MovieChat Forums > Whitechapel (2009) Discussion > Whitchapel vs Ripper Street

Whitchapel vs Ripper Street


I'm looking for a really good British series and I'm fascinated by Jack the Ripper story but I see their are two series whose theme is the Ripper. Which one do you recommend I watch first? Any help would be gratefully appreciated.

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Both are fantastic, i think ripper street is a little bit better.

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These are two very good, but very different series. Ripper Street is set in Victorian Whitechapel; the protagonist police officers worked on the Ripper case, and references to Jack appear frequently, BUT the case is not covered or reviewed.
The first series of Whitechapel - set in modern-day London - does revisit Jack's actions, as a copycat killer is allegedly on the loose.
Subsequent series of Whitechapel maintain the theme of historic crimes (the Krays, etc) while Ripper Street deals with criminal activities within the period, including prostitution, pornography and the cavalier treatment of the poor and working class by those with power and money.
We have watched and enjoyed both. Hope this helps!

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I loved both series but liked Whitechapel better

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They both are about Whitechapel but are in different eras. Whitechapel the series has a copycat Jack the Ripper and other serial killers set in the 21st century whereas Ripper Street is in the 19th century. Both are excellent series. Ripper Street covers different criminal activities than Whitechapel. As I said in the previous post I happen to like Whitechapel better but that's just a personal preference. They are totally different shows from each other but have great actors in both shows

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Just curious...does British TV have anything else to produce other than series about Jack the Ripper and gruesome serial killers? There seems to be an obsession with the subject. This. Ripper Street. Wire in the Blood. Murdoch Mysteries. Etc. Etc. Etc.

"Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier 'n puttin' it back in." -- Will Rogers

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Absolutely, I think they make better television show than the US and not everything is blood, guts and murder. But, like the US they do have a lot of crimes and mysteries series. But, unlike the US they are more similar to a mini-series or streaming series, longer episode, shorter seasons. Not a lot of time needed to invest in these series. Crime dramas and murder mysteries are the most popular.

Those that top my list are: The Fall, starring Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan (50 Shades of Grey), it's a how to catch a serial killer (Dornan) and the UK Detective Superintendent (Anderson) is brought to Belfast to catch him. Both are very intelligent and they play a cat and mouse game. Not too much blood and guts it's more along the lines of a thriller/suspense. You mostly see how a woman catches his eye, how he stalks her, how the investigation gathered from the autopsy as he starts changing or evolving with each new kill. Very slow moving story but worth the wait. I had a hesitation to watching this series because I wasn't impressed with Dornan's acting in 50 Shades. He's great in this and it's a complex character, married (but he's unhappy), with two young children and another on the way. He hides his trophy from his rapes victims/kills in the ceiling in his oldest daughters bedroom.

Happy Valley was really good to and mixing of a Police sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) as she attempts to catch the man who raped and drove her late daughter to suicide. Leaving for her to care for her daughter and her rapist young son, which caused the strain in her relationship with her husband and son. She also has her sister's help, who is a recovering alcoholic/drug addict, Catherine is divorced from her husband, who remarried but they are having an affair. She's estranged from her son, who is expecting his first child. The rapist is released and is out of prison and returns to his life of crime. He learns he has a son and starts following him and eventually kidnaps him. A lot of juggling between her job, the chaos from her job and personal life and her dysfunctional family. Great acting by Sarah and the rapist, James Norton.

The Inbetweeners is similar to Freaks and Geeks. Four friends, all navigate the awkwardness of teenage life, school, bullies and the issues that teens face as they grow up. It's a good situation comedy.

Broadchurch is a mystery crime drama starring David Tennant (currently on American Netflix as Kilgrave in Marvel’s Jessica Jones series and Doctor Who) as Detective Hardy and Olivia Colman as Detective Miller. The pair investigate the murder of a child in a small, fictional seaside English town. While at its core Broadchurch is a mystery, it differs from many British crime shows in that it focuses on how the town is affected by the death and the subsequent events. Suspicions are high and the media exacerbates the situation as the detectives attempt to piece together what happened. Very good mystery show.

Sherlock while there are many adaptations of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s detective stories, there is only one Sherlock. Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman play Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson respectively, and their odd couple chemistry and quip-filled dialogue bring the modernized mystery stories to life. Each episode’s plot is a reimagining of an original Doyle story, which means that literary fans will can enjoy nods and winks to the books without knowing where the story will lead. The endearing characters and engaging stories make Sherlock enjoyable for any amateur sleuth in need of a good mystery. Cumberbatch is amazing. It's at the top of my list. [Much better and more entertaining then Jonny Lee Miller's Elementary which I find very depressing and dark.]

Luther, Idris Elba plays the titular Detective Chief Inspector Luther, a hot-tempered detective who specializes in catching cold-blooded killers. Luther is sometimes aided and sometimes hindered by a brilliant and deadly sociopath, Alice (Ruth Wilson). Luther frustrates his estranged wife, Zoe (Indira Varma), infuriates his commanding officers, and alienates his colleagues – but he always gets his man, by whatever means necessary. Idris Elba is especially fond of DCI Luther, and has expressed interest in creating a film that centers on the brilliant detective. All seasons of Luther are available on Netflix. Excellent acting all around.

My absolute favorite two drama produced in the UK is and always will be House of Cards Trilogy, the original British version starring Ian Richardson. It's a political drama set around the Chief Whip of the British Conservative Party with enough maniacal plans to embarrass a comic book villain, what Francis Urquhart wants, Francis Urquhart gets. Ian Richardson (absolutely amazing) stars as the antihero you hate to love as he schemes to seize power and become the Prime Minister of the UK. Unlike the American version, Urquhart seems much more charming and non-threatening than his Underwood counterpart (played by Kevin Spacey), which only makes it more wicked when he makes his devious and murderous moves. With only four episodes per series, the trilogy cuts out any fluffy subplots and gives Urquhart enough room to weave his webs at his own pace. He manipulates everyone as if the were pieces on a chessboard. He also breaks the fourth wall (talks directly to the camera, letting you in on his secrets and plans). It's three mini-movies that crosses over time. From a member of Parliament, where he was promised they would put him up for Prime Minister and continues to be overlooked. So he takes matters into his own hands and gets revenge and eventually becomes the Prime Minister. His wife is just as horrible as he is, has numerous affairs with politicians to help her husband gather information through any way they can, including blackmail. You really don't need to understand how Parliament works, it's just the backdrop.

Prime Suspect series (2 to 3 hours serial from season 1 to 7) with Helen Mirren who plays Detective Chief Inspector as the series progresses she becomes the head of the unit, Jane Tennison has been passed over time and again to lead a murder investigation, so when one of her fellow DCIs has a heart attack just before he's ready to charge their prime suspect (who's not guilty of the crime), Jane sees her chance to lead a murder investigation. But the murder squad she takes over is hostile to her, they won't help but hinter her, the men upstairs are eager to pull the plug on her investigation, her personal relationships suffer from her obsession with work, and the prime suspect remains elusive. Jane has her work cut out for her as she and her team work their way through computer data trails, legwork, intuitive leaps, chases, arrests, and confessions to find the killer. Kind of a feminist show but eventually her crew and co-workers give her the respect she deserves. The series ran from 1991 to 2006 started with Prime Suspect 1 to Prime Suspect 7. These shows took a lot out of her emotionally and physically. Excellent acting, interesting cases, murders. Males seem to believe the series is anti-male/male bashing, feminist stuff. (available on Hulu Plus)

All of these series are currently on American Netflix (accept where noted).

Honorable mention: River (a detective from Sweden. John River is a brilliant police inspector whose genius lies side-by-side with the fragility of his mind. He is a man haunted by the murder victims whose cases he must lay to rest. He's haunted by their death and they return as ghost to help catch their murderers, which in the end comes full circle. As a string of crimes, kidnappings, etc going on in an area of London. On the side, he's trying to find why and how his partner was murdered. All the things going on all relate to her murder. 6 episodes, 1 hour series. Excellently acted by Stellan Skarsgård (Good Will Hunting) as River and Nicola Walker as his dead partner (Jackie "Stevie" Stevenson, who loves to sing.)

The Missing. This crime series takes a troubling plot (the sudden disappearance of a child) and shapes it into a compelling drama full of intrigue and heartache. Stars Tcheky Karyo (Bad Boys, The Patriot, Addicted to Love) and James Nesbitt (the Hobbit series, Jekyll). Similar to the real life kidnapping of Madeleine McCann who was kidnapped, went missing from a resort in the Algarve region of Portugal in 2007. She has never been found.

Undercover stars Sophie Okonedo delivers a powerful performance as a human rights advocate and lawyer whose picture-perfect family life is not all it seems. Adrian Lester plays the husband she shouldn't be trusting, while Dennis Haysbert is the death row inmate she's determined to save.

The Crown is a Netflix's new drama about a young Queen Elizabeth actress Claire Foy plays the lead character young Elizabeth, who must suddenly go from devoted wife and princess to determined monarch who is not prepared for her new role as the Queen. Look out for John Lithgow as a surprisingly convincing Winston Churchill. Great series.

The Living and the Dead. Expect goosebumps courtesy of this six-part thriller about a Victorian psychologist who experiences supernatural occurrences in his rural community. When a young couple inherit a farm, they are determined to turn it into a success, but strange supernatural forces soon intervene, threatening their marriage and their lives. Stars Colin Morgan (Merlin, The Fall), Charlotte Spencer (Les Misérables, Dark Shadows) and Malcolm Storry (Doc Martin).

Marcella stars Anna Friel who left her stressful detective job for her family and returns to the job when her husband leaves her. She's forced to track down a serial killer from her past. Further complicating matters are her messy personal life and a series of violent outbursts and blackouts that make her question her own actions and sanity. Direct Netflix series only season 1 is available as they are currently filming season 2 and will be released sometime in 2017.

The Honorable Woman stars Maggie Gyllenhaal won a Golden Globe for her gutsy portrayal of Baroness Nessa Stein, a British woman overseeing a charity that strives to keep the peace in the West Bank. A string of crimes threatens to unravel a painful secret from her past, with political intrigue and shady motives at every turn.

Line of Duty 3 seasons, going into 4 of this gripping police drama just got underway in the UK. Follow the British equivalent of Internal Affairs as they investigate corrupt coppers. (Lennie James, best known as Morgan on The Walking Dead, headlines the first season).

The Night Manager stars a very hot Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie headline this BBC adaptation of John le Carré's spy drama. Hiddleston plays a hotel manager who gets caught up in a murder linked to Richard Roper (Laurie, with his British accent intact), a tycoon with a sideline in arms dealing. Hiddleton's shirtless scenes and enigmatic persona have given UK audiences a bit of James Bond fever. Let's just say this is quite nice 007 audition tape with a 6 pack and all.

Hinterland another police drama set in Wales and was the first BBC show to appear in both Welsh and English (yes, actors filmed their scenes twice). With each episode running 90 minutes long, stories tend to drag, but the culprit's identity is always a surprise. Good whodunit. It takes so long to film this show because of the double filming and the horrible cold, dampness and constant raining. I've been waiting for the next season for a year and a half.

London Spy is one of the sexiest spy thrillers of all time. Ben Whishaw stars as Danny, the boyfriend of the mysterious Alex, played by Edward Holcroft. Part love story, part whodunit, this drama is ideal for anyone who fancies an agonizing cliffhanger and some steamy sex scene.

Top of the Lake is also known as the other show for which Elisabeth Moss was nominated for an Emmy and other being Mad Man. Set in New Zealand and somewhat like Broadchurch in terms of structure (a central mystery is introduced in the first episode, and then twisted additional storylines snake outward from there), it has Moss playing a detective who returns to her hometown to care for her sick mother. She then gets tasked with helping track down a pregnant 12-year-old who’s gone missing after trying to commit suicide at the beginning of the series by walking into the local lake. Also, stars Holly Hunter. Season 2 has added Nicole Kidman to the cast. Jane Champion produces and created the series. Big gap from season 1 to 2. 4 years. The series will return in 2017. A lot of issues from behind the scenes stopped the series in 2013, which was picked up again in late 2016, beautiful photographed and scenery.

Most of these series can be found streaming or elsewhere on Acorn, BBC America, PBS, Amazon Prime, Google play, iTunes, Netflix, YouTube, Hulu and Hulu Plus. Happy watching. 📺

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Thanks. Cheers.

"Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier 'n puttin' it back in." -- Will Rogers

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Thank you!! I have watched many that you have described above. Loved Whitechapel.

This is exactly why the IMDB message boards should continue.

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