This Is Personal: The Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper (2000) (TV)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

David Richards

Writer:

Neil McKay (writer)

Release Date:

26 January 2000 (UK)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Plot:

This is a dramatisation of the real-life investigation into the notorious Yorkshire Ripper murders of the late 1970s...

Plot Keywords:

Yorkshire | Murder | Ripper | Police | Sutcliffe

Awards:

5 nominations

Cast

Alun Armstrong	...	Asst. Chief Const. George Oldfield
Richard Ridings	...	Det. Supt. Dick Holland
James Laurenson	...	Chief Const. Ronald Gregory
John Duttine	...	Det. Chief Supt. Jim Hobson
Gerard Horan	...	Detective Chief Superintendent John Domaille
Stephen Moore	...	Professor David Gee
Claire Webzell	...	Sonia Sutcliffe
Paul Angelis	...	Det. Chief Supt. Jack Ridgeway
Pip Donaghy	...	Det. Chief Supt. Will Brooks (as Pip Donaghay)
Howard Ward	...	Det. Supt. John Stainthorpe
Jim Millea	...	Det. Insp. John Boyle
John Graham-Davies	...	Det. Insp. Tony Glendenning
Andrew Readman	...	Det. Sgt. Peter Smith
David Prosho	...	Det. Sgt. Parks
Katharine Rogers	...	WPC Sue Neave

Runtime:

UK:120 min (including commercials) (2 parts)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Company:

Granada Television

Soundtrack:

Thank You for Being a Friend

A gripping dramatization of a terribly true story

In the mid-Seventies, Northen England was plunged into deep fear after a number of prostitutes were murdered and their bodies mutilated in classic, Jack The Ripper style. Hence, the title of that this notorious serial killer gained from the press, 'The Yorkshire Ripper'.

'This Is Personal' is a superb four-hour dramatization of the biggest manhunt in criminal history. It informs the viewers that some material and characters have been somewhat invented but that doesn't matter since all of it most is all true. It's not been juiced up with action. It remains, like the true-life event, extremely tense and suspenseful that leaves you praying that the ripper is caught soon.

Alun Armstrong gives a powerful performance as George Oldfield, the officer in change of the investigation which ultimately dominates his life. The extreme drama comes half way through it, when a mysterious tape is sent to Oldfield. The voice claims to be 'Jack' and delivers a personal message to Oldfield. But this is really the ripper?

Unless you already know the details, the massive and controversial search continues but tragically in almost all the wrong directions. Thirteen women have been murdered and the killer still hasn't been caught. My only advice to you is to watch this remarkable mini-series and educate yourself on the most chilling murder case the world has ever known.