Ripper Thriller Red Riding on Channel 4
A Trilogy of Films focussing on Yorkshire during the Ripper Case
Feb 28, 2009
It appears that Ripper is the key word in this current season of British TV with the surprisingly admirable Whitechapel on ITV bringing Jack the Ripper into the 21st century and now Channel 4 are tackling a fictionalised account of the killer who terrorised Yorkshire in the 70s and 80s
Based on Red Riding Quartet by David Pearce
Red Riding is an adaptation of the novels of the same name by David Pearce that were inspired by the investigation surrounding the Yorkshire Ripper during the 70s and 80s and how it affected the lives of some of the many people involved in the case. It also takes a view on paranoia, mistrust and institutionalised police corruption in those decades.
The series will be broadcast over three episodes each telling the story of one year in the case and a different cast of characters in each one. The years - and the episode names - are 1974, 1980 and 1983. Although some of the names and events are fictional they are based on aspects of the real investigation.
Three Episodes, Three different Years of Yorkshire Ripper Case
In 1974 rookie journalist Eddie Dunford (Andrew Garfield) is determined to search for the truth into a series of child abductions despite having to sift through an increasingly complex maze of lies that he stumbles across in the official police investigation.
By 1980 the Ripper has been active in Yorkshire for six agonising years and with the local police force seen to be making little progress the Home Office decides to send in Peter Hunter (Paddy Considine), an officer from Manchester, to review the investigation. But Hunter has made enemies in the Yorkshire force after a shooting incident in 1974 and faces a similar reaction when his version of events challenges their line on the Ripper.
Another young girl has disappeared in 1983 and Detective Chief Superintendent Maurice Jobson (David Morrissey) makes some links from this to the abductions in 1974, forcing him to realise to his shock that he may have helped convict the wrong man. When local solicitor John Piggott is persuaded to fight what he sees as a miscarriage of justice he soon starts to uncover a history of conspiracy and lies within the case.
Sean Bean, Paddy Considine and David Morrisey join the All-star Cast
Red Riding boasts a fantastic emsemble cast of British talent over all three episodes including Sean Bean (here’s hoping he survives until the end), Mark Addy, Rebecca Hall, Paddy Considine, David Morrissey and Maxine Peake, and the gritty aesthetic of the series is equally impressive. But with that is a word of warning as it does contain strong language and violence throughout.
Series producer Wendy Brazington said: “It was a wonderful company of actors, every member giving us their all. Warren Clarke led them beautifully; it was a total privilege to watch him looking after everyone and making sure we all kept our sense of humour, even when we had to shoot the films' darkest moments.”
Red Riding is written for the screen by Tony Grisoni. Episode one - 1974 - is directed by Julian Jarrold, number two 1980 by James Marsh and the third 1983 by Anand Tucker and the series is produced by Andrew Eaton, Anita Overland and Wendy Brazington. The series will be shown from Thursday, March 5 at 9pm.
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