The long shadow

The British know how to make quality drama, and this was no exception. I don't know the details of the case, and I don't know how faithful the series was to reality. Some elements and characters were obviously fictional. Since I do not know the background to the true story, I will treat this film as a cultural production of fiction.

The series was well written, directed, acted, costumed and staged. The series managed to touch on a number of interesting social issues. There was a lot of idleness in the series, but this time there were good reasons for it. It was a good illustration of how difficult an investigation can really be and how many things can actually go wrong. A look in ones perception and how deceiving it can be.

A certain idleness and prolongation underlined the frustration that the characters in the series were experiencing. It was important that this feeling was also conveyed to the audience. All in all, a series worth watching.

A superb addition to the existing ripper dramas and documentaries as this shows a new perspective, as it features back stories for the victims, an area that has been neglected, and provides a lot of details which are new to me. It also shows the incompetence and sexism of the police as well as the difficulties and limits of their capabilities. For example the desperation of sitting in cars taking registrations takes me back as I was interviewed at the time (having innocently driven though the areas of interest). It was a harrowing time for everybody who lived in the area and this is depicted well.

The shows creators have made an admirable decision in approaching this story from the viewpoint of the women who were murdered and their loved ones and the botched investigation - rather than a re-enactment that gives face time to their twisted killer.

As someone who was a teenager at the time I can remember how huge the impact of this long running crime spree was - and in retrospect how badly the victims were mistreated not just by their fates but by the misogyny and prejudices of the media and the police and sections of the general public at the time.

This series does its best to give them a voice and importance that was denied to them at the time and deserves to be commended.

Production values were very high, period detail was excellent and it was well directed with an excellent score. The casting was superb all round and the intelligent script by George Kay was understated and let the power of the women's stories prevail as they should.

One of the best UK dramas of 2023 that raises many questions about male violence that are sadly just as valid today as they were in the 70's and 80's when these crimes took place.

I was 17 when the first murder victim was killed and 22 when that monster was finally caught. Living in the area where these events happened was terrifying throughout that time of going at night with friends but always being aware that he could be the man walking near you.

This drama series is blessed with some excellent British character actors, and is sympathetic to the women and girls who were slaughtered by that piece of scum who I won't name. These events are still so entrenched in my memories that the names of the victims and the police officers investigating the crimes have never left me. We have to remember that things were very different then and with no DNA and no centralised police computer system, the work involved for the police was almost insurmountable.

I hope that the victims' families will feel that this series has been made to make us see them as people rather than just names, photos and, sadly, descriptions in the media at the time. The excellent cast and writers, in fact everyone involved, were apparently keen to achieve that.

The real life story of one of Britain's most notorious killers, Peter Sutcliffe, who evaded capture for many years, taunting The Detectives on the case.

I was worried by two things, one, that at seven episodes long, that it would lag, and feel too padded, and secondly, that they'd add in current attitudes and mindsets into occurrences from the 1970's, a very different time.

Episode one apart, I think they got the tone and attitudes spot on, we see the sexism and racism. It's a very good adaptation, it feels like a fairly authentic telling of the story, I didn't think they'd sensationalised it, or overdone it, the right mix of drama and story.

It gets better as it progresses, I didn't particularly care for episode one, but it definitely ends better than it started. It highlights the real failings with the investigation.

I like that it focuses more so on the investigation itself, rather than Sutcliffe himself, we actually see surprisingly very little of him.

Production values are terrific, they got the details spot on, it looks and feels very authentic, great fashions, sets and cars, the team nailed it.

It boasts a great cast, British talent galore, the likes of Toby Jones, David Morrissey, Liz White and Mark Jordon, they're all on point.

I still can't believe he got away with this for so many years.

8/10.