Touched by EVIL

DANIEL MAYS and KATHERINE KELLY on telling the story of serial killer Peter Sutcliffe's reign of terror through the eyes of his victims and their families

- SEAN MARLAND

THE LONG SHADOW

NEW MONDAY, 9 PM, ITV1 DRAMA

The disturbing crimes of serial killer Peter Sutcliffe remain etched in many people’s memories. Now, the desperate five-year manhunt to find Sutcliffe – who was eventually convicted of murdering 13 women between 1975 and 1980 – is recounted in a new ITV1 drama, The Long Shadow, which puts the focus on the lives of the victims who crossed his path and those of the police officers at the centre of the investigation.

‘Originally the drama was going to be called The Yorkshire Ripper,’ says writer George Kay, whose credits include Apple TV+ thriller Hijack and ITV miniseries Litvinenko. ‘But we learnt that name was disrespectful to the victims’ families, as it creates a dark brand around a man who doesn’t deserve that sort of attention.’

The seven-part series features a stellar cast, including Katherine Kelly (Happy Valley), Daniel Mays (Line of Duty), Toby Jones (Detectorists), Lee Ingleby (The A Word), David Morrissey (Sherwood), Jill Halfpenny (Three Girls) and Liz White (Call the Midwife).

Katherine plays Emily Jackson, a mum-of-three who makes the difficult decision to become a call girl to help the family’s finances. It’s a path that costs Emily her life, as she becomes Sutcliffe’s second victim. Daniel portrays Emily’s husband, Sydney.

Here, Katherine, 43, and Daniel, 45, give us their take on their roles…

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