A fresh take on the Jack the Ripper story is coming to Sky in April. Jack the Ripper: Written in Blood shifts the focus from the killer’s identity to the scandalous role of the press in shaping the narrative and hindering the police investigation.
Here’s the Lowdown: This drama-led documentary series, premiering in April, explores how the Whitechapel Murders fueled the rise of tabloid journalism. It specifically examines The Star newspaper’s actions, revealing how the publication exploited the killings to increase readership and profits, even at the expense of justice. The cast includes Mark Strepan (New Blood), Moe Dunford (The Dry), Amy Leigh Hickman (Ackley Bridge), Chelsea Halfpenny (Casualty), and Tyger Drew-Honey (Outnumbered).
What This Means Now: This series presents a different approach to a well-known historical event. By examining the media’s influence, it provides a new lens through which to view the Ripper case and raises questions about the ethics of sensationalist reporting, even today.
The Bigger Picture: The series uses modern-day experts – including journalists, former detectives, psychologists, historians, a former prostituted woman and author, and forensics experts – to revisit the Victorian era. It shows how the press can manipulate a story for its own benefit, and how that manipulation can have serious consequences, impeding investigations and distorting public perception. The series airs on Sky this April.
