Ripper Street, Series 5
by Richard Warlow (BBC, 2016)
After the unravellings of series four, Ripper Street works hard to redeem itself. The new characters are cleverly developed—particularly through ‘All the Glittering Blades’—and the old renewed, the programme ultimately going out with melancholy style. The downbeat finale is well-pitched.
Ripper Street, Series 4
by Richard Warlow (BBC, 2016)
Another brilliantly realised series of Ripper Street, albeit with production values papering over a good many cracks in the story’s credibility. Alas, like so many good programmes, the search for escalation — the imperative to push and break characters — has taken its toll.
Ripper Street, Series 3
by Richard Warlow (BBC, 2014)
By season three the character arcs have begun to fray from rubbing against the edge of credulity; yet Ripper Street continues also to tell self-contained stories and, through its depiction of Whitechapel society and the articulate discourse between protagonists, retains its appeal.
Ripper Street, Series 2
by Richard Warlow (BBC, 2013)
The BBC has long held a reputation for outstanding period drama, and Ripper Street only enhances this, situating its likeable, flawed characters deep within the Whitechapel of 1890: an exquisite study in grime, crime and iniquity, with bursts of hope and colour.
Ripper Street, Series 1
Richard Warlow (BBC, 2012-2013)
With its focus on character development over contrived plot arcs, grittily realised period crime drama Ripper Street exemplifies the advantage that small-run British series enjoy over their distended American counterparts. Matthew Macfadyen, Jerome Flynn and Adam Rothenberg are compelling in policing Whitechapel.