A new ITV drama, due to air in September, will depict and explore the story of the police hunt for infamous serial killer Peter Sutcliffe.
The Long Shadow delves into the horrific crimes committed by Sutcliffe, a serial killer who operated in Yorkshire in the 1970s and 1980s, and the stories of the women he attacked.
Within the space of more than five years, Sutcliffe murdered thirteen women and attempted to murder seven more before his capture in 1981, after which he was sentenced to twenty concurrent life sentences at HMP Frankland.
Sutcliffe died in November 2020 at the University Hospital of North Durham, aged 74, after refusing treatment for COVID-19 while suffering from other underlying health conditions such as obesity and diabetes.
ITV has confirmed that the seven-episode crime drama will air on ITV1 on Monday, September 25 at 8pm.
The Long Shadow: A new ITV drama, The Long Shadow, airing in September, will depict and explore the story of the police hunt for infamous serial killer Peter Sutcliffe
According to ITV, the drama is written solely by award-winning screenwriter George Kay (Hijack, Criminal: UK) and directed solely by BAFTA-winning director Lewis Arnold (Sherwood, Time, Des).
The series is meticulously researched and based on the investigation’s most extensive archive – consisting of hundreds of case files, interrogation transcripts and police reports.
The Long Shadow is also based on Wicked Beyond Belief, Michael Bilton’s acclaimed account of the case, edited by William Collins.
With the investigating police officers, the victims, their families and the survivors at the heart of this series, The Long Shadow will bring a new perspective to a well-documented story.
Award-winning Sherlock Holmes and Harry Potter actor Toby Jones will play DCS Dennis Hoban, who initially led the investigation.
David Morrissey will take on the role of DCS George Oldfield, who famously took on the investigation, while Lee Ingleby will serve as DCS Jim Hobson.
Katherine Kelly plays Emily Jackson, a 42-year-old mother from Leeds who had turned to sex work to make ends meet.
She was murdered by Sutcliffe in 1976 after getting into his car, where he then hit her with a hammer and stabbed her repeatedly with a sharp screwdriver.
Taking charge: David Morrissey will take on the role of DCS George Oldfield, who is known for the investigation
Award-winning Sherlock Holmes and Harry Potter actor Toby Jones will play DCS Dennis Hoban, who initially led the investigation, while Lee Ingleby will serve as DCS Jim Hobson
Daniel Mays will play Emily’s husband, Sydney Jackson, while Shaun Thomas will portray their son Neil Jackson.
Jill Halfpenny plays Doreen Hill, with Daisy Waterstone as her daughter, Jacqueline Hill.
Jasmine Lee-Jones plays Marcella Claxton, alongside Molly Wright as Donna Deangelo, while Liz White PS plays Meg Winterburn and Shaun Dooley takes on the role of Chris Gregg.
The cast also includes Alexa Davies, Chloe Harris, Stephen Tompkinson, Jack Deam, Michael McElhatton, Adam Long, Ruth Madeley, Dorothy Atkinson, Rob James-Collier, Charley Webb, Steven Waddington and Kris Hitchen.
As reported by The Evening Standardsaid actress Katherine Kelly during a recent Q&A for the show: “The crimes of serial killer Peter Sutcliffe have left a scar on the landscape.
Creepy ending: Katherine Kelly plays Emily Jackson, a 42-year-old mother from Leeds, who had turned to sex work to make ends meet, and was murdered by Sutcliffe in 1976 after getting into his car
“If you come from that area you grow up with the knowledge of those five years of terror, it is still alive in the people who lived through that time, it changed everything.”
Kelly, from Barnsley, continued: ‘There wasn’t anyone who wasn’t affected by that period. I think it’s hard to imagine that because it wasn’t in an abstract way. It happened day by day.”
‘You went and met women from the bus… if a woman was ten minutes late for work, there was panic. It wasn’t, “Oh, she missed the bus.” It was, “Okay, where is she?”
According to Radio timesThe Long Shadow was initially going to be titled The Yorkshire Ripper, in reference to Sutcliffe’s name in the press at the time, but in a recent Q&A for the show, writer George Kay explained why a change to the title name was crucial.
He explained: ‘Well, we called it The Yorkshire Ripper first when we announced it.
Name change: The Long Shadow was initially going to be titled The Yorkshire Ripper, in reference to Sutcliffe’s name in the press at the time, but in a recent Q&A for the show, writer George Kay explained why a title name change was crucial
‘We have had a very respectful approach as a team throughout, but even early on we had not learned that the name people use to describe Peter Sutcliffe was in many ways disrespectful.
“Especially to the families of the victims, who certainly don’t like that name being applied to Peter Sutcliffe, because it creates a kind of dark brand around a man who doesn’t deserve that kind of attention, much less that verb.”
The Long Shadow airs on ITV 1 on Monday, September 25 at 8pm.