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?
Loved watching this amazing show! So disappointed it is cancelled! The acting and sets were amazing and unlike anything on t.v. Kept me fully entertained and captivated from beginning to the end of each show. Truly a poor decision to get rid of such amazing writing and acting :0(
Loved the series, which was not promoted properly in USA by BBC or Comcast. Found accidently, and prayed for another season. Thought 8 sessions for season 2 very short and ended of a strange note. no notice it was ‘final’.
MacFayden and cast really wonderful. Can’t understand why public craves stupidity like zombies.
What a shame. Such a god and unique show with great story line, set and actors. Who makes these decisions? Hope someone will rethink this decision. Two great shows gone, ripper street and copper. There waere so many more story lines waiting to be shown.
I enjoyed it as did my wife. I hope someone will have a change of heart. This was an idiot idea to end it.
great show too bad it was cancelled I also liked “Copper” cancelled as well
So sad!! Such a wonderful and intriguing show – the characters were really developing and I am so interested to see where it would lead 🙁 I wish they would change their stance and bring back season 3!
I am absolutely stunned that Ripper Street was canceled. The plot lines were interesting and exciting. The relationships between characters were complicated and worth following. You cared about the main characters. The costumes and sets were superb. Sigh…..now more room on the schedule for stupid programming? Count me out.
An absolute shame….wish we could just go back to a few channels that have great script writers, fine actors and well written story lines..this was one of those shows and I feel saddened at the way entertainment has become so lazy and cheap…I am not interested in watching Sharon organise her wedding, snog Kevin in a box or eat kangaroo testicles……shame on you BBC for deserting us like this
The tv series produced in Great Britain, Denmark, etc. run circles around anything that is currently seen here in this country. No sooner do I get immersed in a great show and it is cancelled! I enjoyed The Hour, gone, Copper, gone, etc. Does BBC want to lower their standards to ours? If so, that is a bad bargain in my opinion.
Good thing I enjoy reading although it’s always fun to watch good acting.
I agree with Matt (above) — I loved Ripper Street, the plots, and the actors’ portrayals of their respective characters. I enjoyed the show very much and am sorry to see another quality format fall victim to reality shows which I believe are only cheap imitations of entertainment of value. This seems a cheap way to keep churning the audience involvement, and at some point, I hope we see a return to writing and acting that are not meaningless fluff and not reality at all.
Once again a great TV show is being cancelled. It is sad that reality TV has become the norm. Why watch great acting and writing when you can watch real people destroy themselves. I hope one day we will move past the reality thing and get back to good old fashioned fiction. I have enough reality in my day to day life. TV is my pure escape and the last thing I want to see is other peoples real life.
I am so disappointed Ripper Street has been canceled. I love BBC America and find the shows s0 much better than most. It’s a great show. It seems good story line shows of this kind are rare. It’s a shame the intelligent programing can’t compete with the brain numbing dribble on the air today. I hope the Brits will have a change of heart and consider public opinion.
ARE YOU NUTS! Cancel an excellent show like Ripper Street! What the hell are you thinking? Brilliant cast, great stories, the whole package. Why? WHY would you cancel such a good show? (It’s like Firefly all over again…..obviously British TV stations are just as daft as American ones!)
RIPPER STREET a great programme . Why oh why do we always lose the programmes that we enjoy . RIPPER STREET is a period drama that I could watch time and time again and still find it interesting.
I am not a television enthusiast, especially since the onslaught of reality TV programing, but I really enjoyed both Ripper Street and Copper! It is a shame that you feel removing quality television programing will please your viwers. Just another reason to turn off what it rapidly becoming the “idiot box”!