Good news for Ireland and Irish fans of Ripper Street. Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board and Element Pictures have announced that a third series of the popular TV drama will be produced in Ireland. The series is expected to provide a major boost to the Irish film and television industry as the total value of the first and second series of Ripper Street to the Irish economy to date has been approximately €20 million, in terms of spend on local goods and services. That’s all good news. Bad news is that rather than the BBC making the series, as it had before Amazon have secured exclusive rights for Amazon Prime Instant Video. That service is only currently available in the UK.
Starring Matthew Macfadyen (Spooks, Robin Hood), Jerome Flynn (Game of Thrones), Charlene McKenna (Raw), Adam Rothenberg (Alcatraz) and MyAnna Buring (The Descent, Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part II),Ripper Street follows the notorious H Division, the Police Precinct charged with keeping order on the meanest streets imaginable: late Victorian Whitechapel. It is a series of one-hour thrillers that transport audiences into the dark heart of London as it stumbles toward the twentieth Century.
Commenting on the announcement James Hickey, Chief Executive, Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board, said, [quote]This is very good news for the Irish film and television industry. Ripper Street has benefited from the Irish Film Board’s International Production Fund which aims to attract major TV and film projects to shoot on location in Ireland with Irish cast and crew. Ripper Street is a perfect example of a series which has showcased Irish actors, the excellent work of Irish crew and Ireland as a film location to audiences all over the world. We are delighted to see it return to Ireland for a third season with a new deal involving Amazon Prime Instant Video.[/quote]
Filming will begin in May and the production will be based in Clancy Barracks in Dublin for several months. The first and second series of Ripper Street employed 5,000 Irish cast, extras and crew, providing approximately 170,000 Irish work hours per series.
Element Pictures’ Andrew Lowe commented, [quote]We are delighted to welcome back our partners Tiger Aspect and Lookout Point and writer Richard Warlow for a third season of the brilliant Ripper Street. We look forward to helping them realize this next chapter in the Ripper Street story. We are immensely proud of the sterling work of the Irish cast and crew who have helped make Ripper Street such a critical and commercial success. We particularly want to acknowledge the support of Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board, which proved crucial to securing Ripper Street to shoot in Ireland for a third year.[/quote]
Tiger Aspect’s Head of Drama, Will Gould, said, [quote]In the past year we’ve transmitted two series of Ripper Street in the UK, had highs of eight million viewers, sold the show to over 150 countries, got Bafta nominated and voted Radio Times best show of the year, were cancelled and resurrected. That’s some journey. And of course we’re indebted to our incredible fans who have been so vocal and passionate and spurred us on. The third series promises to be the best yet.[/quote]