ITV has announced it will be airing a new crime drama about twisted serial killer Peter Sutcliffe.
The Yorkshire Ripper will examine the hunt for one of Britain’s most notorious and sadistic serial killers.
Peter Sutcliffe, 74, is serving a life sentence after brutally murdering 13 women and attempting to murder seven others in the north of England in the 70s and 80s.
The six-part series will depict how more than a thousand cops were involved in a manhunt for Sutcliffe, aka The Yorkshire Ripper, between October 1975 and January 1981.
The drama has been written by acclaimed screenwriter George Kay (Criminal) and commissioned by ITV’s Head of Drama Polly Hill.
The Yorkshire Ripper will examine the hunt for one of Britain’s most notorious and sadistic serial killers Peter Sutcliffe
Mr Kay said: “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.”
The Yorkshire Ripper will focus upon the police investigation and the victims who were unfortunate to cross paths with the maniac.
To aid their research, show bosses examined hundreds of case files, interview transcripts and police reports.
Sutcliffe, 74, is serving a life sentence after brutally murdering 13 women and attempting to murder seven others in the north of England in the 70s and 80s (Image: Getty Images)
The series will be based on Michael Bilton’s book, Wicked Beyond Belief: The Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper.
Mr Kay’s scripts will focus on the lives of the Sutcliffe’s victims and their grieving relatives.
It was also tell how the investigation took its toll on detectives.
The release of the show comes after the ratings success of ITV’s crime dramas Des, about Brit serial killer Dennis Nilsen, and White House Farm.
The show is being produced by independent production company, New Pictures in association with all3media international.
Twelve victims of Peter Sutcliffe, who were killed between October 1975 and November 1980 (Image: EMPICS Sports Photo Agency)
All3Media International Chief Executive Officer, Louise Pedersen said: “Willow Grylls and the team at New Pictures have delivered two brilliantly executed and intelligent interpretations of true crime stories in White House Farm and Des. I’m confident that The Yorkshire Ripper will provide a similarly impactful portrayal of the Yorkshire Ripper crime story and will prove to be a compelling series for viewers around the world.”
Bosses from the show have not yet announced who will star on it or when it will air.
Sutcliffe first murdered sex workers in Leeds, but then continued his killing spree in North of England – killing women of all backgrounds.
By the late 1970s, Sutcliffe had terrorised Britain creating a national obsession of finding out the killer’s true identity.
He was finally caught in 1981 and was sentenced to 20 concurrent sentences of life imprisonment.
He is now seeing out his sentence at MP Frankland, in Co Durham.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
