Ripper Street: Some reviews

It seems that Ripper Street is less controversial in the US than it was in the UK.  BBC America didn't have to pander to the Downton Abbey crowd as fangoria.com was commenting (it's an insightful review of Ripper Street as well)

The series’ premiere in Blighty was met with mixed reviews, derided most notably by those Sunday night costume-drama aficionados who found its particular brand of spectacle to be uncomfortably grim and misogynistic (DOWNTON ABBEY, this ain’t).

It should be noted that BBC America did smudge out the ladies "naughty bits", but not necessarily the male posterior.

IGN had the following to say about Ripper Street

The first few episodes were sent out for review, and the series does have somewhat of a Law & Order: Special East End Unit feel to it in that it is a procedural, case-of-the-week structure. There are, however, overarching themes and character throughlines bridging the self-contained, per-episode stories. The inclusion of which adds a sense of investment in the characters that the lion's share of network procedurals lack. The chemistry between the three men is palpable, the acting superlative and the seeds of each of their backstories intriguing enough to warrant a consistent week-to-week tune in to see how they unfold.