ITV’s BAFTA-nominated drama, which aired in 2023, dramatises the manhunt for notorious serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, who was also known as the Yorkshire Ripper. The series follows the victims who crossed paths with the murderer, as well as those of the police officers at the centre of the investigation. Sutcliffe was convicted of murdering thirteen women and attempting to murder seven others between 1975 and 1980.
Jill plays Doreen Hill, the mother of Sutcliffe’s final victim Jacqueline Hill, in the harrowing drama, which boasts an impressive 87 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes and was awarded four stars from The Guardian and RadioTimes.com. The latter noted that while the series “may not be particularly subtle,” it’s a “gripping drama with a respectful approach”.
“One murder has the power to cast a long shadow and this case plunged a whole society into darkness,” the synopsis begins. “For every victim, there were friends and loved ones. For every police officer, there was the burden of failure – of near misses and guilt – and the knowledge that as they failed to find their man, more women continued to suffer. The impact on the lives of those who live on after the death of their loved one remains to this day. Those who cannot escape what happened, who must sit with their incomprehensible trauma for decades after, enduring their own life sentences.”
It continues: “With people today holding to account the institutional foundations that foster misogyny, racism, and violence against women, The Long Shadow will speak to the societal issues of the past whilst highlighting alarming parallels between these terrible crimes and tragic events in our more recent history.”
Watch on ITVX.
