Ripper Street to make TV comeback thanks to Amazon deal

The axed BBC crime drama will return for a third series

Ripper Street stars Adam Rothenberg, Matthew MacFayden and Jerome Flynn (BBC)

Period crime drama Ripper Street is to return to the BBC after a deal with internet giant Amazon, which will premiere the series on its on-demand service before it is show on TV.

The third series of the show, which was axed last year by the BBC due to lower than expected ratings, will be shown first on Amazon’s Prime Instant service before being broadcast on the BBC.

Filming for the third series, which stars Matthew Macfadyen and Jerome Flynn, will start in May.

Macfadyen, who plays Detective Inspector Edmund Reid, said he was dismayed when the series was cancelled, but delighted that it is coming back.

“I was just surprised because I think we all felt it had legs, we didn't feel it was petering out. And then I was delighted by the news,” he said.

The series will be a co-production with the BBC, which will contribute funding.

Writer Richard Warlow revealed at a press conference today that the third series will jump forward four years to 1894, and will focus on an internal police report that names three suspects it believed could be Jack the Ripper.

He said the new partnership with Amazon would allow more “bells and whistles” to be added to the production, which was not possible when it was just funded by the BBC.

The first two series of the crime drama will also be made available on Amazon’s Prime Instant Video – formerly known as Love Film.

The show's star MyAnna Buring thanked fans for their positive response about the drama, which culminated in a change.org petition urging the BBC to revoke its decision about axing the programme.

"The response was very moving, so thank you to the audience," she said.