ITV has shared the first images of its upcoming new series about the Yorkshire Ripper, and has revealed the all-star cast.
The gritty true crime drama, titled The Long Shadow, is set to air on ITV1 and ITVX next month.
Written by revered screenwriter, George Kay, and solely directed by BAFTA-winning director, Lewis Arnold, the new seven-part drama is described as being the “definitive depiction” of the desperate five-year hunt for serial killer Peter Sutcliffe – who was more commonly-known as the ‘Yorkshire Ripper‘ -and is set to “sensitively focus” on the lives of the victims who crossed his path, and the officers at the heart of the police investigation.
With the victims, their families, and the survivors “at the heart”, ITV says the series “brings a new perspective” to what is already a well-documented story.
ITV has shared the first images of its new Yorkshire Ripper drama series / Credit: ITV
Based on Michael Bilton’s critically-acclaimed account of the case, Wicked Beyond Belief, producers say the series has been “meticulously researched” and draws upon the “most extensive archive” of the investigation – with hundreds of case files, interview transcripts, and police reports all forming part of the storyline.
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Celebrated stars of the TV screen feature as part of the cast unveiled this week – with Coronation Street‘s Katherine Kelly leading the pack, alongside other famous names such as Toby Jones, David Morrissey, Lee Ingleby, Jill Halfpenny, Jasmine Lee-Jones, Liz White, and Daniel Mays.
Some of the other recognisable names in the cast include Shaun Dooley, Ruth Madely, Daisy Waterstone, and Marcella Claxton.
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Toby Jones, David Morrissey, Katherine Kelly, Lee Ingleby, Jill Halfpenny, Jasmine Lee-Jones, Liz White and Daniel Mays star in true crime drama, The Long Shadow produced by New Pictures and written by George Kay, coming to ITV1 and ITVX next month. Details >… pic.twitter.com/DlgRSfLFS2
A synopsis for the new series on the ITV website reads: “One murder has the power to cast a long shadow and this case plunged a whole society into darkness.
“For every victim, there were friends and loved ones. For every police officer, there was the burden of failure and the knowledge that as they failed to find their man, more women continued to suffer.
“The impact on the lives of those who live on after the death of their loved one remains to this day. Those who cannot escape what happened, who must sit with their incomprehensible trauma for decades after, enduring their own life sentences.”
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The all-star cast has also been revealed / Credit: ITV
ITV says The Long Shadow will “speak to the societal issues of the past”.
But while it takes a look back, the series will also be aiming to highlight the “alarming parallels” between the terrible crimes and tragic events of the past to those in our more-recent history, and will also touch on how people today are “holding to account the institutional foundations that foster misogyny, racism, and violence against women”.
The Long Shadow is set to air on ITV1 and ITVX next month.
Featured Image – ITV
TV & Showbiz
Mancs wanted to take part in a new series of the ‘hardest quiz show on TV’
Emily Sergeant
Call yourself a clever clogs? The BBC is currently looking for contestants to take part in what is widely considered the hardest quiz show on TV.
That’s right – Only Connect is back for another series on BBC Two.
Presented by Victoria Coren Mitchell and first broadcast all the way back in 2008, Only Connect takes TV quizzing to the next level, as it sees two teams compete against each other by finding connections between seemingly unrelated clues.
In this quiz show – which viewers have dubbed one of the most challenging there is – knowledge only takes you so far, as the ability to think laterally is also deemed ‘vitally important’.
A casting call for the upcoming 2027 series has been shared on the BBC website, with people from Greater Manchester encouraged to apply.
Mancs wanted to take part in a new series of the ‘hardest quiz show on TV’ / Credit: BBC
The casting call reads: “The popular BBC Two quiz show presented by Victoria Coren Mitchell returns for a new series in 2027.
“Only Connect is seeking teams of three players OR single applicants or teams of two looking for like-minded teammates to pool their combined wits to solve fiendish conundrums and vexing puzzles.
“This is the quiz series where, as in life itself, knowledge will only take you so far: patience and lateral thinking are also vital. It’s all about making connections between things which may appear, at first glance, not to be connected at all.”
Reckon you’ve got what it takes then? Applications are now open, and all applicants must be aged 18 or over and a resident in the UK or Channel Islands.
Channel 4 is looking for Mancs who think they can survive the apocalypse for a new TV series
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Have you always wanted to see how long you’d last in an apocalypse?
Well now’s your chance, as Apocalypse is potentially coming back to Channel 4 for a second series, with producers having put out a nationwide casting call for contestants willing to take part.
The casting call simply reads: “Do you think you have what it takes to survive the end of the world?”
Described as a dystopian series designed to test the creativity, resourcefulness, and resilience of our nation, Apocalypse sees players are pushed out of their comfort zones and put to the ultimate test.
In the series, ordinary people are tasked with surviving for 28 days in an abandoned city – used previously only for the military to practice urban warfare – with no food, running water, electricity or heat.
Produced by The Garden – which is part of ITV Studios – for Channel 4, the show’s creators are now calling on Mancs and people up and down the country with the ‘courage and ingenuity’ to compete, to get in touch and apply for the potential second series.
Does your mate always bang on after watching a post-apocalyptic film that they would’ve done things differently? Or is the news at the moment freaking you out and you want to give the end of the world a bit of a practice run? Either way, sign up, test that plan you’ve built in your head, and see if you’ve really got what it takes.
Applications are now open, and all you need to do is fill in a short application form and one of the production team will get back to you if they would like to proceed. Come on, let’s prove what Mancs are made of.
Emily Sergeant -
9th August 2023 
