The BBC has cancelled Ripper Street after two seasons on the air. The cast and crew were notified this week. The show airs on BBC America here in the states.
Ripper Street begins in Whitechapel in London’s East End, six months after the infamous Jack the Ripper murders. The men of H Division had searched for the killer but didn’t catch him. When more women are murdered, they wonder if the killer has returned. The show’s cast includes Matthew Macfadyen, Jerome Flynn, Adam Rothenberg, MyAnna Buring, Charlene McKenna, David Dawson, Amanda Hale, Damien Molony, Joseph Mawle, and Frank Harper.
Flynn broke the news during an interview on radio station BBC London 94.9. The actor said, “We found out this week that the third series of Ripper Street isn’t going. We’re all in shock. It was up against I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and that’s been cited as one of the reasons in terms of viewing figures… We’re all in absolute shock because it’s a wonderful job and we feel like it’s kind of this unfinished work. So we’re hoping it will turn around if anyone from the BBC is listening.”
He added, “There’s these wonderful storylines which Richard [Warlow] and Toby [Finlay], the writers, have marked out and it’s one of the most captivating characters I’ve played and also been part of in terms of the story, so it is suddenly like a marriage being broken”
A BBC spokesperson confirmed the news and told Digital Spy, “We are very proud of Ripper Street which has enjoyed two highly ambitious series on BBC One… However, the second series didn’t bring the audience we hoped and in order to make room for creative renewal and new ideas it won’t be returning.”
Season two of Ripper Street was expected to begin airing on BBC America on December 1st but it’s been delayed until 2014.
What do you think? Are you sorry to hear that there won’t be a third season of Ripper Street? Are you hoping that the show is revived somehow?
Ripper Street was one of the best shows on the last 2 years. The actors were excellent and the story’s were great. I looked forward to watching every episode and will miss it.
Utterly spellbound by the Shakesperean scope and style of Ripper Street… one of the best things to hit TV in years. Cancelling series three on account of viewing figures displays the same brand of Phillistine cowardice that killed off TV drama way back in the early seventies. Shame on all guilty of its murder… justice will see them brought down in true Ripper Street style!!!!
Bring Back Ripper Street, Why do we pay all that money for a licence? to watch a reality show Don’t think so,Maybe we should have the option of opting out of the bbc? I was a fan of Iam a Celebrity but how long can you keep churning it out and this year was awful. Give us good drama (Ripper St) With people who can act and sell the story t0 you All i can think of the people of the BBC have lost their marbles as well as their minds
BBC are you mad Ripper Street canceled? Please stop with the reality shows we are bored by them, I was a fan of Iam a Celebrity but this year was awful maybe its time to say goodbye to it and give us more good drama like Ripper Street. Let us watch people with real talant for a change. BRING BACK RIPPER STREET as one person said its the only program that makes you feel maybe paying all that money for a licence is worth it Not the continuing reality shows Maybe we should be given the option of opting out… Read more »
The first series was good, the second was great, the third promised to be amazing from what Jerome Flynn says in a radio interview ! All the cast and crew are as devasted as the fans at the termination of the next series! This series as a whole has had great script, brilliantly portrayed by the stars of the show, each week the characters were developing. Each character developed over both the first and second series, we the fans have watched captivated by the highs and of lows encountered by the main characters as a different story unwound each week.… Read more »
I enjoyed this show. It was a great show. Sad to see it end.
Ripper street was the ONLY reason that I did not mind paying for a TV license, it’s the only British drama that I have seen in a long time which can compare to some of the excellent series that we get from the states. If it is not renewed I am seriously contemplating giving up on British TV altogether.
I am disgusted that one of the best shows I have seen in a long time is to be cancelled. I look forward every week to watching it. Please change your mind BBC it is an obvious wrong decision.
I am also gutted about the demise of ‘Ripper Street’ There are so few really good dramas on television and when one actually comes along it is cancelled in favour of reality, reality reality shows which I am sick of!! (Cheap television) We shouldn’t have to pay TV licence for rubbish. Shame on the BBC!!!!!!
I’m horrified that a creative thrilling drama can just be cut because it doesn’t involve celebrities! I love nothing more on a Monday to settle down and watch the story line unfold! Shameful bbc
Gutted. Brilliant programme that’s excellently written with superb acting. Such a shame it’s not returning for a 3rd series. It was a welcome break from dull reality shows. Shame on you BBC
While I most certainly agree with everyone here about the sudden, and extremely shocking cancellation of Ripper Street, don’t forget it wasn’t BBC America that cancelled the show. It was THE BBC in London. If the original BBC that paid for and originally aired the show had given it a green light for a third series, BBC America would most certainly have broadcast it. You can’t blame BBC America for the decisions of their parent BBC. According to this post, you should still get to see series two of Ripper Street (which is, as usual, excellent thus far, I might… Read more »
Paul Franco I’m with you. I was a fan of both Copper and Ripper Street and I’m just blown away right now. Two of my favorite shows are gone and it’s a shame. They both ended with a lot of unanswered questions too! Both had powerful casts, wonderful and clever writing and great story lines. It seems like SMUT-TV has taken over and the quality shows get cancelled at the blink of an eye. It’s very disheartening and sad. Now I’m scared to get into another show on BBCAmerica for fear of it getting cancelled after 1 or two seasons!!… Read more »
Very sad to hear the news of this show’s demise… I really enjoyed watching this program and think it was one of the best British programs I’ve seen. I was really looking forward to season (series as the Brit’s call it) two.
What the HELL is wrong with BBCAmerica, first you cancel COPPER, which was a fantastic show and certainly engaging and now Ripper Street is cancelled!! BBCAmerica why don’t you cancel the employment of your staff making these insane and very idiotic decisions. Your cancellation of both COPPER and RIPPER STREET make no sense to the fans of both of these fine series. Both COPPER and RIPPER STREET were well acted, very well written and invited the viewer to bond with the characters, which many of us did. Of course, I would not be surprised for BBCAmerica to develop crap like… Read more »
Paul and Sonya- if you are fans of Copper, you should check out the Bring Back Copper Facebook page- campaign. We are trying to get Copper back in any format or network we can, so that we can get a resolution to the season 3 cliffhanger.