Whitechapel

[lokiman]

I liked the nice little touch with the victim who was twinned with the Tabram murder thinking that her attacker was a soldier.

[Natalie Severn]

loved the edgy but perennial Whitechapel atmosphere -----some brilliant acting too.Looking forward to next episode.

[Jeff Leahy]

Yes quite good fun so far. I'm not convinced the police wouldnt have noticed the Nichol's mutilations on site, but hey if the fire was in the next street and not the docks whose counting...

So which tour guide is the 'Whitchapel' Character based on?

Pirate

[Trevor Marriott]

I personllay thought it was nothing more than average.

I belive they were factually incorrcet with the first murder which they suggested was relative to Polly Nicholls and as such arrested the victims boyfriend who had a cast iron alibi. That part should surely relate to the second murder which they are going to say is relative to annie Chapman. I cant see them going down the same scenario a second time

[Ravenstone]

Ooops. Sorry. I must have missed this thread when I replied to the other one.

I enjoyed it, but I can only think I must be in a strange mood tonight, because I was finding some of the 'in' references a bit irritating. Normally I'd like things like that. But I did enjoy it, and I'm looking forward to next week's episode. It's a shame it's only a three-parter really.

[anna]

I agree with Trevor.......basic stuff.

It was a very jumbled up storyboard of ideas......and would only serve to confuse any sort of knowledge held by the general public,over the skeleton of details they would be familiar with.


Lees was also wrongly represented..he doesn't deserve to have his name treated in the way it was.....hopefully they'll turn that wrongdoing around.

[Mascara & Paranoia]

The cops vs. serial killer thing is so overdone I just can't get into this, but other than that it's alright I guess. Nothing special.

Though I dunno how they're gonna explain who the killer is unless this turns out to either be a supernatural thing or there's a conspiracy of people involved (hopefully no-one with royal blood or connections!).

I was expecting more gore an' all.

[George Hutchinson]

I'm delighted to see their tour guide is not the crank I was expecting, though the tour is nothing like the real thing (at least, it better not be).

In answer to a question on the other thread, nope - tours are not a tenner. The theatricality with which the Pemberton character delivers his spiel is just what you would expect - and it may be true of, say, the Beefeaters - but God help me if peeps like John or myself ever came across like that. Also, you wouldn't expect to go to a Ripper site and stop there for about thirty seconds only; sheesh - I'm covering the MJK story for about fifteen minutes on the same site!

However, I did like his attempts at book-selling and what came afterwards; his comment that they were mostly Germans in that group and he liked the Americans best as they were enthusiastic and liked to buy souvenirs. Spot on!

Unlike his spot in Hanbury Street. Ironic that it was the police who were in the right spot, whilst Pemberton's character was ten yards further down.

I believe they CLAIM to have based the character on Don, though I think he'd be mortified! That's not Don's style of presentation (maybe his style of dress, though). It was Don who took them around the sites.

As for the book business, I'm most curious. The makers contacted our publisher as they wanted to use our book in the series and were granted permission. If it's still to come, or if they've not used it, I've yet to see. The book that keeps cropping up does not, as far as I know, actually exist. It's almost certainly MODELLED on Rob's and mine's book - it's a hardback of the same size (I don't know any other Ripper book of the same dimensions), similar layout and similar typeface. The contents, though, I didn't recognise. Likewise, the cover has been concoted for the programme.

I'm liking it so far but, like most of you, am screwing my face up at the clunkiness of some of the references and the assumptions on general Ripperology. However, I'm liking the little subtle nods - such as the Community Support Police Officer finding the first victim whilst she was still alive (making me think more of Ernest Thompson's first night on the beat and discovering Frances Coles).

Currently I can give it a tentative thumbs up. But only one thumb right now. If the makers are reading this, as they have alluded to in the press interviews, you'll know from us lot that's what can be passed as 'praise'. However - if you HAVEN'T used TLoJtRTaN on screen, then I'll hate you forever.

PHILIP

[KatBradshaw]

I think some people are taking it a little too seriously. I think it was ace. Really nice touches that not everyone would notice. My folks who love this sort of thing enjoyed it without feeling lost becuase they were too overt with Ripper references.

[Scotland Yard]

As a police procedural drama I found it very by-the-numbers. Its clearly working from the 'Prime Suspect' template. A new, untested DI is put on the case, encounters resistance from the old timer and his team -only this time its not chauvinism that's the enemy but a low-grade kind of class snobbery. So far so unoriginal, I'm afraid.

And the script writer has this need to keep telegraphing things, like when Rupert Penry Jones sits down to open the ripper book we had to hear a refrain of the tour guide's warning that more murders were to come. The final line from Phil Davis about taking on the ripper and solving the crime was also hopelessly melodramatic.

Entertaining enough but a bit disappointing for me.

[GordonH]

Would the site of the back yard in Hanbury street not be roughly where the Italian restaurant in the courtyard of the brewery? (the house being under the building that fronts onto Hanbury street).

I have seen ripper tours in there from my office window which overlooks it from Corbet Place, but I am not sure which tour goes in there.

Was interesting seeing the police sitting on the lighting box eating chips, as I have done the same thing on the same box! I wonder if they got the chips from Rossi's?

The police station looked rather posh. I have never been to Whitechapel police station but the nearest police station to Hanbury street is Brick Lane and it is nothing like the one depicted on the TV show. In fact, I would have thought Hanbury Street was a little off their turf so to speak.

Anyway, its a good bit of TV drama. My bet is its an inside police job of some sort. I was also a bit perturbed by the receptionist at the hospital, but time will tell. British TV drama normally practices "guilt by casting". In other words if you get a top character actor appearing briefly in an episode you know he will turn out to be the killer in the end.

[pmerryman]

I thought it was a good piece of ITV Drama, and cant wait for the second episode.

I like theway the filming was done on places, and the music along with it, made it very eery. My daughter (bricked) it, when the murderer walked out of shot in Hanbury street, and that killer music came on.

[Bob Hinton]

Spoiled For Me

I’m afraid what spoiled it for me was Phil Davies. Don’t get me wrong I think he is a fine actor, but I’m afraid he is supposed to be portraying a long serving officer. That being the case he would never have got in to the Met as he is simply too short! I believe the height requirement when his character would have joined was 5’ 8” – he is obviously nowhere near that. I applied to join the Met in the early 80’s but was turned down because I was 5’ 7 ½”. Lincoln offered me a place but decided to work for a Merchant Bank instead.

I know it’s silly but in every scene he was in it seemed like he was an outsider all the time.

I do wish scriptwriters would come up with something new. A senior police officer with little experience takes over a murder case and initially faces resentment from the subordinate officers. However gradually they learn to respect each other and realise they must work together.

That could have been the blurb for Prime Suspect and the two cop shows that started on Monday night.

Why can’t we have a senior police officer that takes over a case and gets on really well with his other officers?

I’m writing a novel at the moment and that’s the way I’ve written it!

[Mike Covell]

As an ITV Drama/Thriller I loved it, it was visually quite stunning and had a nice cast, even though some of the acting was a little wooden. The interplay between Davies and Jones was quite fun, and there were a few moments where I laughed out loud, especially when Davies was describing Ripperologists!

I read that the production crew had not filmed at all of the definite murder sites, so wasn't expecting realism, but enjoyed the first 2 murders, and the way in which they where staged.

There were several names that drew my attention, notably, Llwellyn, Cohen, Anderson, Miles, Lees, Phillips, and I hear there are more to come.

It was also interesting to hear how modern methods (the ambulance) saved a victim, where as the original victim, Tabram, died becuase of her wounds.

So far, only one suspect has entered my mind, but I am sure we will get many more to choose from.

All in all an enjoyable show, and I look forward to episode 2 next week.

So far I have yet to see any reviews.

ITV Whitechapel Official Site, featuring interviews, shorts documentaries, press pack and the ITV I-Player for those wishing to catch up. (might only be available for UK viewing)

http://www.itv.com/Drama/copsandcrime/Whitechapel/default.html

IMDB

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1186356/

[Cubitt]

I liked it too. Nothing ground breaking as yet but it's enjoyable enough. As others have said I found it surprising that the Police didn't make the connection with JtR sooner. Although as (Phil Davis?) said, everytime there's a stabbing in Whitechapel the Ripperologists come crawling out of the woodwork!

Loved his line - "I hate Ripperologists". I can imagine modern Whitechapel Police having to deal with cranks everytime there's a local murder.

Did someone say that someone on this forum had some involvement in the production?