Whitechapel heading to BBC America - Rupert Penry-Jones

ATV Today

Written by Leanne Bryan

Tuesday, 04 October 2011 16:39

BBC America has acquired the rights to ITV's dark police drama Whitechapel which stars Rupert Penry-Jones, Steve Pemberton and Phil Davis. BBC America has picked up the rights to the first two seasons of Whitechapel - a third season has been ordered by UK broadcaster ITV for later this year. Press Release: Is it possible that the world’s most notorious serial killer is back? This October, Dramaville, the home of groundbreaking British drama including Luther and The Hour, presents the U.S. premiere of the acclaimed series Whitechapel on BBC AMERICA. Set in modern day East London, the police force is faced with the brutal and bloody history of their streets – from echoes of the 19th century and Jack the Ripper to the infamous 1960s crime twins Ronnie and Reggie Kray. From the producers of Downton Abbey and starring Rupert Penry-Jones (MI-5, Persuasion), Phil Davis (Sherlock, Bleak House) and Steve Pemberton (The League of Gentlemen), the six part series focuses on two internationally resonant crime stories with a stylish, cinematic and contemporary spin. Whitechapel premieres Wednesday, October 26, 10:00pm ET on Dramaville. As the murder rate rises and clues are scarce, an unlikely trio sets out to solve the most famous unsolved murder case in history - Jack the Ripper - the first internationally known serial killer. Assigned to the case is fast-tracked Detective Inspector Joseph Chandler (Rupert Penry-Jones) a novice in the business of murder but an expert in the politics of policing and three day training. His fellow officers, however, are anything but. Chief among them is Detective Sergeant Miles (Phil Davis), the archetypal cynical, seen-it-all detective. Tipped-off by ‘Ripperologist’ Edward Buchan (Steve Pemberton) an expert in the myths and legends behind unexplained or violent deaths, Chandler realizes this modern day killer is copying Jack the Ripper’s infamous murders in the Whitechapel section of London, down to the very last detail. Will the unlikely team succeed where 120 years ago others failed, and solve the most famous unsolved murder case in history? Ambitious DI Chandler is assigned an open-and-shut case, the killing of a woman in the East End of London. Get a quick result, he is told, and you will get the promotion you have been waiting for. Unfortunately for him, however, things don’t turn out to be so straight forward. The investigation quickly runs out of suspects until Edward Buchan, a renowned Ripperologist, draws the police’s attention to the similarities between the Jack the Ripper killings in 1888 and the modern-day murder that Chandler is investigating. The race begins to catch the copycat killer before he strikes again. To complicate matters further, there is an emergence of a series of horrific attacks—attacks which appear to echo the Kray twins infamous crimes of the 1960s. Leading the case is the smarmy and potentially suspect Detective Chief Inspector Torbin Cazenove (Peter Serafinowicz. Running Wilde, Shaun of the Dead). Despite the fact that the case has been handed over to the Organized Crime Division - run by Cazenove - an undeterred Chandler continues his own investigation. It soon becomes apparent those responsible for these heinous crimes are prepared to kill anyone who gets in their way– including DI Chandler and his colleagues DS Miles, Detective Constable McCormack and Detective Constable Kent. Whitechapel follows the critically acclaimed psychological crime drama, Luther, continuing BBC AMERICA’s weekly British drama slot Dramaville, airing Wednesdays at 10:00pm ET and hosted by Luther star Idris Elba. Following Whitechapel, Dramaville presents an encore broadcast of the award-winning conspiracy drama, State of Play, on December 7.