ITV's true crime drama The Long Shadow confirms air date
The series will explore the crimes of Peter Sutcliffe.
ITV has confirmed that new true crime drama The Long Shadow will air on Monday 25th September at 9pm on ITV1, and will be made up of seven episodes.
The new drama will explore the desperate five-year hunt for serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, more commonly known as The Yorkshire Ripper. Sutcliffe was convicted of murdering 13 women and attempting to murder seven others between 1975 and 1980.
The Long Shadow was originally meant 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 was made.
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He explained: "Well, we started by calling it The Yorkshire Ripper when we announced it. And we had a very respectful approach as a team throughout, but even at the beginning we hadn't learned, which we did over the time of making the show, that that moniker, that name that people use to describe Peter Sutcliffe, which obviously began before anyone knew his real name but then continued after people knew his real name, was disrespectful in many ways."
A trailer for the series was released earlier this month, offering a first look at detectives visiting crime scenes and listening to women give witness testimonies.
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Watch the trailer below:
The new drama will "sensitively focus on the lives of the victims" who encountered Sutcliffe and also explore the stories of the officers at the heart of the police investigation, as per the synopsis.
It continues: "With the victims, their families and the survivors at the heart of this series, The Long Shadow brings a new perspective to a well-documented story."
"Meticulously researched and drawing upon the most extensive archive of the investigation, comprising of hundreds of case files, interview transcripts and police reports, the series is also based on Wicked Beyond Belief, Michael Bilton's critically acclaimed account of the case, published by William Collins."
Read more:
- Line of Duty and Detectorists stars cast in ITV drama The Long Shadow
- The Long Shadow creator explains why show changed "disrespectful" title
- The Long Shadow trailer gives first look at ITV's Yorkshire Ripper drama
Those in the cast include The Hunt for Raoul Moat's Mark Stobbart as Peter Sutcliffe, as well as Toby Jones, David Morrissey and Lee Ingleby, among others.
The Long Shadow will air on ITV1 and ITVX on Monday 25th September 2023. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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