TV & Satellite Week chats to Ripper Street stars Matthew Macfadyen, Jerome Flynn and Adam Rothenberg are back – after a last-minute reprieve by Amazon Prime Instant Video...
Were you surprised to be asked to do another series of Ripper Street?
Jerome: "I think we were all a bit shocked when the show was axed – we thought it was a bit of an early bath really. Personally I couldn’t quite believe that they weren’t going to bring it back. I didn’t feel like it had been completed. It felt right when it got picked up for series three."
Matthew: "I think you know when a show is running out of steam, and that’s fine, but I didn’t feel like ours was. The fan reaction was very flattering.’
What do you think Amazon’s involvement will do for Ripper Street?
Jerome: "Amazon is one of the biggest companies in the world, so it will be very interesting to see what happens. There’s a lot more freedom and that’s exciting. Personally, I don’t watch stuff online yet. I don’t really understand it so I just get box sets."
Matthew, despite the change, will Reid’s iconic bowler hat remain in place?
"I will have words with anyone who threatens to take it away. I was thrilled to be reunited with it. I’d love to wear it outside of filming but I’m neither brave enough nor hip enough."
Everything you need to know about the Ripper Street revival…
How did Amazon Prime get involved?
After the BBC decided to axe the show after disappointing ratings for series two, more than 50,000 people signed a petition to resurrect Ripper Street. Amazon swooped in and negotiated a deal with the BBC to co-finance series three.
So how do I watch it?
The first episode will appear on Amazon Prime Instant Video at 9pm on Friday, November 14, with new episodes uploaded every Friday. A subscription costs £5.99 per month. The series will be shown on the BBC next year.
Could this happen to other shows?
Amazon claim they have been ‘inundated with opportunities’ to revive existing programmes, but won’t name names.
