Ripper Street Series 4 has started on BBC2 (Monday 22 August at 9:00 pm
The Daily Express
“Whitechapel is still Whitechapel, but they have a phone system – it’s the march of technology,” says Matthew, 41. “Reid comes back, but there’s a different dynamic – Drake is now his superior.”
But there are light-hearted moments, too, says Matthew. “I feel like Ripper Street has always had a lovely balance between being quite witty and funny and being grisly and grim as well,” he muses. “The more confident the show gets, the more they can play with that.”
What's On TV interview with Matthew Macfadyen, Jerome Flynn and Adam Rothenberg
While Matthew filmed Ripper Street in Dublin, his wife, Line of Duty star Keeley Hawes was shooting hit ITV drama The Durrells out in Corfu. Matthew admits to a twinge of envy.
Matthew: “We’d been filming in a disused hotel somewhere and she was texting me sunny photos from a beach. It looked very uncomfortable. It must have been too hot to work in… no, I was jealous!”
The Guardian
The real strength of Ripper Street, aside from the delicate brilliance of its writing, lies in the sexy Mount Rushmore that is Macfadyen, Flynn and Rothenberg. When they scent blood or danger, or both, the three work in unison, hinging and moving as one, like conjoined triplets. It’s a rare chemistry and a triumph of casting, which has only cemented over the four series.
