Common Sense Media Review
By Joyce Slaton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Victorian cop drama is intense, with violence and nudity.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Ripper Street
What's the Story?
RIPPER STREET, a BBC mini-series set a few months after the famous -- and never solved -- Jack the Ripper murders, stars Matthew Macfadyen as Inspector Edmund Reid, the detective in charge of a new series of murders which police fear may be linked to the Ripper murders. Aiding Reid in his task is Captain Homer Jackson (Adam Rothenberg), a surgeon and former Pinkerton detective who has a dark secret in his past, and brothel madam Long Susan (MyAnna Buring). Meanwhile, crusading and somewhat unethical reporter Fred Best (David Dawson) is just waiting for Reid to trip up.
Is It Any Good?
How on earth did the BBC manage to make a slice of Ireland look so much like dirty, dusty old London? The setting and costumes are absolutely first-rate, adding an atmospheric quality that ratchets up the appeal of Ripper Street. Viewers will also enjoy peeks at Victorian history such as a conversation about putting in an underground, which Inspector Reid says would keep Londoners from having to "live like rats." Ah, Inspector Reid, if you only knew! If you only knew!
Adults and Anglophiles who like crime drama will probably love seamy Ripper Street. But teens will no doubt be mystified, first by the heavy British accents, second by old-school expressions like "do jug" (go to prison) and "she's been recently serviced" (she has had sex). Thus even though Ripper Street has much to teach them about history and the ways of Victorian London, they probably won't be able to make out exactly what's going on, not to mention be able to tolerate the mixture of sex and violence throughout the story.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what the Victorian setting adds to a traditional police show. How is Ripper Street different from other cop shows you've seen? How is it alike? What is the purpose, do you suppose, of using a historical setting for a show about crime?
Teens: What are your parents more disturbed by: violence or sex? Why do you think that is? What's your opinion on how violence and sex should be handled on TV and in movies?
The Jack the Ripper murders are some of the most famous in history. Why are these murders so notorious? What about them makes them interesting enough to merit dramatic treatment over a century after they occurred?
TV Details
- Premiere date : January 19, 2013
- Cast : Adam Rothenberg , Jerome Flynn , Matthew Macfadyen
- Network : BBC America
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Last updated : June 19, 2020
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