# Jack the Ripper (1988)

> A fictionalized two-part retelling of the hunt for the Whitechapel murderer, following Inspector Abberline through Victorian East London's violence, politics and sensational press.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/42830

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 2
- Episode runtime: 96 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: crime, drama, history
- Created by: Derek Marlowe, David Wickes
- Network: ITV1
- Cast: Michael Caine, Jane Seymour, Lewis Collins, Armand Assante, Lysette Anthony, Michael Gothard, T. P. McKenna, Richard Morant
- TMDB rating: 7.4/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095388/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: bleak, tense, atmospheric, melancholic, gritty

## What critics say

Viewers rate this fictionalized Ripper hunt as a solid, atmospheric period police drama anchored by Michael Caine's lead performance.

## Synopsis

Jack the Ripper (1988) is a British two-part miniseries created by Derek Marlowe and David Wickes for ITV1, produced by Thames Television and Euston Films. Michael Caine plays Scotland Yard Inspector Frederick Abberline, a detective with a weakness for drink who must hunt the unidentified killer behind the Whitechapel murders while fending off pressure from his superiors. Sergeant George Godley (Lewis Collins) serves as his steadier partner, keeping him grounded as they work the streets of the East End. Jane Seymour, Armand Assante and Lysette Anthony round out the principal cast in a story built around witness interviews, inquests, and the rumour-mongering newspapers that inflame public fear. Each episode unfolds as a long, methodical investigation rather than a case of the week, and the miniseries runs across two feature-length parts totaling about three hours. Set in Victorian London, the drama gives the period a gritty, shadowy atmosphere, with a tense, bleak register and a melancholic view of the poverty and violence of the district. Fans of From Hell, Ripper Street and classic British period crime drama will find resonance in its mix of historical dread and procedural grind.

## Shows like Jack the Ripper

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- [The Inspector Lynley Mysteries (2002)](https://ember.film/tv/1098)
- [Des (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/81533)
- [Sherlock Holmes (1984)](https://ember.film/tv/757)
- [Murder Rooms: Mysteries of the Real Sherlock Holmes (2001)](https://ember.film/tv/8975)
- [Cracker (1993)](https://ember.film/tv/28)
- [The Long Shadow (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/149477)
- [Ripper Street (2012)](https://ember.film/tv/42498)
- [Whitechapel (2009)](https://ember.film/tv/16177)
- [The Alienist (2018)](https://ember.film/tv/62634)

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