Originally a BBC series now a joint Amazon BBC production Ripper Street stands head and shoulders above other detective dramas set in the late 19th century. The Ripper Street follows Detective Inspector Edmund Reid and his the team of detectives based at Leeman Street in the East End Of London. Reid had hunted Jack the Ripper. The Police's failure to catch the infamous serial killer forms a backdrop to the story. However Ripper street is not a reworking of The Ripper story it is firmly set post-Ripper and follows Inspector Reid as he struggles to protect the largely poor immigrant population of the East End from murder, organized crime, anarchist plots and assorted mayhem.
Played by to remarkable effect Mathew MacFadyen Inspector Reid is very loosely based on a real life Inspector Edmund Reid who was a remarkably forward thinking man with a love of science described by newspapers of the era as "the best all detectives". However the script writers have created for Reid a new back story that explains why this very moral policeman is prepared to bend the rules in the interest of the greater good.
Reid is accompanied by a posse of strong well drawn characters some pretty dubious all their own back stories and played by an amazing good cast, who make well written dialogue come alive. The result is western set in Victorian London, more Hell on Wheels than Sherlock Holmes.
The production values are remarkable, sets and costumes are flawless and the script, direction, editing, cinematography and sound are near perfect
Played by to remarkable effect Mathew MacFadyen Inspector Reid is very loosely based on a real life Inspector Edmund Reid who was a remarkably forward thinking man with a love of science described by newspapers of the era as "the best all detectives". However the script writers have created for Reid a new back story that explains why this very moral policeman is prepared to bend the rules in the interest of the greater good.
Reid is accompanied by a posse of strong well drawn characters some pretty dubious all their own back stories and played by an amazing good cast, who make well written dialogue come alive. The result is western set in Victorian London, more Hell on Wheels than Sherlock Holmes.
The production values are remarkable, sets and costumes are flawless and the script, direction, editing, cinematography and sound are near perfect