TV PICK OF THE WEEK
The story of the serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, known as the Yorkshire Ripper, who murdered 13 women between 1975 and 1980, has been covered in a number of documentaries over the years – and, with a few notable exceptions, most have inevitably focused on Sutcliffe and his heinous crimes.
This new seven-part drama from ITV, written by George Kay in consultation with the victims’ families, puts the focus firmly on the women. Frequently reduced to names and photographs, here they are portrayed as people with families, friends, concerns and challenges, living through a difficult time. The pre-credits sequence sets this context with archive footage showing dole queues and families struggling to make ends meet.
In the opening episode, we see young single mother Wilma McCann (Gemma Laurie) tenderly saying goodnight to her children before going out for the evening. She never returns and there is a heart-breaking scene in which her children are told by DCS Dennis Hoban (Toby Jones) that their mother is not coming back because she “has gone to heaven”.
In a parallel storyline, we are introduced to housewife and mother Emily Jackson (Katherine Kelly) and her husband Sydney (Daniel Mays) who runs a roofing business that is running into debt. Their financial difficulties lead to Emily turning to prostitution to provide for the family.
The narrative interweaves the stories of the murdered women and their families, as well as women who survived attacks by Sutcliffe, with the efforts of the police to track down the perpetrator. Alongside DCS Toban is Jim Hobson (Lee Ingleby) and George Oldfield (David Morrissey).
The script also addresses the way in which misogyny severely hampered the investigation – women who were prostitutes were considered less worthy of concern and those who survived attacks and gave detailed descriptions of their attacker were not listened to. Crucially, this led to time being wasted on a hoaxer, and more lives lost as a result.
It is a fine line to tread, but this is a sensitive, considered drama that is mindful of Sutcliffe’s dark legacy and the long shadow it continues to cast.