Hearst Networks EMEA Announces Co-Production With Sky

Hearst Networks EMEA has announced a co-production with Sky, as part of their partnership, for a new three-part drama-documentary series, Jack the Ripper: Written in Blood, produced by award winning production company Nutopia.

The series will air on Sky HISTORY in April, and rather than focusing solely on the identity of the killer, it will delve into how the Whitechapel Murders fuelled the rise of tabloid journalism in Britain. The series shines a light on one Fleet Street newspaper in particular – The Star – and its shameless exploitation of the killings to boost circulation and profits, hindering the police investigation to further its own agenda.

Through the eyes of present-day experts – including investigative journalists, former detectives, psychologists, historians, a former prostituted woman and author, and forensics experts – this gripping series immerses viewers in the turbulent Victorian era, offering a unique perspective on how the press manipulated the story for its own gain, ultimately obstructing justice in the process.

Moe Dunford, stars as Thomas Power O’Connor, known as TP, the flamboyant and controversial editor of The Star alongside his wife Elizabeth, played by Chelsea Halfpenny. Under his leadership, the fledgling newspaper aggressively pursued the Whitechapel Murders. TP’s determined team included ambitious young reporter Fred Best (Mark Strepan) and shrewd sub-editor Ernest Parke (Tyger Drew-Honey).
Together, along with Best's wife Henrietta (Amy-Leigh Hickman), they infiltrated the bars, alleyways and lodging houses of Whitechapel where the "Canonical Five" victims – Polly Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly – met their tragic deaths. From bribing police officers to naming false suspects, to masterminding the infamous "Dear Boss" letter (believed at the time to have been penned by the killer), The Star’s tactics played a crucial role in escalating the media frenzy. As hysteria mounted, the public's obsession with the "Ripper" story diverted the police investigation and may have helped the killer evade capture.

In addition to its focus on the press, the series brings much-needed attention to the lives of the Ripper's victims – historically marginalised and often presented as little more than faceless sex workers in the public eye. Through extensive historical research, the series brings these women's personal stories to light, offering a poignant look at their struggles in an unforgiving and class-divided Victorian society.

Filmed on location in both Bucharest and London, the series also asks whether the media’s relentless focus on Jack the Ripper directly contributed to the killer's continued spree and if the birth of tabloid journalism was at the cost of women's lives. This thrilling new series, which blends both modern-day contributor interviews and drama, brings a unique view to one of history’s most infamous mysteries, exploring the power of the press and its far-reaching impact on both the victims and the investigation.

www.hearstnetworks.com