User Reviews

The shows creators have made an admirable decision in approaching this story from the viewpoint of the women who were murdered and their loved ones and the botched investigation - rather than a re-enactment that gives face time to their twisted killer.

As someone who was a teenager at the time I can remember how huge the impact of this long running crime spree was - and in retrospect how badly the victims were mistreated not just by their fates but by the misogyny and prejudices of the media and the police and sections of the general public at the time.

This series does its best to give them a voice and importance that was denied to them at the time and deserves to be commended.

Production values were very high, period detail was excellent and it was well directed with an excellent score. The casting was superb all round and the intelligent script by George Kay was understated and let the power of the women's stories prevail as they should.

One of the best UK dramas of 2023 that raises many questions about male violence that are sadly just as valid today as they were in the 70's and 80's when these crimes took place.

I was 17 when the first murder victim was killed and 22 when that monster was finally caught. Living in the area where these events happened was terrifying throughout that time of going at night with friends but always being aware that he could be the man walking near you.

This drama series is blessed with some excellent British character actors, and is sympathetic to the women and girls who were slaughtered by that piece of scum who I won't name. These events are still so entrenched in my memories that the names of the victims and the police officers investigating the crimes have never left me. We have to remember that things were very different then and with no DNA and no centralised police computer system, the work involved for the police was almost insurmountable.

I hope that the victims' families will feel that this series has been made to make us see them as people rather than just names, photos and, sadly, descriptions in the media at the time. The excellent cast and writers, in fact everyone involved, were apparently keen to achieve that.

The real life story of one of Britain's most notorious killers, Peter Sutcliffe, who evaded capture for many years, taunting The Detectives on the case.

I was worried by two things, one, that at seven episodes long, that it would lag, and feel too padded, and secondly, that they'd add in current attitudes and mindsets into occurrences from the 1970's, a very different time.

Episode one apart, I think they got the tone and attitudes spot on, we see the sexism and racism. It's a very good adaptation, it feels like a fairly authentic telling of the story, I didn't think they'd sensationalised it, or overdone it, the right mix of drama and story.

It gets better as it progresses, I didn't particularly care for episode one, but it definitely ends better than it started. It highlights the real failings with the investigation.

I like that it focuses more so on the investigation itself, rather than Sutcliffe himself, we actually see surprisingly very little of him.

Production values are terrific, they got the details spot on, it looks and feels very authentic, great fashions, sets and cars, the team nailed it.

It boasts a great cast, British talent galore, the likes of Toby Jones, David Morrissey, Liz White and Mark Jordon, they're all on point.

I still can't believe he got away with this for so many years.

8/10.

I lived in Shipley, Bradford during this, because I worked as an engineer and I banked in Shipley I was interviewed by the police during this investigation. I knew Peter Sutcliffe's brother Carl, I knew his Employer Willy Clarke. I don't know whether I ever met Peter Sutcliffe because he looked like 100's of guys back in the 70's. This series is very complimentary on the level of gross ineptitude and incompetence by the West Yorkshire police at this time. They were literally beyond useless during the whole of this investigation. This series highlights the plight of the victims which is an interesting perspective never really touched on before. It also highlights the level of prejudice and misogyny in police ranks waged against women of what was seen to be low moral character. The Yorkshire Ripper was more prolific than the Whitechapel murders in 1889, he was caught by mere chance by vigilant police officers in Sheffield , if this hadn't have happened, he might never have been caught.

For many many years , really since Broadchurch, ITV has produced drivel on a regular basis, ridiculous dramas that are nothing better than day time soaps and turned off after the first episode. Finally The Long Shadow arrives and within 10 minutes the difference was there to be seen. With an absolutely stellar cast and some top drawer actors this is totally compelling stuff The subject matter is very grim but it's a story that needs to be told, especially to a generation that will have no knowledge of that era.

The victims and their families are portrayed in a sympathetic manner and all the fashions and dialogue are spot on Definitely one of the best dramas this year.

As a former police officer who was working at the time the Yorkshire Ripper was committing his horrendous crimes my husband and I were left feeling so angry at the way some West Yorkshire police dealt with the women who were his victims. Particularly Marcella. I don't believe we dealt with victims in such a way in Hampshire. Although it was a totally different time there was no excuse. This drama pulls no punches in showing just how ignorant these male officers were. The arrogance of senior officers in their single minded pursuit of Wearside Jack. Thank goodness we now have computerised systems that would deal with a complicated case more efficiently. A shocking drama that shows multiple sides of this awful crime spree.

This program is very well made, honest, heartbreaking & very important. I saw I review moaning about why itvx are making so many crime shows. I don't think this is the place for that discussion as this is meant to review a particular program. But saying that, I would like to say that I felt this program wasn't shallow or following the true crime popularity. I believe this was incredibly respectful & highlighted the catastrophic mistakes made when misogyny is rife, when victims aren't seen as a human being. This is a message about terrible mistakes made that if learnt from, can stop something like this happening again. Help the process for survivors. Help to make change. TV used in this way is incredibly powerful. Itvx did a wonderful job making this. The acting is incredible, the writing important & tone perfect.

Most crime dramas feature a heroic poilcmean, or more rarely, policewoman. But 'The Long Shadow', telling the true story of the investigation into the crimes of the so-called Yorkshire Ripper, one of Britain's most infamous murderers, has no such heroes. Instead, it's a grim tale of a terrible series of killings that took a very long time to bring to a halt. The programme exposes the far from laudible attitudes of many in the police, but it's not absolutely clear that these were why the Ripper was not caught: those involved made bad calls in hindsight, and naturally sought to protect their own positions, but sometimes people simply get it wrong, and the terrible consequences of doing so do not prevent this from happening. The Ripper himself remains a mystery, a deeply disturbed man who was sadly able to do much evil before finally being caught. Viewed as drama, the absence of clear narrative is a problem: there isn't really seven episodes-worth of plot here, just seven epoisodes of pain.

A superb addition to the existing ripper dramas and documentaries as this shows a new perspective, as it features back stories for the victims, an area that has been neglected, and provides a lot of details which are new to me. It also shows the incompetence and sexism of the police as well as the difficulties and limits of their capabilities. For example the desperation of sitting in cars taking registrations takes me back as I was interviewed at the time (having innocently driven though the areas of interest). It was a harrowing time for everybody who lived in the area and this is depicted well.

I remember the Yorkshire Ripper murders well, I was a teenager at the time, and the fear was palpable and felt all around the country.

This drama tells the story of the victims, and also of the families affected by the events.

So many well known faces are in this, some in fairly small parts, but the acting was amazing.

The attitude of the Police, media and in many cases the general public was breathtaking, even for someone who lived through that era, it's unbelievable that as a society we treated women like that.

This is historical, social drama at its best.

Don't listen to those that say it's sensationalist etc, it isn't, it's real life, real lives are still affected by this mans reign of terror.

Don't miss it.

Quality British crime is always worth watching. This series included. First, I want to offer some advice about this series; it pays to watch the episodes closely. I watched them as they were made available on streaming, and therefore had to wait a week between each time. I shouldn't have done that. The reason is that the series is about a true serial killer who operated over several years, with a double-digit number of victims. This series is thorough and chronological in uncovering each and every murder, and the investigation. This means that there will be many names, many events that it is easy to fall out of, if you do not watch the series at short intervals.

I like this series, it is primarily a period piece from the British 70s, and is excellent in its depictions. It is also good in that it depicts well how helpless the police were (long before DNA), and how the killer was allowed to continue. Maybe too long? Because the series also addresses mistakes and misjudgments the police make along the way. Finally, the series also shows a view of women and especially prostitutes who have probably changed a lot in today's society. At least I hope so.

This is therefore a series that I have greatly appreciated. As a drama and witness to the times, but there is no great tension. The excitement comes at the expense of the detailed events and the investigation surrounding them. If I have to make any criticism, it must be that the series would have been even better with e.g. To take us inside the killer's head and mind. Then it would have had everything.

This could have been a fascinating breakdown of the most prolific serial killer (pre. Harold Shipman) but chooses to ignore him and focus on his targets rather than examining his (skewed/perverted) justifications.

While it's an interesting perspective, it soon becomes clear that the series is a propaganda tool to tell us how poorly women were treated by the Police and how men should be ashamed to have an XY chromosome. A perfect example of this is where the women march through the streets with lingering shots of anti male placards, and the song "Bridge over Troubled Water" is sung not by Simon and Garfunkle, but by a woman. These are all subtle markers placed in the Visual and audio narrative but so obvious wants it becomes clear the message being pushed onto the viewer.

Looking back at the events in the cold light of hindsight it's so easy to be critical, but opportunities were missed, more women died but the series doesn't give us any insight into the mind of the killer, it actively tries not to give him any airtime as it doesn't want to dwell on the male, it really wants to brush him under the carpet so the victims are the focus and the failings of the Police are showcased with great pleasure.

What were Sutcliffe's motivations, what was his back story, why did his wife not come forward, why did she protect him, what were the 9 times he was interviewed, was there any mention of the money he used that was tracked to his workplace, how did he evade capture for so long, why did the Police Officer go back and check the location, how many more victims were there, once he was captured dis they find any evidence at his property, in his car, any souvenirs?

There are so many unanswered questions and the obvious reason was, they don't want to empower the offender and give him any more airtime other than the bare minimum.

Ultimately it feels like an unfinished project, created to focus on how badly women/prostitutes and Women Police officers were treated in the buzz word "misogynistic" climate.

This could have been so much more but once you see the anti male undercurrent, it's easy to see where the heart of this project lies.

Unusual, I guess, to see a seven-part TV mini-series but that was the slightly unusual format for this latest dramatisation of the infamous Yorkshire Ripper murders of the late 70's and early 80's committed by the evil Peter Sutcliffe.

This time, the point of view is switched to mainly focus on those of the victims and their families and to a lesser extent, those also of the police Investigators and their families. None of the murders are re-enacted and Sutcliffe himself doesn't actually appear at all until midway through the second last episode.

This approach for me worked, with the viewer sharing the increasing dread of the local female population of the killer's locale as he brutally slaughtered 13 women and injured 7 others (with rumours of more in the background) in the county over a five year period before a routine car number-plate check and the quick-thinking of an on-duty cop to return to the scene of the apprehension found Sutcliffe's "tools" and nailed him as the perpetrator.

The production did a good job of recreating the era with accurate depictions of the interiors of police stations, social clubs and various people's houses, as well as the cars and fashions of the day. It also didn't shy away from exposing some of the cheap and lazy prevailing attitudes of the day which certainly seemed to colour the outlook of the police who initially seemed to disparage the plights of the growing numbers of victims because they were mostly female prostitutes.

The usually sad circumstances which forced these women to take to the streets strongly colour the early episodes with a different reason shown for every one of them. We see one survivor of a Sutcliffe attack refuse to go public in case she's identified by family, friends and colleagues as a potential prostitute, again reflecting the low perception of the women who have turned to the streets only out of dire financial need, selling themselves for as little as £5 a time.

But if these women are at last shown with overdue retrospective sympathy and understanding, the same can't be said of the pursuing police. Confused, lazy, presumptive, disorganised and often prejudicial, their years and years of failure are artfully signposted on-screen by discreetly placed time markers. Their antiquated index-card system is exposed as being wholly inadequate to cope with the threat of a serial-killer, as we learn that Sutcliffe'was interviewed several times during the investigation with his recorded links to the murders buried away in mounds of paper-work. And that's before the police made probably their biggest mistake of the whole case, being led completely astray by a callous hoaxer with a Wearside accent who wasted who knows how much time and resources in his pursuit, but who in a postscript we gratifyingly learn was eventually tracked down and convicted for wasting police time.

The ensemble acting throughout was of a high standard with the actor portraying Sutcliffe himself bearing an uncanny resemblance to the real thing and convincing the viewer of the ordinary, everyday anonymity which worked in his favour for so long.

Unsensational, realistic and compelling but above all humanely told, this did feel like the definitive dramatisation of the horrific crimes of one of Britain's worst-ever serial-killers.

A true story that some of us lived through at the time so we know how it ends. Captures the atmosphere of the 70s perfectly and how having a serial killer around made young women like myself feel at the time. Brought home to me how much computers have advanced in my lifetime these days we all walk around with mobile phones and access to the internet but back in the late 70s the police were dependant on handwritten index card systems and landline phones. All of these historic events brought to us with a cast of phenomenal actors some of whom were only in very small parts such as Katherine Kelly. All in all a ten star production,

I don't normally write reviews after just one episode so I may come back at a later date and amend this review. After episode one of the seven part ITV series based on the Yorkshire Ripper it's unlikely I will change my opinion. Mainly because the cast is almost a Who's Who of the best British acting talent out there. In episode one We have Toby Jones, David Morrissey, Lee Inglbey and Daniel Mays. And more to come in later episodes.

ITV have clearly pushed the boat out to produce a drama of the highest quality, not only the superb cast, but the script direction and attention to detail of the period is at the top drawer. For Once I'm quite glad that this hasn't been put on ITV Player as it gives me something to look forward to On Monday nights. 9/10.

I haven't seen such a powerful drama for a long time.

Covered my mid to late teenage years, (Sheffield) and I was surprised how unsettled at a primal level I felt watching this. The flashback emotions were visceral re: walking home alone at night, your neck being on a swivel and now realising, decades later that you never lost that habit. (Once at a bus stop, dark, a couple of years later, reflexively turned and punched a bloke who had just tapped me on the shoulder to ask if the bus was due!)

That probably increased my appreciation of this series, nonetheless the acting is top class, the atmospheric accuracy of the time depicted and the environment, draws around you and lays bare the pervading misogyny and female social, political, domestic and personal fetterment.

It masterfully illustrates how egregious the attitude to sex worker women was and how pervasive it was even to me. Walking up a steep hilly field at night on my lonesome, swivelling neck when a chilling thought came into my head...'I might know, but he won't know, that I'm not a prostitute'...Considering the era, the limited access to media, social communicative tools etc; for a young teenage mind to be so influenced is a shocking realisation and this drama exposes that social history so competently.

I felt I was watching the whole series holding my breath. It is a complete series, masterfully made.

I also watched the crime thriller series "Long Shadow." The plot revolves around a detective spending five years in pursuit of a serial killer, whose victims are women consecutively targeted by this butcher.

As the detective delves deeper into the investigation, the intricate web of clues and connections begins to unfold. Each episode adds layers of suspense, uncovering the elusive nature of the serial killer's identity. The intensity of the chase builds, creating a captivating narrative that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats.

The series not only focuses on the psychological aspects of the investigation but also delves into the personal lives of the characters involved. As the detective races against time, facing numerous challenges, the viewers are taken on a rollercoaster of emotions.

"Long Shadow" successfully combines elements of crime, suspense, and drama, creating a compelling storyline that explores the complexities of hunting down a relentless serial killer.

I'm from 'down south' so the impact of the Yorkshire did not hit us, as it would have if we lived in that area, but I remember it very well. The Long Shadow is an excellent drama, drawing the viewer in from the onset. There are seven episodes and the first five really concentrate on the the victims' stories, our country's economic woes and the effects they were having on families. Alongside this, we see the police chasing their tails and puffing out their egotistical chests. The attitude towards any of the women made me so angry but, dare I say, really reflect how things were then. How times have changed (although there is still room for improvement!). Technology has come on leaps and bounds, from mobile phones to DNA.

The acting was superb all round. There was no one stand out actor as they were all amazing. There was a touch to the series which was very eerie; when the Ripper is near or a development is made, a clicking noise can be heard (some percussion instrument). Every time I heard it, I got goosebumps and felt tense.

It was interesting to see what happened to some of the people- I always like to see photos of the actual persons. I bawled my eyes out, seeing the little boy all grown up, and his story.

Watch this series and remember that Peter Sutcliffe was an 'ordinary man' who blended in. No horns on his head. No unusual mannerisms. Nothing to make you look twice.

Just fast forward all the over egged and exaggerated sections on Jean Jordan. Yes it's to be expected that we will see absolutely any aspect of anything that promotes "the message" exaggerated. But her screen time is out of any reasonable proportion to the story.

This is an important story that highlights how interdepartmental rivalry allows bad players to literally get away murder. All the way up to and including 911. The sexism and expectations on women is realistically shown.

I remember the case. It was, still is shocking. To have such a powerful and gripping story detracted by the message is frustrating. Still the show is excellent despite this and I'm happy to score it a 7. Worth watching.

I remember these dark days very well but the attitudes to prostitution and the open and virulent misogyny is still shocking to see through our modern eyes. However to the show, this is incredibly well acted, well written and superbly directed. The time setting furniture, the fashions and the speech is dead on, so accurate to bring back childhood memories. Each actor takes his or her part, and yet without doing an impression of the character that they respectively play, still managed to portray an accurate version of them in that space and time, David Morrisey and Toby Jones make their characters come to life in a fashion that you remember them as if it was yesterday, Morrisey in particular looks remarkably like George Oldfield. If there are no awards handed out to everyone in this show then there's no justice.

No point wasting 6 hours of your life watching dimly lit scene after scene of the same thing ad nauseum. Filler, filler and then some more filler. I love dark thrillers but this just dark (as in lighting wise and tone setting) just for the sake of it. It has all been done before and in a much better way.

I don't want to include spoilers but the only thing I would like to point out is the extreme incompetence and stubbornness from the Yorkshire police, especially from the higher ups, it is staggering,

Anyway like I said, watch the first episode and the last two and I promise you, you won't be missing much and you could probably use that time to do something better.

As a Londoner, in my late teens / early 20s at time, the manhunt did not fully resonate with me. It was something that came on the news, on the rare occasion I watched the news.

I had only been up north, to Preston, a couple of times in 1978, once to watch Chelsea play an away game and once to visit Blackpool with friends. I remember it was like stepping back in time; it felt grim. Unless you were in one of the many pubs; pubs where there was a great deal of, alcohol driven, bonhomie.

The evocation of the times was well done.

This was an excellent production, showing not the shock horror gore of police procedural dramas, but concentrating on the victims, the circumstances of their lives and their families.

The "keystone cops", as voiced by one of the reporters, were well portrayed. Most of the detectives were thick, misogynistic bods, who sense of "little men" power was their overriding driving force. The let's "bully and beat out a confession" approach appeared to be the only tool they had for crime solving.

The women in the incident room were portrayed as hardworking and generally caring people. I don't know if this was a cynical portrayal of the policewomen to counteract the horrific, openly non-PC culture, of the time, as displayed by the policemen, media et al. The division of victims into prostitutes and innocents made me feel sick, now as well as back then.

Given what I have said, none of this came across as a world filled with cartoon characters because the ensemble cast gave excellent performances.

This is more than worth watching.

Now, as a sixty odd year-old woman, I can only reflect on how much has changed, technology for one and yet, how little has changed, as tough times still affect many lives adversely.

I also wonder how much of our current enlightened times is just a thin veneer. Would we not openly make the comparison of innocents and prostitutes now, just think it?