More than five million viewers tuned into the series finale of Irish/UK co-production ‘Ripper Street’ last Sunday night.
5.2 million people watched the eighth and final episode of series one, which saw Detective Reid, played by Matthew Macfadyen, attempt to end a slavery ring in Whitechapel.
The period drama aired on BBC One for eight weeks, starring Macfadyen (Pride and Prejudice) and Jerome Flynn (Game of Thrones) as policemen, and Adam Rothenberg as a doctor. The trio were shown trying to instill order in the East London town of Whitechapel, during the aftermath of the Jack the Ripper murders.
The series shot entirely in Dublin last summer, and was a co-production between Ireland’s Element Pictures and the UK’s Tiger Aspect Productions and Lookout Point. All post production was also carried out in Dublin, with Egg Post Production working on all picture and sound post-production and Screen Scene looking after VFX.
The series has already been commissioned for a second run by the BBC, however it has not yet been confirmed whether it will return to the Clancy Barracks location of season one. Creator Richard Warlow will return for series two.
Irish crew working on the first season of the period drama included costume designer Lorna Marie Mugan and production designer Mark Geraghty, who won an IFTA for his designs this month; while Irish cast included Charlene McKenna, Michael McElhatton and David Wilmot.
‘Jack Taylor’ actor Iain Glen guest starred in one episode, as well as ‘This Is England’ actor Joseph Gilgun.
In total, the series brought an estimated €8 million revenue to Ireland, ranking it second in the most profitable co-productions in 2012, after The History Channel’s ‘Vikings’. It is currently airing in the US on BBC America.
Watch a special VFX feature of ‘Ripper Street’ below, courtesy of Screen Scene VFX.
