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David Tennant's Des success leads to ITV announcing new Yorkshire Ripper drama

From Digital Spy

Following the popularity of this year's Des, ITV is continuing its work in the true crime genre with a Yorkshire Ripper series.

Stretched over six episodes, Michael Bilton's book Wicked Beyond Belief: The Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper forms the basis of the show while Killing Eve's George Kay produced the scripts.

Photo credit: ITV
Photo credit: ITV

Related: Des on ITV – What happened to Dennis Nilsen?

Readers of a certain age will remember the manhunt for Peter Sutcliffe (nicknamed the Yorkshire Ripper) between October 1975 and January 1981, who upon capture was handed 20 life sentences.

Screenwriter Kay commented: "In a story full with eye-watering statistics, one for me has always stood out: Peter Sutcliffe rendered 23 children motherless. That one fact in itself demands that any definitive drama about this case should encompass far more than just the story of a police investigation.

"We will focus not just on the police, therefore, but the victims, their families, those who were attacked but not believed, those who whose lives were permanently changed. This is not the story of a Ripper who hailed from Yorkshire, but the story of how Yorkshire was ripped apart."

Photo credit: Express Newspapers - Getty Images
Photo credit: Express Newspapers - Getty Images

Related: American Horror Story boss making Netflix series about notorious real-life serial killer

ITV head of drama Polly Hill also shared: "This promises to be a definitive look at this infamous case, and will be sensitively dramatised for ITV by this formidable team, who have a proven track record in bringing these true stories to screen."

Make sure to check back on Digital Spy for casting news as and when it arrives.


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