2010 TV Preview: 'Whitechapel' series 2

With a compelling story and copious amounts of brutality, crime drama Whitechapel was undoubtedly one of the TV highlights of the year. Although the premise - a serial killer replicating the Jack The Ripper murders - seemed to suggest it would be limited to a one series show, high ratings and critical acclaim led to ITV commissioning a second run for 2010. But what horrors will the team have to contend with next time around? We called up executive producer Sally Woodward Gentle to find out more.

Did you ever imagine Whitechapel would be as successful as it was and could warrant a second series?
"You never know how an audience will react, but I did know that we had something very special with the story, the cast, the performances and the look of the show. I am just thrilled that the public agreed."

What's the story thread of the new run?
"Well, this series Rupert Penry-Jones, Phil Davis and Steve Pemberton will reprise their roles as Chandler, Miles and Buchan to solve a series of copycat murders reminiscent of crimes committed by the infamous Krays. While Whitechapel I was gothic and bloody, Whitechapel II will be brutal and oozing paranoia. It will be full of the history, texture and detail that gave the first series its distinctive personality, but for Chandler, Miles, Buchan and the team this time it gets personal and takes them to some very dark places."

So all of the old team are returning. How does Steve Pemberton's character, a Ripper expert, come back?
"Yes, we have the core of our original team with one or two new faces. In the first series Steve Pemberton’s character was an expert on Jack the Ripper however, his knowledge of Whitechapel doesn’t stop there. As a local historian he has made it his life’s work to become an expert on Whitechapel and its rich history. The Krays are legends in the East End and Buchan is reverential about their place in Whitechapel lore, only this time he may have taken on more than even his research would have suggested."

How has Chandler's relationship with the team developed?
"Chandler has worked hard to become part of the team, but he is still struggling to be accepted by the 'lads'. His relationship with Miles is becoming stronger as the pair find that they have more in common than they first thought - although neither one would ever want to admit that. Chandler came into Whitechapel I with a naivity and arrogance - in Whitechapel II he is a far more humbled and complex character."

Is he still suffering anxiety attacks / from his OCD?
"I don't think his experiences with the Ripper would have made them any better and it will be interesting to see how he holds up under the brutality of new villains."

Are there any references/allusions to Barbara Windsor's relationship
with the Krays?
"Hahaha - No!"

Is the first series referenced much? Has that particular story run its course?
"We will reference the first series in the sense of how the case affected the team and how they have moved on (or not). The Ripper story has however run its course."

Where are you at with production at the moment?
"We are casting, location scouting and so on at the moment, ready to start filming in the New Year."

Is there a potential for a third series?
"Given Whitechapel’s history there are many more stories we could explore. Also as the relationships between the team deepens and we fall in love with them all, it would be a shame to think that they could not ride again! That is, if they make it through Whitechapel II."

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/tubet...-series-2.html

Oh good, I really enjoyed the first one, lets hope the second is as good.

ITV has announced that filming of dark crime drama Whitechapel II has begun.

The sequel to Whitechapel, which was the most-watched new drama series of 2009, was recently commissioned and is planned to air this autumn.

Rupert Penry-Jones, Phil Davis and Steve Pemberton reprise their starring roles in the three-part series, produced by Carnival Films. The story continues to centre around the iconic cult of Jack the Ripper in the East End of London.

Series executive producer Sally Woodward Gentle said: "Whitechapel II will be as sharp, intense and as visually distinctive as the first series with the gangster culture of the Krays never far away. Once again the streets of Whitechapel yield an extraordinary story and we are delighted, if slightly scared, to be going back there again."

Director of drama Laura Mackie added: "Whitechapel II will be as audacious and as compelling as the first series strengthened by further character development and very real personal jeopardy."

DS

ITV1 crime drama Whitechapel is returning for a six-part series with viewers set to see more despicable deeds on - and under - the streets of London's East End.

The series, starring Rupert Penry-Jones as young detective Joseph Chandler, will be made up of three stories each set across two episodes.

Previous episodes have seen the police grapple with crimes inspired by Jack the Ripper and the Kray Twins and the new series will see them investigate body-snatching and a series of murders in tunnels under the streets of Whitechapel.

The show, which also stars Phil Davis as detective Ray Miles and Steve Pemberton as Edward Buchan, will be shown next year.

Executive producer Sally Woodward Gentle said: "I am delighted we are getting the chance to tell brand new Whitechapel stories but this time as a series. The East End of London is steeped in history, secrets and gore and we now have the opportunity to take Chandler, Miles and Buchan to places darker still. If you thought the Ripper and Krays were scary, just wait."

The original three part serial pulled in more than eight million viewers when it was shown in 2009.

PA


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