ITV’s compelling new crime drama about the hunt for serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, called The Long Shadow, premiered on Monday night and viewers gave their verdict on the series.
Told from the perspective of the police officers and the victims, the series details the harrowing five-year search for the killer, who took the lives of 13 women and tried to kill seven more.
WATCH: Trailer for ITV crime drama The Long Shadow
Taking to Twitter, now X, viewers praised the exciting yet heartbreaking first episode, which focuses on Sutcliffe’s first two victims, Wilma McCann and Emily Jackson, played by Gemma Laurie and Katherine Kelly.
One person wrote: “Oh. #TheLongShadow is heartbreaking. Beautifully written and acted. All too close to home,” while another added: “I’ve been looking forward to it for weeks and it didn’t disappoint. ITV always gets a bang on the money true crime horror. Note – perfect cast, amazing script, beautifully directed.”
© Justin SleeKatherine Kelly plays Peter Sutcliffe’s second victim, Emily Jackson
Other viewers noted the star-studded cast and praised their performances, with one person writing: “Some of the best actors in Britain performing here. Daniel Mays, Toby Jones, Lee Ingleby, Katherine Kelly. Brilliant,” while another tweeted: “# TheLongShadow what a great cast… doing justice to such a tragic story.”
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ITV’s Long Shadow: The star-studded cast and where you’ve seen them beforeA third viewer hailed the cast as the “best” ensemble in an ITV drama in two decades, stating: “This may have the best cast for an ITV drama in nearly 20 years. Having the two of them would be impressive, but Toby Jones, Daniel Mays, David Morrissey, Katherine Kelly, Lee Ingleby and others to come are spoiled. Good start.”
Many also applauded the show’s handling of the sensitive subject, with one person writing: “That whole first episode was done really, really well. If nothing else, the whole cast and crew should be applauded for that because it’s not an easy subject #TheLongShadow .”
© Justin Slee Gemma Laurie plays victim Wilma McCann
Another tweeted: “It was a stunning opening episode. Such compelling performances from Toby Jones, Katherine Kelly and Daniel Mays. It’s a hard story to tell and a hard story to watch, but it looks like this will be sensitive and respectful.”
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What is the Long Shadow about?
A long shadow depicts the search for serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, dubbed the Yorkshire Ripper by the media. It focuses on the lives of the victims who encountered the killer, as well as the lives of the police officers at the center of the investigation.
© ITVKris Hitchen, Lee Ingleby, Stephen Tompkinson, Toby Jones and Jack Deam in The Long Shadow
“One murder has the power to cast a long shadow, and this case cast the entire society into darkness,” the synopsis begins. “For every victim, there were friends and loved ones. For every police officer, there was the burden of failure—near misses and guilt—and the knowledge that because they couldn’t find their man, more women continued to suffer.
“The impact on the lives of those who live after the death of a loved one remains to this day. Those who cannot escape what happened, who have to sit with their incomprehensible trauma for decades afterwards, serving their own life sentences.”
© Justin SleeToby Jones as DCS Dennis Hoban and Lee Ingleby as DCS Jim Hobson
It continues: “With people today holding accountable the institutional foundations that encourage misogyny, racism and violence against women, The Long Shadow will speak to the social problems of the past while highlighting the alarming parallels between these terrible crimes and tragic events in our recent history.” “
The Long Shadow continues on ITV on Monday 2 October at 9pm.
Categories: Entertaintment
Source: HIS Education