There was a healthy outcry late last year when the BBC announced that it was sticking a knife into period detective drama Ripper Street, cancelling the show due to flagging ratings. Fans railed against the decision, and Amazon has heard their cries, sorting out a deal to help fund a third series in exchange for streaming rights to the episodes.
The series stars Matthew Macfadyen, Jerome Flynn, and Adam Rothberg as three very different police officers trying to uphold the law (while occasionally bending it) in the aftermath of Jack the Ripper’s reign of terror. With the 20th century just around the corner, they also try to apply modern techniques to their crime solving, even as the challenges mount.
Amazon’s deal means that it will have the right to screen the series first via its Prime streaming service before the Beeb airs the new episodes. In the States, BBC America will show it before, presumably, it crops up on Amazon Prime there. The Prime service will also become the sole home for the first two series. It’s good news for those who enjoyed the drama, a clever blend of early CSI techniques and Macfadyen’s mutton chops.