BBC One Slates Jack the Ripper Doc

The BBC has commissioned for BBC One the tentatively titled Jack the Ripper, an hour-long documentary that delves into the serial killer’s gruesome murders.

The new BBC One science documentary is produced by BBC Studios. Using original crime scene photographs and a virtual reality dissection table, actor Emilia Fox and Professor David Wilson, Emeritus Professor of Criminology, are joined by some of the U.K.’s top forensic and crime experts to re-analyze some of the most gruesome murders. Using the latest technology, they hope to get closer than anyone has before to answering vital questions, including who Jack the Ripper was, what motivated his crimes, how he escaped justice and whether he could have been responsible for even more brutal murders. The documentary will air later this year.

Fox said, “Having worked on crime drama for many years, this project has been a truly fascinating insight into how current real police procedure, forensics and technology can be applied to the most famous of unsolved historical crimes—the Jack the Ripper murders. Working alongside Professor David Wilson, a leading expert in the psychology of criminals, we have approached it as a cold case might be investigated now, and with the help of other leading experts, have taken another look at the mind and actions of this brutal murderer. This documentary appealed to me hugely because of my interest in crime, forensics and pathology and also because it looks at the victims—the women Jack the Ripper chose and what left them so vulnerable to his brutality. It’s been an immense privilege to get this behind-the-scenes insight into real crime solving on such a fascinating case.”

Craig Hunter, BBC’s commissioning editor, added, “Jack the Ripper is synonymous with murder and intrigue—even if you don’t know all the details, you will have heard of the case. It is remarkable to think that today’s scientific techniques can be used to help try and tackle unanswered questions that are more than a century old.”