The Long Shadow

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.

This program is very well made, honest, heartbreaking & very important. I saw I review moaning about why itvx are making so many crime shows. I don't think this is the place for that discussion as this is meant to review a particular program. But saying that, I would like to say that I felt this program wasn't shallow or following the true crime popularity. I believe this was incredibly respectful & highlighted the catastrophic mistakes made when misogyny is rife, when victims aren't seen as a human being. This is a message about terrible mistakes made that if learnt from, can stop something like this happening again. Help the process for survivors. Help to make change. TV used in this way is incredibly powerful. Itvx did a wonderful job making this. The acting is incredible, the writing important & tone perfect.

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.

For many many years , really since Broadchurch, ITV has produced drivel on a regular basis, ridiculous dramas that are nothing better than day time soaps and turned off after the first episode. Finally The Long Shadow arrives and within 10 minutes the difference was there to be seen. With an absolutely stellar cast and some top drawer actors this is totally compelling stuff The subject matter is very grim but it's a story that needs to be told, especially to a generation that will have no knowledge of that era.

The victims and their families are portrayed in a sympathetic manner and all the fashions and dialogue are spot on Definitely one of the best dramas this year.