Main content

Shadow of the Ripper

Christopher Frayling unravels the circumstances which turned a killer into a Gothic hero he asks: is it time to lay the ghosts of 1888 to rest? (1988)

Jack the Ripper was a prince, a pauper, a mason, a madman... A host of more and more bizarre theories have surrounded the unexplained killings in Whitechapel since they hit the headlines in 1888. This film dispels the grisly fiction, revealing for the first time the true contents of the police and Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Office files on the case, drawing on the expertise of historians and of those who have encountered today's killers - on the street or behind bars.

Revisiting the sites of the crimes, piecing together evidence from Victorian locations across London, the invention of the legend becomes clear. As Christopher Frayling unravels the circumstances which turned a killer into a Gothic hero he asks: is it time to lay the ghosts of 1888 to rest? (1988)

Available now

50 minutes

Last on

Wed 7 Sep 1988 20:10
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two

More episodes

Previous

Windsors' War

Next

Visions of a Conqueror: the Glorious Revolution

See all episodes from Timewatch

Clip

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Four Murder By Gaslight

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Four Murder By Gaslight
A collection of documentaries on notorious murderers that horrified 19thΒ Century Britain.

About Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Four Collection programmes

Programmes are selected, in part, for their historical context and reflect the broadcast standards and attitudes of their time, which may not accord to some current Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ editorial guidelines. We aim to select programmes which can be shown in their entirety but in some cases edits are required.

Credits

Presenter Christopher Frayling
Editor Roy Davies
Film Editor Steve Ronay
Director John Triffitt

Broadcast

Featured in...