''Jack the Ripper'' is a

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

television

miniseries In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...

produced for

Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992. Thames Television broa ...

and

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

based on the notorious

Jack the Ripper Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer who was active in and around the impoverished Whitechapel district of London, England, in 1888. In both criminal case files and the contemporaneous journalistic accounts, the killer was also ...

murder spree in Victorian

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. It was first broadcast on ITV. The film was produced to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the

Whitechapel murders The Whitechapel murders were committed in or near the impoverished Whitechapel District (Metropolis), Whitechapel district in the East End of London between 3 April 1888 and 13 February 1891. At various points some or all of these eleven unso ...

, and was originally screened on British television in two 90-minute episodes, broadcast on consecutive evenings, in October 1988, to coincide with the dates of some of the original events, advertising itself in advance as a solution to the century-old mystery of the murderer's identity using newly discovered original evidence.

Plot

London, autumn 1888. Chief Inspector Frederick Abberline of

Scotland Yard Scotland Yard (officially New Scotland Yard) is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the territorial police force responsible for policing Greater London's London boroughs, 32 boroughs. Its name derives from the location of the original ...

is assigned by his superiors to investigate the murder and brutal mutilation of a prostitute in the East End of London. As the mutilated corpses of other "

shilling The shilling is a historical coin, and the name of a unit of modern currency, currencies formerly used in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, other British Commonwealth countries and Ireland, where they were generally equivalent to 1 ...

whores" turn up in the same area, London's tabloid journalists – particularly Benjamin Bates of '' The Star'' – whip up a public frenzy. The killer is nicknamed "Jack the Ripper" after a letter bearing that name and supposedly from the killer, is forwarded to Scotland Yard. As the Ripper terrorises London, public outrage erupts throughout the country, and Police Commissioner Sir Charles Warren fears that a

revolution In political science, a revolution (, 'a turn around') is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures. According to sociologist Jack Goldstone, all revolutions contain "a common set of elements ...

is in the air in London's East End. There is no shortage of suspects for Abberline and his partner, Sergeant George Godley. These suspects include the American actor

Richard Mansfield Richard Mansfield (24 May 1857 – 30 August 1907) was a German-born English actor-manager best known for his performances in Shakespeare plays, Gilbert and Sullivan operas, and the play ''Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1887 play), Dr. Jekyll and Mr ...

(appearing in the play ''

Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'' is an 1886 Gothic horror novella by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. It follows Gabriel John Utterson, a London-based legal practitioner who investigates a series of strange occurrences between ...

'' in London); police surgeon Dr Henry Llewellyn;

socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

agitator George Lusk;

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

clairvoyant Clairvoyance (; ) is the claimed ability to acquire information that would be considered impossible to get through scientifically proven sensations, thus classified as extrasensory perception, or "sixth sense". Any person who is claimed to ...

Robert Lees; the Queen's grandson

Prince Albert Victor Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale (Albert Victor Christian Edward; 8 January 1864 – 14 January 1892) was the eldest child of the Prince and Princess of Wales (later King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra). From the time of his ...

; and Dr Theodore Dyke Acland, the son-in-law of Sir William Gull, Royal Surgeon to Queen Victoria and expert on diseases of the brain. The police and the authorities want the murders solved at any cost, but Abberline and Godley face huge obstacles as they search for the truth – and hindrance from their superiors when the killer is finally unmasked.

Cast

Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, 14 March 1933) is a retired English actor. Known for his distinct Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films over Michael Caine filmography, a career that spanned eight decades an ...

– Chief Inspector Frederick Abberline, an aging

alcoholic Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World Hea ...

whose quest to solve the murders gives him the strength to give up drinking * Lewis Collins – Sergeant George Godley * Armand Assante –

, American Stage actor in the theatrical play '' Jekyll and Hyde''. * Ray McAnally – Sir William Gull, Physician-in-Ordinary to

* Ken Bones – Robert James Lees, Queen Victoria's psychic medium * Susan George – Catherine Eddowes, fourth victim of Jack the Ripper *

Jane Seymour Jane Seymour (; 24 October 1537) was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 30 May 1536 until her death the next year. She became queen following the execution of Henry's second wife, Anne Boleyn, who was ...

– Emma Prentiss *

Harry Andrews Henry Stewart Fleetwood Andrews, CBE (10 November 1911 – 6 March 1989) was a British actor often known for his film portrayals of tough military officers. His performance as Regimental Sergeant Major Wilson in '' The Hill'' (1965) earned And ...

–

Coroner A coroner is a government or judicial official who is empowered to conduct or order an inquest into the manner or cause of death. The official may also investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within th ...

Wynne Baxter * Lysette Anthony – Mary Jane Kelly, fifth and last victim of Jack the Ripper *

Gerald Sim Gerald Grant Sim (4 June 1925 – 11 December 2014) was an English television and film actor who is perhaps best known for having played the Rector in '' To the Manor Born''. Early life Sim was born in Liverpool, Lancashire. He was the younger ...

– Dr. George Bagster Phillips * Hugh Fraser –

Commissioner of Police A police commissioner is the head of a police department, responsible for overseeing its operations and ensuring the effective enforcement of laws and maintenance of public order. They develop and implement policies, manage budgets, and coordinate ...

Sir Charles Warren *

Edward Judd Edward Judd (4 October 1932 – 24 February 2009) was a British actor. Biography Born in Shanghai, Judd and his English father and Russian mother fled when the Japanese attacked Republic of China (1912–49), China five years later. His ca ...

– Chief Superintendent of Police

Thomas Arnold Thomas Arnold (13 June 1795 – 12 June 1842) was an English educator and historian. He was an early supporter of the Broad Church Anglican movement. As headmaster of Rugby School from 1828 to 1841, he introduced several reforms that were widel ...

* George Sweeney – Coach driver John Netley * Michael Gothard – George Lusk, Chairman of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee, and a violent

Marxist Marxism is a political philosophy and method of socioeconomic analysis. It uses a dialectical and materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to analyse class relations, social conflic ...

and power-hungry politician * T. P. McKenna – T. P. O'Connor, Editor of '' The Star'' newspaper * Jon Laurimore – Inspector John Spratling * Peter Armitage – Sgt. Kerby * Richard Morant – Dr. Theodore Dyke Acland, son-in-law of Sir William Gull *

Ronald Hines Ronald Charles Andrew Hines (20 June 1929 – 28 March 2017) was a British television actor. He had a lengthy career, but possibly his most prominent roles were as Henry Corner in three of the four series of '' Not in Front of the Children' ...

– Henry Matthews, Home Secretary * David Swift –

Lord Salisbury Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (; 3 February 183022 August 1903), known as Lord Salisbury, was a British statesman and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United ...

, Prime Minister * Jonathan Moore – Benjamin Bates, reporter for the Star * Michael Hughes – Dr. Rees Ralph Llewellyn, Chief Medical Examiner of

Whitechapel Whitechapel () is an area in London, England, and is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is in east London and part of the East End of London, East End. It is the location of Tower Hamlets Town Hall and therefore the borough tow ...

* Gary Shail – Billy White, a Whitechapel

pimp Procuring, pimping, or pandering is the facilitation or provision of a prostitute or other sex worker in the arrangement of a sex act with a customer. A procurer, colloquially called a pimp (if male) or a madam (if female, though the term "pimp" ...

* Angela Crow– Elizabeth Stride, third victim of Jack the Ripper * Marc Culwick –

* David Ryall – Bowyer, Mary Kelly's landlord * Gary Love – Derek, a young police officer * Kelly Cryer – Annette, a French girl and friend of Mary Jane Kelly * Roger Ashton-Griffiths – Rodman, a blind brothel operator in Whitechapel

Accuracy

''Jack the Ripper'' presents a fictionalised portrayal of Frederick Abberline, with details of his personal life (including

alcoholism Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...

and his relationship with artist "Emma Prentiss") invented via dramatic licence. (In real-life, at the time of the Ripper murders, Abberline was married to Emma Beament, the daughter of a merchant. In ''Jack the Ripper'', Emma Prentiss is not married to Abberline.) Furthermore, the series' portrayal of Abberline unmasking the Ripper as William Gull contradicts the fact that the real-life Abberline believed that the Ripper was actually

George Chapman George Chapman ( – 12 May 1634) was an English dramatist, translator and poet. He was a classical scholar whose work shows the influence of Stoicism. Chapman is seen as an anticipator of the metaphysical poets of the 17th century. He is ...

. George Lusk of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee was depicted in the film as a violent, argumentative troublemaker when in fact he was very quiet, a good local business man who was known for his peaceful nature, a

churchwarden A churchwarden is a lay official in a parish or congregation of the Anglican Communion, Lutheran Churches or Catholic Church, usually working as a part-time volunteer. In the Anglican tradition, holders of these positions are ''ex officio'' mem ...

and a

Freemason Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

. Hugh Fraser wore clothing that his character, Sir Charles Warren, had actually worn. Using historical characters involved in the genuine 1888 hunt for the killer, ''Jack the Ripper'' was written by

Derek Marlowe Derek William Mario Marlowe (21 May 1938 – 14 November 1996) was an English playwright, novelist, screenwriter and painter. Life Derek Marlowe was born in Perivale, Middlesex, and lived there and in Greenford as a child. His father was Fre ...

and David Wickes and

directed Direct may refer to: Mathematics * Directed set, in order theory * Direct limit of (pre), sheaves * Direct sum of modules, a construction in abstract algebra which combines several vector spaces Computing * Direct access (disambiguation), a ...

by Wickes. The series drew heavily on the same discredited

Masonic Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

Royal Family A royal family is the immediate family of monarchs and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term papal family describes the family of a pope, while th ...

conspiracy theory A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that asserts the existence of a conspiracy (generally by powerful sinister groups, often political in motivation), when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources: * ...

as the 1978 film '' Murder By Decree''; it is also the account presented in the 2001 film '' From Hell''. This theory was first put forward in the 1960s by Thomas E. A. Stowell who published his claims in a November 1970 issue of ''The Criminologist''. The theory was later turned into the bestselling '' Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution'' (1976) by Stephen Knight. The 1988 series dispenses with the fictional

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...

who uncovered the conspiracy in ''Murder By Decree'' and instead concentrates on the real-life

detective Frederick Abberline, as assisted by Sergeant George Godley.''Jack the Ripper'' reviewed on Eofftv.com
/ref> The series is constructed as a

Whodunit A ''whodunit'' (less commonly spelled as ''whodunnit''; a colloquial elision of "Who asdone it?") is a complex plot-driven variety of detective fiction Detective fiction is a subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an criminal ...

in which viewers are led to suspect, at various points, that

, George Lusk, Henry Llewellyn or Theodore Dyke Acland could be Jack the Ripper. Before ''Jack the Ripper'' was broadcast, director/co-writer David Wickes claimed that he had been allowed unprecedented access to the

files on the Ripper case and stated that his production would be revealing the 'true' identity of Jack the Ripper for the first time. After pressure from Ripperologist Melvin Harris and others, Wickes was forced to withdraw this claim. Nevertheless, the series begins with a disclaimer on behalf of the production staff, stating, ''"Our story is based on extensive research, including a review of the official files by special permission of the

Home Office The Home Office (HO), also known (especially in official papers and when referred to in Parliament) as the Home Department, is the United Kingdom's interior ministry. It is responsible for public safety and policing, border security, immigr ...

and interviews with leading criminologists and Scotland Yard officials."'' The series' "revelation" that Sir William Gull was Jack the Ripper was not new: Stephen Knight's 1976 book alleged that Gull was the Ripper, and prior to that, the theory had been cited in the 1973

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

TV series ''

'' (two episodes of which were directed by David Wickes). Furthermore, the Ripper character in the film ''Murder by Decree'', assigned the fictitious name "Sir Thomas Spivey," was based on Sir William Gull. Marlowe and Wickes retained ''The Final Solution''s contention that William Gull was Jack the Ripper, but dispensed with most of the rest of the theory: the involvement of Prince Albert Victor is dismissed as a

red herring A red herring is something that misleads or distracts from a relevant or important question. It may be either a logical fallacy or a literary device that leads readers or audiences toward a false conclusion. A red herring may be used intentiona ...

; there is no mention of Walter Sickert, Annie Crook, an illegitimate Royal baby, blackmail or

Freemasons Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

(although there is a silent inference to this when Warren is shown the message written on the wall); and the explanation given for the murders is

dementia Dementia is a syndrome associated with many neurodegenerative diseases, characterized by a general decline in cognitive abilities that affects a person's ability to perform activities of daily living, everyday activities. This typically invo ...

, acquired by Gull from a

stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...

. The original script adhered more closely to ''The Final Solution'' but was changed during the course of production: interviewed in 2017,

stated "when we first got the script, they kind of implicated the Masons as being involved, and by the time we finished the movie, there was pretty much no mention of the Masons." The series ends with Gull's son-in-law, Dr. Theodore Dyke Acland, theorising that Gull was using himself as a case-study of multiple personality disorder (giving free rein to his murderous impulses in an effort to understand his own multi-faceted mind). The series presents Gull acting of his own accord (with only coachman John Netley complicit in his crimes), and conspiracy only coming into play ''after'' Gull's arrest: according to the series, Gull's murders were covered up at the behest of police commissioner Sir Charles Warren to avoid a scandal, as Gull was

's physician. The series' denouement thus differs to Stephen Knight's claim that Warren was aware of the Ripper's identity as the crimes were being committed. ''Jack the Ripper'' ends with the following disclaimer:

Production

The series was originally mounted on a relatively low-budget, with interior photography shot on video-tape and location footage shot on 16-mm film (as was common practice for British television productions of the time). Filming commenced in October 1987, with Barry Foster of '' Van der Valk'' cast in the role of Abberline. Production was halted in December 1987 after the American television network

became interested in the project, and most of the original cast and crew were paid off. ''Jack the Ripper'' was consequently re-tooled as an

Anglo Anglo is a prefix indicating a relation to, or descent from England, English culture, the English people or the English language, such as in the term ''Anglosphere''. It is often used alone, somewhat loosely, to refer to people of British d ...

- American co-production with an $11 million budget (provided jointly by

and CBS), shot entirely on film. It was decided that a more famous actor would be required to headline the series if it was to sell in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, so the role of Abberline was recast with the actor

– ironically, Foster had earlier replaced Caine in

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featu ...

's '' Frenzy'', when Caine refused to play a serial killer who mutilates women. The casting of Michael Caine was considered to be a major coup, as the actor was not known for doing television work. ''Jack the Ripper'' reportedly earned Caine a fee of $1 million. This was both

and

's last production. Armand Assante's stand-in died during filming. Of her experience filming ''Jack the Ripper'',

said, "That was fun. I played it as a redhead, it was a great role, and of course I got to work with the great Michael Caine. I had been warned that Michael is tough on actors and actresses unless they know their lines and are very professional, which mostly I was, but they didn’t tell me that he literally liked to do one take and then go and have lunch with his wife. Which is basically what happened! So you’d show up, and unless the icrophonelanded on you or the camera bumped onto you or he messed up, which he never did, that was it. It was one take, and then you’re on to the next. So that was interesting."

worked with ''Jack the Ripper'' director David Wickes on another television film: the four-hour, two-part ''Jekyll & Hyde'' (1990), based on the book by

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll ...

. The story of Jekyll and Hyde is a plot-point in Wickes' ''Jack the Ripper'' series. In the original version of the series, Abberline's partner George Godley was to have been played by Brian Capron.Series background on Eofftv.com
He was replaced by Lewis Collins who was best known as Bodie in the ITV action series '' The Professionals''. American actor Armand Assante and British actress

, both well known to American audiences, were added to the cast at the suggestion of CBS. Ken Bones, George Sweeney,

and Kelly Cryer all played the parts they were cast for in the unfinished version of the series. ''Jack the Ripper'' began filming in February 1988, with principal photography at

Pinewood Studios Pinewood Studios is a British film and television studio located in the village of Iver Heath, England. It is approximately west of central London. The studio has been the base for many productions over the years from large-scale films to t ...

. David Wickes was determined that as few people as possible should know who would be unmasked as the killer, and shot four dummy endings (revealing George Lusk, Inspector Spratling, Chief Superintendent Arnold and Sir Charles Warren as the Ripper) to put the cast and crew off the scent. He also mocked up a scene with Godley pulling William Gull from a coach in a case of mistaken identity, and then edited them all together to produce the result. Reportedly, only eight members of Wickes' staff knew the truth before production wrapped.Action TV Online
/ref> The series premiered in the UK on 11 October 1988, and in the USA on 21 October 1988. (The original broadcast thus occurred within the timeframe of the centenary of the Ripper's "Canonical Five" murders, 31 August-9 November 1888.) The series enjoyed extremely high ratings on both sides of the Atlantic. Several DVD editions of ''Jack the Ripper'' include, as extra features,

audio commentary An audio commentary is an additional audio track, usually digital, consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, that plays in real time with a video. Commentaries can be serious or entertaining in nature, and can add informatio ...

by director/co-writer David Wickes and production assistant Sue Davies, and twenty minutes of footage from the original shoot starring Barry Foster and Brian Capron. The series was released on Blu-ray on 27 March 2017. This edition features two versions of the series over two discs, the first presenting the series in two parts as originally broadcast and in its original 4:3 aspect. The second disc contains the series as one film and in a 16:9 widescreen aspect. The blu-ray release contains the same extras contained in the previous DVD releases. British nostalgia television channel Talking Pictures TV aired both episodes on Wednesday 1 and Thursday 2 April 2020, the first time the miniseries was repeated on British television for some years.

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

External links

*
Review on Eofftv.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jack the Ripper (1988 Tv Series) Cultural depictions of Metropolitan Police officers 1988 American television series debuts 1988 British television series debuts 1988 British television series endings 1980s American drama television series 1980s American television miniseries 1980s British drama television series 1980s British television miniseries American biographical series British English-language television shows CBS television dramas Films set in 1888 Films shot at Pinewood Studios ITV miniseries ITV television dramas Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale Television series about Jack the Ripper Television series by Euston Films Television series by Fremantle (company) Television series by Lorimar-Telepictures Television series produced at Pinewood Studios Television series set in the 1880s Television shows produced by Thames Television Television shows set in London Cultural depictions of Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury