THE LONG SHADOW - mon 9pm ITV. TV PACE. NO SPOILERS

[Blondeshavemorefun]

The Long Shadow is a seven-part series that will start at 9pm on Monday September 25 2023 on ITV1, with subsequent episodes broadcast every Monday evening from thereon.

The Long Shadow is based in part on Wicked Beyond Belief by Michael Bilton, a critically acclaimed account of the case. It sensitively tells the stories of the victims who crossed Sutcliffe’s path, as well as their families and survivors. It also highlights alarming parallels between the so-called Yorkshire Ripper’s terrible crimes and tragic events in our more recent history.

Between 1975 and 1980, Peter Sutcliffe terrorised Yorkshire in a killing spree that left 13 women dead and seven others lucky to be alive after they managed to survive his brutal attacks.

His horrific crimes left a deep scar on the nation’s psyche and have been the subject of numerous films and documentaries, but the grief and pain that continues to be felt by his victims’ families is often forgotten.

Opening in October 1975, with the murder of Wilma McCann, a mother of four young children from Leeds, this week’s first episode goes on to follow the story of Sydney Jackson and his wife Emily, who would be Sutcliffe’s second victim.

Like many people in Britain during the period, the Jacksons were struggling to make ends meet in tough economic times, and Emily made the difficult decision to become a part-time sex worker in a bid to support their three children.

The police initially suspect Sydney of killing his wife, until it soon becomes clear the two murders are linked – and the start of a terrifying killing spree.

As the series progresses, Sutcliffe’s crimes launch the biggest police manhunt Britain has ever seen, but many of the detectives harbour misogynistic attitudes that hamper their investigation.

However, one detective who understands the situation is DCS Dennis Hoban (Toby Jones) who takes up the case in its early stages.
Sutcliffe avoided detection for years due to a series of missed chances by police to catch him. He eventually confessed in 1981 after a police check discovered stolen number plates on his car

The cast is amazing

•	Toby Jones (<a class="break-all" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toby_Jones)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toby_Jones)</a> as DCS Dennis Hoban
•	David Morrissey (<a class="break-all" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Morrissey)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Morrissey)</a> as DCS George Oldfield
•	Daniel Mays (<a class="break-all" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Mays)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Mays)</a> as Sydney Jackson
•	Lee Ingleby (<a class="break-all" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Ingleby)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Ingleby)</a> as DCS Jim Hobson
•	Katherine Kelly (<a class="break-all" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katherine_Kelly_(actress))" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katherine_Kelly_(actress))</a> as Emily Jackson
•	Shaun Dooley (<a class="break-all" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaun_Dooley)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaun_Dooley)</a> as DCS Chris Gregg
•	Daisy Waterstone (<a class="break-all" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daisy_Waterstone)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daisy_Waterstone)</a> as Jacqueline Hill
•	Jill Halfpenny (<a class="break-all" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jill_Halfpenny)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jill_Halfpenny)</a>

as Doreen Hill

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Jasmine Lee-Jones as Marcella Claxton

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Molly Wright (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molly_Wright_(actress))
as Donna Deangelo

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Liz White (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liz_White_(actress))
as PS Meg Winterburn

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Mark Stobbart as
Peter Sutcliffe (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Sutcliffe)

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Alexa Davies (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexa_Davies)

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Chloe Harris

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Stephen Tompkinson (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Tompkinson)

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Jack Deam (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Deam)

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Michael McElhatton (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_McElhatton)

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Adam Long (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Long_(British_actor))

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Ruth Madeley (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Madeley)

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Dorothy Atkinson (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Atkinson)

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Rob James-Collier (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_James-Collier)

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Charley Webb (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charley_Webb)

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Steven Waddington (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Waddington)

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Kris Hitchen

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Victoria Myers
[1]

The children's faces when Dennis tells them their mother us in heaven....

Thanks @Blondeshavemorefun .

Can I join the thread? I heard this being discussed on Woman's Hour on Radio 4 yesterday so was glad to catch it last night. They had a woman on on Woman's Hour who had been a police offer on the case and discussed the misogyny then and now. She stated she wouldn't trust the police these days either.

Everyone more than welcome

Yes just seen last nights

More true life drama /documents should be shown

Recap e1

www.whattowatch.com/features/the-long-shadow-episode-1-recap-she-was-a-mother

I watched it and saved Inheritance for later, although I've seen that thread and it doesn't sound all that inspiring.

Seeing as it's a drama not a documentary I thought it was well done on the whole and quite the stellar cast, although some small details like the glitzy Christmas tree jarred. I suppose that was part of the illustration of how Emily had provided for Christmas during hard times. Actually that was something else that jarred. It was presented that entering into prostitution was her own idea. Don't know the truth of it, but Wikipedia says she was forced to do it, by her husband.

It is a hard watch, especially soon after the Steeltown murders and it is dark, visually I mean, but it was back then, in more ways than one.

I don't watch much television but I will watch this tonight. The police were highly criticised, but there was a great deal of painstaking work. My brother was interviewed twice. They were looking for men who travelled extensively as part of their work and there was also a working ID at the time of a tall man with dark hair. He had to show all his diaries and account for where he was on key days. All those hours of plod work. No internet, no mobile phones.

Yes seems on tv wife suggested she earn money as was approached at the bar thinking she was a lady of the night

Hubby aka Daniel didn't look impressed at Xmas and the awe that the kids went over their presents

I thought it was good. I'm pleased it's being told from the perspective it is and that it's been done after Sutcliffe died.

Emily Jackson's son spoke to Daniel Mays about his mum so I would hope that the depiction is appropriate particularly given that.

Those 4 kids sitting there being told their mother had been killed 😰
and by the policeman. Not the social worker. Just awful. I was a young teen and in London but it was still a big thing that I was aware of and very scary

Has anyone read the "Wicked Beyond Belief" book that this is based on? There's an audio version of it just been released too, it's very comprehensive and interesting reading. There's also another book purely about the victims too which I can't remember the name of at the moment.

Anyway, I think from memory it was Emily's own idea to turn to sex work as the business was doing really badly and they had a massive tax bill to pay and she couldn't see any other way to dig them out of their financial mess.

The husband used to wait for her in the pub until she'd finished and when she didn't return on that last night he just went home as he thought she'd decided to stay with a punter.

@ScarletPower thank you for that. So sad on many levels. Wiki needs correcting if it's misinformed.

Thanks for the heads up OP. I normally avoid murdered women stuff but will make an exception for this. I'd watch paint dry Toby Jones was in it!

Oh that is really sad, if it's true she was forced by the husband but he's being portrayed as some kind of unwilling and innocent stooge. Why can't we have her true story, even decades after her death? Pimped by her husband, killed by a john. Why sanitise it to make men look better?

I thought it was good. The detective actually seems to care. So strange how small scale everything was, it wasn't that long ago really.
And so tense, we know exactly what's about to happen, but you're willing her not to go in that car.

@ScarletPower that's so sad and yes wiki needs to be updated

@emmylousings must welcome

Makes you wonder if the murders happened now wouid be have been caught quicker due to dna and other up to date equipment

I posted this on the other thread before I saw this one…

I thought the viewpoint of this storyline was really interesting. I was around 10 when Peter Sutcliffe was finally convicted and remember the newspaper reports at the time focusing heavily on the prostitution element of the victims which conjured up rather lurid images of them. In reality of course, they were ordinary women just trying to make ends meet. I can’t imagine though how the children and family of Emily Jackson must feel if it genuinely was the case she had turned to sex work to buy a bridesmaids dress and the kids Xmas presents. So very sad.

Agree that it was jarring that Sydney was sat sinking pints whilst his wife was desperate enough to turn to prostitution. I assume the backstory here was that the death of Derek (their child?) had caused depression and a breakdown of the marriage from an intimacy point of view.

The casting is absolutely stellar though so I am looking forward to the next episodes.

@Netaporter post on both

I didn't reliese that was another one started when I did this and got told off lol

But I often start threads on weekly programmes that I like

Often see lots of threads about on same programme

But yes very sad for the kids

To know their mum got killed sleeping with men /making money for their presents

Watched last night .Really interesting ,so often we think "Good this awful man has been arrested ,end of story" And dont think about the victims families and how they cope.Last night was harrowing ,as the young wife forced into prostitution by difficult finances was very moving .So often Sex workers are seen as less important than "respectable" women,almost to the point they dont matter.

Watched this last night due to this thread and it was brilliant.

So many victims 🥲

And their families

I'm afraid it's from the Daily Mail page but I spotted that Sutcliffe's younger brother Carl, has spoken out about the series. He does speak about their youth, I think it was something like an 18 year spread between eldest and youngest of the siblings and about the abuse their father dealt out to them and to their mother. All just awful, but, obviously no excuse for what Peter did.

They attached a composite photo montage of 12 of the victims. I was surprised how well the programme has captured the likeness of Emily Jackson, even down to her coat.

One thing that struck me as so weird was Carl recounting how he and his girlfriend had gone to the cinema with Peter and Sonia and after dropping Sonia off at home and then Carl, Peter insisted on driving the girlfriend home to ensure she got back safely. That made me shudder.

Clearly all sympathies are with the victims and their families, but it goes to show how the impact of Sutcliffe's actions is still affecting members of his family today. Carl talks about how surprised he was that the so called 'Ripper' was the brother he knew, who had a very mild manner compared to such a callous and cold blooded killer.

It's starting on Virgin Media 1 in Ireland on Thursday @Blondeshavemorefun so will get to watch in tandem with this thread. Yay !

Yah @LadyEloise1 Be lovely to have you with us

Aw , the two little children sitting on the bench waiting for their mum to get off a bus , so sad .