American Ripper - TV documentary series

[Abby Normal]

So far I have watched all of the episodes except the final one where they exhume Holmes' body. I have been fairly entertained by them and they do seem to pursue every lead they can find. My main objection is how they keep referring to the Ripper letters as being from Jack all the while failing to mention that the consensus opinion among Ripperologists is that they are fake.

While I don't think Holmes was the Ripper the show does manage to produce some circumstantial evidence so that it becomes at least a possibility.

c.d.

Hi CD and herlock.
I've tried to watch but can't. These type of shows literally upset my stomach. Another fake "documentary". Makes me ill.

The fake drama facial shots and pregnant pauses. Oooooo....something very dramatic is happening. Lol!

The fake drama set pieces, like looking at radar of underwater objects. Yeah your really going to find one of his victims. What a joke.

The stupid misleading and ambiguous "evidence". Like the letters.

Speaking of letters and joke suspects. I was in the library and picked up Cornwalls book on sickert. I stopped reading about 20 pages in when she started saying that most of the hoax ripper letters are authentic and literally tossed it across the room in the trash can. And like the true garbage that it is it went right into the can like it knew where it belonged.its still there. I'm seriously thinking of leaving it there and paying the lost book fee, as I can't stomach the thought of having it back in circulation. It doesn't deserve to be on a library shelf.

Sickert, HH Holmes, Maybrick. Garbage.

[Herlock Sholmes]

So far I have watched all of the episodes except the final one where they exhume Holmes' body. I have been fairly entertained by them and they do seem to pursue every lead they can find. My main objection is how they keep referring to the Ripper letters as being from Jack all the while failing to mention that the consensus opinion among Ripperologists is that they are fake.

While I don't think Holmes was the Ripper the show does manage to produce some circumstantial evidence so that it becomes at least a possibility.

c.d.

Hi c.d.

I've watched 3 shows so far and I've just made the same point as you on the JTRForum. They mention the 'Americanisms' but no mention that the letters are considered hoaxes by most (including senior police officers at the time.)
I also found it strange how 'excited' they got at finding Holmes' pseudonyms on ships manifests. Surely it would have been more surprising if they hadn't considering how many he used? I'm also not keen on these 'forensic' sketches. For me they would need to find more tangible proof that he was in London (or at least England) at the time.

[c.d.]

So far I have watched all of the episodes except the final one where they exhume Holmes' body. I have been fairly entertained by them and they do seem to pursue every lead they can find. My main objection is how they keep referring to the Ripper letters as being from Jack all the while failing to mention that the consensus opinion among Ripperologists is that they are fake.

While I don't think Holmes was the Ripper the show does manage to produce some circumstantial evidence so that it becomes at least a possibility.

c.d.

[c.d.]

There is a great Youtube video by Astrophysicist Neil Degrasse Tyson on why the whole UFO thing is so farfetched. I love Neil.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BRDCxNEuyg

c.d.

[c.d.]

They never acknowledged in the show that the Ripper letter are generally not believed to have come from Jack.

c.d.

[Pcdunn]

Holmes suffered from Esotropia and was apparently ashamed enough of it that one of the most remarked upon things from people throughout his life was his unwillingness to make eye contact. This eye condition of his is apparent in some photographs.

JM

Thanks for that reply, JM. I see from Wiki it means he had an eye condition in which one or more eyes turned inward. It mostly happens when the person tries to focus, so that would make a certain amount of sense.
You wouldn't think he'd be so charming with the ladies, would you?

[jmenges]

Holmes suffered from Esotropia and was apparently ashamed enough of it that one of the most remarked upon things from people throughout his life was his unwillingness to make eye contact. This eye condition of his is apparent in some photographs.

JM

[Pcdunn]

Agreed, YomRippur, but at least they have been talking to real Ripperologists-- Stewart Evans!-- and not making them out to be weirdos.

Mudgett is rather credulous, positively depressed when the DNA test failed, and too excited when the language analysts told him the Dear Boss letter used Americanisms. Now it's back to the U.S. for next week's episode where they apparently plan to look for missing victims of the Murder Hotel.

What do you think of the creepy photo of Holmes they keep using? His eyes seem unusual to me, rather dead-like. I can't imagine a Ripper witness not remarking on them.

[YomRippur]

Episode 3 of American Ripper was another disappointment. The DNA test on Eddowes' shawl from last episode yielded no match to H.H. Holmes, no surprise there. But the real disappointment was that they resorted yet again to things like "language analysis" of the Ripper letters and making composite sketches from eyewitness descriptions. No one says these things aren't useful, but they are supposed to serve as AIDS to an investigation, not as proofs of anything. Every time someone has a theory about JTR's identify, they almost always use these two means to buttress the theory, because they know these are the two easiest things to be made to appear convincing.

[GUT]

Remember when The H in History Channel stood for Hitler (that was a joke in the US for years, that the only thing ever on the History Channel was Hitler documentaries....) but damn.. at least that WAS HISTORY!!

Steadmund Brand

And by the way PCDUNN... I celebrated World UFO day like we all should have..... wearing my tin foil hat, chanting lyrics to Klaatu songs and trying to telepathically contact Art Bell....duh!!

Hey, leave Klaatu out of your warped theories, I remember when they hit the stage and the theories were that they were the Fab Four reunited.

[Steadmund Brand]

Remember when The H in History Channel stood for Hitler (that was a joke in the US for years, that the only thing ever on the History Channel was Hitler documentaries....) but damn.. at least that WAS HISTORY!!

Steadmund Brand

And by the way PCDUNN... I celebrated World UFO day like we all should have..... wearing my tin foil hat, chanting lyrics to Klaatu songs and trying to telepathically contact Art Bell....duh!!

[Pcdunn]

Noooo, it's not...

What????? You mean Ancient Aliens isn't HISTORY????

Steadmund Brand

Huh-- how did YOU celebrate World UFO Day (July 2), Steady?

I like UFO lore, but the "ancient aliens" mythology is just too much, sometimes.

[Steadmund Brand]

What????? You mean Ancient Aliens isn't HISTORY????

Steadmund Brand

[Hunter]

Thanks for this latest bit of info. I've heard a lot of good things about the book you mentioned in your podcast, so delving into that may be more worth my time than this.

History Channel spends millions on shows like these, if only they had people that were more capable working on them. They do things that are "good for TV," like digging up Holmes' grave, digging up Amelia Earhart's alleged burial site, etc., only to reach baseless conclusions. If only the truly capable researchers were given the millions of dollars that these shows are given.

Calling themselves a history channel is repulsive in itself. Smithsonian is about all that is left.

Yes, Selzer's book is worth the read and the price. Well researched.

[Abby Normal]

The London episode of "American Ripper" features several Ripperologists known to me only by name, and they do a decent job of explaining things, but I suspect the program edited their contributions. The dramatic recreations are woefully inadequate, with Schwartz actually witnessing Stride's murder,, not just the pushing down to the ground. Lots of shadowed glimpses of a figure in a caped coat, you know the sort of thing... 🙄

The team seemed to think their suspect was motivated by selling organs and by liking to watch women suffer, and were almost disappointed to learn the victims were dead prior to being mutilated.

They got too excited by the news of Eddowe's supposed shawl, and actually visited the owners, who have two small framed pieces of it, to ask for permission to test it for DNA against the Mudgett descendant.

Next week they check out Ripper letters... (Sigh)

yup what a bunch of sensationalist crap. History channel should be ashamed. the documentary channels are becoming more and more like the fake news.
I knew it was downhill when they started getting in on the "reality" TV BS.