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It's interesting in a historical sense, I think. I first learned about JtR in the late 1940s but until this production I didn't really know more than he was an uncaught serial killer who murdered women with a knife in the London during the 1880s. Before, I knew more about Lizzie Borden than Jack.
This my opinion and to the best of my knowledge, that is, if I'm not joking.
It's one of my favourites.I was 13 when I saw it in '73 and loved it then and it still stands up very well today.I got my first copy (video) from Loretta Lay about ten years ago,along with the book,and upgraded to a DVD copy from ebay in '05.Recommended!!
The physical quality of much of the programme is quite poor - some of it is time-coded, some of it is really grainy and fuzzy - but it's a smashing five hours. You'll get to see parts of Durward Street and Mitre Square as they no longer look as well.
Oh, and marvel at the bizarre Joseph Gorman interview in the last episode.
What I particularly liked in this was the inquest reconstructions with actual witness statements being used as the script.
The witness/victim costumes are pretty good, too - authentic tat, for the most part, which is as it should be. Having said that, Diemschutz's Schmutter appears a little too grotty for an upper-working/lower middle-class salesman, and - judging by contemporary drawings - Diemschutz scrubbed up rather better than depicted in the show.
Some of the acting in the reconstructed scenes was quite superb, I thought, and all the better for having used the witness statements/inquest transcripts, as Phil has already indicated.
The witness/victim costumes are pretty good, too - authentic tat, for the most part, which is as it should be. Having said that, Diemschutz's Schmutter appears a little too grotty for an upper-working/lower middle-class salesman, and - judging by contemporary drawings - Diemschutz scrubbed up rather better than depicted in the show.
Some of the acting in the reconstructed scenes was quite superb, I thought, and all the better for having used the witness statements/inquest transcripts, as Phil has already indicated.
I think if you check the producer/Director they went on to make the film with Michael Cane. It still remains one of the best TV productions ever created.
Unfortunately it is unlikely that modern TV will ever invest such time and money again. However who knows what the future holds.
Hi, Billy. I got a tip about a week ago that Barlow & Watts were on Veoh, but they were already in the process of being pulled & only 2 or 3 episodes of 6 were left. I'm not sure how frequently the intrepid poster puts them back up, but you might want to keep your eyes peeled. Thanks, Archaic
PS: SPEAKING OF KEEPING YOUR EYES PEELED: I suspect that the photo in Post #11 labeled 'Colin Weland' is actually a recent paparazzi shot of the legendary Sam Flynn bustin' his freakin' wicked moves at an exclusive Welsh Disco... however, I won't publicize it, cuz Casebook might get sued for copyright infringement & then all our posts will be pulled.
(I wonder, can anyone tell me the name of that Welsh Disco?? I can't quite remember, but I think it had lots of L's and Y's in it. )
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