three secretly try to uncover the truth about Nathaniel Dove and his brother, Augustus Dove. Inspector Jedediah Shine becomes the head of H Division and wants to catch Reid. Mathilda now lives with Sergeant Drummond.
How the Show Was Made
The show was a joint project between BBC and BBC America. The main writers were Richard Warlow, Julie Rutterford, Declan Croghan, and Toby Finlay. Several directors worked on the series, including Andy Wilson and Tom Shankland.
Tom Shankland explained that Whitechapel had many serious crimes. Any woman found murdered with a knife in the months after the Ripper killings was often thought to be a Ripper victim. He said the show would touch on the Ripper in this way but not change the known facts about the original murders. He also wanted the show to feel more real than other period dramas he had seen.
Choosing the Actors
The three main actors, Macfadyen, Flynn, and Rothenberg, talked about how they got their roles. Macfadyen said he was interested because the script felt "fresh." He thought the writing was excellent and the story moved quickly.
Rothenberg's process was simpler; he auditioned for the pilot series and got the part. Flynn's experience was similar. The writer, Richard Warlow, had seen Flynn in Game of Thrones and asked about casting him.
Where It Was Filmed
The series was filmed entirely in Dublin, Ireland. Some locations included the former Clancy Barracks and Trinity College, Dublin.
Some of the places mentioned in the show, like the Leman Street police station and "The Brown Bear" pub, are still on Leman Street in London. The Jews Orphan Asylum also still exists, but it has moved and changed its name.
Meet the Characters
Main Characters
- Matthew Macfadyen as Detective Inspector Edmund Reid: He leads the H Division in East London. Reid is very dedicated to his work. He is sad about the presumed death of his daughter, Mathilda. He often works late in his office. Reid retires when his daughter is found, but he feels restless and eventually returns to work under Drake.
- Jerome Flynn as Detective Sergeant, later Detective Inspector, Bennet Drake (series 1–4; guest series 5): He is Reid's trusted assistant. Drake is a strong and loyal officer. After Reid retires, Drake becomes the leader of H Division.
- Adam Rothenberg as Captain Homer Jackson: He is a former US Army surgeon and a forensic expert for H Division. He is very smart and helps solve cases using science. When his relationship with Susan becomes difficult, he struggles with his habits.
- MyAnna Buring as "Long" Susan Hart/Caitlin Swift Judge: She is married to Homer Jackson. Susan tries to run a legal business, but her actions lead to a train accident and many deaths. She is later imprisoned. She and Jackson have a son, Connor, while she is in prison.
- David Threlfall as Abel Croker (series 4): He is a man who works at the Thames wharf. He protects Nathaniel Croker.
- David Warner as Rabbi Max Steiner (series 4).
Other Important Characters
Series 1
- David Wilmot as Sergeant Donald Artherton (series 1–3): He is the long-serving desk sergeant of H Division.
- David Dawson as Fred Best (series 1–3; guest series 5): He is the editor of the local newspaper. He often tries to get information about ongoing police cases for his stories.
- Clive Russell as Detective Chief Inspector Frederick Abberline (series 1–3, 5): He used to lead H Division and investigated the Ripper murders. He and Reid sometimes disagree on how to investigate.
- Jonathan Barnwell as Police Constable Dick Hobbs: A young officer in H Division who is sadly killed while trying to protect a woman.
- Lucy Cohu as Deborah Goren (series 1 and 4): She is the head of a Jewish orphanage. She helps Edmund Reid in the first series when he is looking for his daughter.
- Amanda Hale as Emily Reid: Edmund Reid's wife. Their marriage is difficult because their daughter Mathilda disappeared. Emily focuses on helping others.
- Ian McElhinney as Theodore P. Swift (series 1 and 3): He is Long Susan's father. He owns a bank that gets into financial trouble.
Series 2
- Damien Molony as Detective Constable Albert Flight: A new, young officer who joins H Division.
- Joseph Mawle as Detective Inspector Jedediah Shine (series 2 and 5): He is an inspector from another police division. Reid tries to find out if Shine is responsible for a series of murders. Shine later returns to lead H Division.
- Leanne Best as Jane Cobden (series 2 and 3): A local council member.
Series 3
- John Heffernan as Ronald Capshaw: Long Susan's lawyer. He convinces her to be part of a plan to get money from a train, which accidentally leads to many deaths.
- Lydia Wilson as Hermione "Mimi" Morton (series 3 and 5): Homer Jackson's girlfriend. She later helps Reid, Jackson, and Susan when they are trying to avoid the police.
- Josh O'Connor as Police Constable Bobby Grace: A young officer in H Division.
- Anna Burnett as Mathilda Reid (series 3–5): Reid's daughter, who was lost for many years but is finally reunited with him.
Series 4 and 5
- Killian Scott as Assistant Commissioner Augustus Dove: A high-ranking officer at Scotland Yard.
- Matthew Lewis as Sergeant/Inspector Samuel "Drum" Drummond: The desk sergeant of H Division. He is later promoted to Inspector.
- Benjamin O'Mahony as Detective Sergeant/Sergeant Frank Thatcher: Drake's assistant.
- Anna Koval as Rachel Castello: A local reporter who becomes the editor of the Star newspaper.
- Jonas Armstrong as Nathaniel Croker, also known as Nathaniel Dove: Abel Croker's assistant and Augustus Dove's brother. He is known as the "Whitechapel Golem."
- Kahl and Kye Murphy as Connor Judge: The son of Homer Jackson and Long Susan, born while Susan was imprisoned.
Episodes
List of Ripper Street episodes
Home Video Releases
The first series was released on DVD and Blu-ray in Europe in March 2013. The same DVDs were released in Canada and the US in March 2013.
The second series DVD set was planned for release in January 2014. A box set with both series 1 and 2 was also scheduled. Region 1 DVDs of series 2 were released in April 2014.
Similar TV Shows
- Sergeant Cork (1963–1968): A British detective show about police officers fighting crime in Victorian London.
- Cribb (1979–1981): A British detective show about a sergeant in the new CID in Victorian London.
- Copper (2012–2013): A crime series set in 1860s New York City during the American Civil War.
- Murdoch Mysteries (2008–present): A Canadian detective series set in Victorian Toronto.
Images for kids
-
Series title against printers typefaces
-
L-R: MyAnna Buring, Adam Rothenberg, Matthew Macfadyen, Jerome Flynn, and Charlene McKenna
