- “Jack the Ripper” Documentaries -

- factual film and television shows about the Whitechapel Murders -

This chronological list of “Jack the Ripper” documentaries includes purely factual accounts of the Whitechapel Murders as well as more speculative (and skewed) accounts attempting to identify a particular suspect (or conspiracy of suspects) as the unidentified Whitechapel Murderer or Murderers.
      Many of these documentaries can be found on YouTube - check out The Ripperologist's Jack the Ripper Documentaries Playlist HERE on the Harbinger451 Channel. NB: some of the titles that these documentaries are listed as on YouTube do not accurately reflect the actual title of the documentary featured.

01. Farson's Guide To The British - Jack the Ripper (UK; 1959; 2 x 13.5 min episodes concern JTR) [No Longer Extant?]
A two Series show hosted by Daniel Farson, the first two episodes of the second season dealt with Jack the Ripper.
      2.1) Nov 05- Jack the Ripper Part 1: Wave of Terror.
      2.2) Nov 12- Jack the Ripper Part 2: The Curious Incident of the Grave.

02. The London Nobody Knows (UK; 1967; 46 min) [Buy DVD from amazon.co.uk or amazon.com]
A documentary looking at parts of London that were soon to be lost. Hosted by James Mason. A segment of the show features 29 Hanbury Street before demolition.

03. Barlow & Watt: Jack The Ripper (UK; 1973; 6 x 50 min episodes) [Buy DVD from amazon.co.uk or amazon.com]
Hosted by Detective Chief Superintendents Barlow and Watt (Fictional characters from the popular "Z-Cars" and "Softly, Softly" TV series - played by Stratford Johns and Frank Windsor, respectively), this provides an indepth overview of the case as known at the time of making. A US version has introductory scenes with Sebastian Cabot added.
      1) Jul 13- The First Two
      2) Jul 20- Double Event
      3) Jul 27- Butchery
      4) Aug 03- Panic
      5) Aug 10- Suspects
      6) Aug 17- The Highest in the Land?

04. In Search of S03E05 - Jack the Ripper (US; 1978; 23 min)[Watch on YouTube]
Hosted by Leonard Nimoy. Brief overview featuring Dr J M Cameron, Stephen Knight, Donald Rumbelow and Wendy Sturgess.

05. Jack The Ripper: The Final Solution (UK; 1980; 41 min)[Watch or download from Archive.org]
Featuring Stephen Knight and Wendy Sturgess, this show explores Knight's Royal conspiracy theory. Includes only known film of Goulston St entranceway before demolition.

06. Timewatch - Shadow Of The Ripper (UK; 1988; 50 min) [Watch on YouTube]
Hosted by Sir Christopher Frayling and featuring author/historian Martin Fido. Examines the Whitchapel Murders and the long shadow of the unknown murderer. Also available on BBC iPlayer.

07. The Secret Identity Of Jack The Ripper (UK; 1988; 80 min) [Watch on YouTube]
Originally broadcast live, hosted by Peter Ustinov with Jan Leeming; and featuring Paul Begg, Daniel Farson, Martin Fido, Melvin Harris and Donald Rumbelow. Five suspects are evaluated by a panel of experts.

08. Secrets and Mysteries / Secrets of the Unknown - Jack the Ripper (US; 1988; 22 min) [Watch on YouTube]
Hosted by Edward Mulhare and featuring Robert Bloch, Donald Rumbelow and Wendy Sturgess. Provides a brief overview of the case.

09. Crime Monthly - Jack the Ripper (UK; 1990; 52 min) [Watch on YouTube]
Hosted by Paul Ross and featuring Paul Begg, David Canter, Martin Fido, Alan Palmer and Donald Rumbelow. Explores the case against Aaron Kosminski.

10. The Diary Of Jack The Ripper: Beyond Reasonable Doubt (UK; 1993; 79 min) [Watch on YouTube]
Hosted by Michael Winner and narrated by Tom Baker; featuring Paul Begg, Stewart Evans, Martin Fido, Shirley Harris, Donald Rumbelow and Colin Wilson. Explores the case against James Maybrick - mostly using his supposed diary as evidence.

11. Biography - Jack The Ripper: Phantom Of Death (US; 1995; 45 min) [Watch on YouTube]
Hosted by Jack Perkins and narrated by Brian Saxton; featuring John Douglas (FBI profiler), Caleb Carr, Stewart Evans, Martin Fido, Melvin Harris and Donald Rumbelow. An overview of the case and various criminologists present their theories on the identity of the infamous killer. Includes never-seen-before photographs that graphically display the vicious wounds inflicted on the victims.

12. Scotland Yard's Greatest Investigations - Jack the Ripper (US; 1996; 43 min) [Watch on YouTube]
Repackaged as part of the "In Search of History" series in 1998. The youTube version linked to above seems to be the repackaged version.
Narrated by David Ackroyd and featuring John Ross (Curator of the Crime Museum) with Harry Clement (Ex-Det. Chief Superintendent), Martin Fido and Jim Nicholson (Crime Reporter). Looks at the case within the context of other famous murders investigated by the detectives of Scotland Yard.

13. Secret History S04E02 - The Whitechapel Murders (UK; 1996; 51 min) [Watch on YouTube]
Presented by David Jessel; featuring Stewart Evens and Donald Rumbelow. Provides an overview of the murders and points to one of the original suspects in the case, Francis Tumblety.

14. The Why Files S03E43+E44+E45 - Jack the Ripper parts 1-3 (UK; 1997; 3 x 50 min) [Couldn't find a source]
Presented by Dave Barret and featuring Paul Begg, Wilf Gregg, Shirley Harrison, Jim Marsh, Andy Parlour, Sue Parlour and Rosemary Taylor. A long running series exploring mysteries and the paranormal which included a three part special about Jack the Ripper.

15. History's Mysteries S12E02 - The Hunt For Jack The Ripper (US, 2000, 50 min (YouTube version is 41 min)) [Watch on YouTube]
Narrated by David Ackroyd and featuring Paul Begg, Stewart Evans, Martin Fido, Richard Jones and Arthur Kent. This program visits the scenes of Jack the Ripper's bloody crimes, presents shocking photos of his victims and examines experts' theories regarding the killer's identity.

16. Jack The Ripper: An On-Going Mystery (UK/US; 2000; 49 min) [Watch on YouTube]
Narrated by Martin Kemp (Cold Case version) or, as in the YouTube version (linked to above), by Robert Lindsay. This version is 52 minutes long and - though in English - has (I'm guessing) German subtitles, so may have been a repackage for that market. Described on IMDB as "a new look into the mysterious serial killer: Jack the Ripper". Featuring Paul Begg, Dina M. Copelman, Stewart Evans, John Grieve, Roy Hazelwood, John Ross and Donald Rumbelow.

17. Places of Mystery S01E18 - Jack the Ripper's London [#1] (US; 2001; 23 min) [Couldn't find a source]
Narrated by Peter Cullen. Examining the series of murders in 1888 London that baffled police. Haven't seen this and couldn't find any more info about it.

18. London's Scariest Mysteries - Who Was Jack the Ripper? (UK; 2001; ? min) [Couldn't find a source]
Narrated by Nick Jones and featuring Paul Begg, Melvyn Fairclough, Shirley Harrison and Donald Rumbelow. Haven't seen it and couldn't find any more information about the episode.

19. To Kill And Kill Again S01E01 - Jack The Ripper (UK; 2002; 48 min) [Watch on YouTube]
Narrated by Geraldine Somerville and featuring Stewart Evans, Martin Fido, Christopher Frayling, Roy Hazelwood and Robert K. Ressler. An episode on Jack the Ripper from the true crime series 'To Kill and Kill Again'.

20. Omnibus - Patricia Cornwell: Stalking The Ripper (UK; 2002; 58 min) [Watch on YouTube]
The bestselling crime writer argues her controversial belief that the infamous 19th Century London killer was in fact the renowned British painter, Walter Sickert. Featuring Linda Fairstein, Paul Ferrara, Marcella Fiero, John Grieve, Vada Hart, Donald Rumbelow and Ed Shulzbach. Also available on BBC iPlayer.

21. The Trial of Jack the Ripper (UK; 2002; ? min) [Couldn't find a source]
Live TV Special presented by Michael Grade. As well as Jeremy Beadle and Angela Rippon, it featured Paul Begg, Paul Gainey, Shirley Harrison, Andy Parlour and Donald Rumbelow, among others. The cases against four well known Ripper suspects - Francis Tumblety, Sir William Gull, James Maybrick and Aaron Kosminski - are debated. A studio audience of 100 people voted for who they thought was the most likely culprit. Spoiler alert, they pick (don't wince) ... Maybrick.

22. Jack the Ripper's London [#2] (UK; 2002; 58 min) [Watch on YouTube]
Narrated (and written) by Liam Dale. A pretty decent Indie documentary that explores the locations connected to the Whitechapel Murders, as they were then and as they are now (or at least, as they were in 2002).

23. Jack The Ripper: Conspiracies (US; 2003; 90 min) [Buy DVD from amazon.co.uk or from amazon.com]
Narrated by Liam Dale. Visits the murder sites and lets you make your own judgements on the evidence available, study the archives, the police records and "meet" the women who fell victim to Jack the Ripper.

24. Unsolved History S02E11 - Jack the Ripper (US; 2004; 60 min) [Couldn't find a source]
May get repeated on the Discovery Channel from time to time.
Narrated by J. V. Martin. In this series historical mysteries are scientifically investigated. Haven't seen it and couldn't locate any specific information about this episode.

25. Bloody Britain S01E07 - Jack the Ripper (UK; 2004; 30 min) [Watch at veoh.com
Presented by Rory McGrath and featuring Stewart Evans, Phil Starr, Nick Warren (of Ripperana) and Dan Wright. A Jack the Ripper episode in the series that explores Britain's bloody history in a somewhat lighthearted fashion that some might find inappropriate.

26. Unmasking Jack the Ripper (UK; 2005; 75 min) [Watch on YouTube]
Presented by Richard Jones and featuring Paul Begg, Jenny Philips, Zena Shine (a descendant of Aaron Kosminski) and Lindsay Siviter. Using dramatic reconstructions this acclaimed video attempts to spirit the viewer back to the autumn of 1888 when the ripper was stalking the East End of London. Highlighting Kosminski as probably still the best suspect.

27. Is It Real? S03E03 - Jack the Ripper (US; 2006; 46 min) [Couldn't find a source]
Probably available on the National Geographic Channel.
Narrated by Liam Shannon and Ian Gregory; featuring Patricia Cornwell, Ivor Edwards, Stewart Evans and Stephen Ryder. This episode of the Is it Real? series looks at the case and examines the suspects in two recent theories: the artist Walter Sickert and the occultist Robert D'Onston Stephenson.

28. Revealed [#1] S05E02 - Jack The Ripper: The First Serial Killer (US; 2006; 46 min) [Watch on YouTube]
Narrated by Stephen Rashbrook and featuring Peter Dean, John Grieve, Laura Richards, Donald Rumbelow and Neal Sheldon. Provides an overview of the case and includes an attempt at building a composite "photo-sketch" of the killer from witness statements.

29. Yours Truly, Jack The Ripper (US; 2006; 45 min) [Watch on YouTube]
A Crime and Investigation Channel documentary that was apparently repackaged as "Update: Jack the Ripper" by A&E ... though it may have been the other way round.
Narrated by Timothy Watson and featuring Paul Begg, Stewart Evans, Martin Fido, Richard Jones, Robin Odell and Louis Schlesinger. Experts discuss who they think Jack the Ripper was.

30. Jack The Ripper: Case Unsolved (UK; 2007; 50 min) [Couldn't find a source]
Laura Richards of Scotland Yard's Violent Crime Directorate re-opens the case. With the benefits of modern criminology and psychological analysis, and working with a team of experts, Richards uses 21st century techniques to understand a 19th century killer, dispelling the many myths that have grown up around the case.

31. Vic Reeves Investigates - Jack The Ripper (UK; 2007; 45 min) [Watch on YouTube]
Presented by the popular comedian and featuring Paul Johnson, Richard Jones, Elaine Quigley, Judith Rowbotham and Glen Wilson ... oh, and a supposed psychic-medium called Kieth Charles is pointlessly included. Not the most serious investigation, but an entertaining one.

32. In the World of Jack the Ripper (US; 2008; 45 min) [Couldn't find a source]
May get repeated on The History Channel from time to time. Possibly retitled at some point as "Being Jack the Ripper".
Narrated by Corey Johnson and hosted by Richard Gizbert; featuring Peter Dean, Tessa Dunlop, Julia Hoffbrand, Philip Hutchinson, Richard Jones, Donald Rumbelow, Lindsay Siviter, Mei Trow and Alex Werner. A slick overview with an attempt at recontructiong the scenes connected to the Whitechapel Murders with CGI.

33. Secrets of the Crime Museum S01E06 - Jack the Ripper (UK; 2008; 23 min) [Watch it on YouTube]
Presented by Nick Ross and featuring Donald Rumbelow. This looks at the "evidence" and records still held at the Black Museum (as was), with a relatively brief overview of the case and some low-tech reconstructions of the crime scenes.

34. Crime Inc. S01E03 - Moors Murders / Watergate Scandal/ O.J.Simpson Trial / Sara Thornton Trial / Jack the Ripper (AUS; 2008; 24 min) [Watch on YouTube]
Narrated by John Stanton and featuring Nevil Swanson (great grandson of Donald Swanson; Chief Inspector, CID, Scotland Yard at the time of the murders) and Alan McCormick (Curator; Scotland Yard Crime Museum). The final 6 or 7 minute segment gives a very brief overview of the case and highlights the so-called Swanson Marginalia in the Chief Inspector's personal copy of Anderson's memior "The Lighter Side of My Official Life".

35. America's Serial Killers: Portraits in Evil S01E01 - The Monster Within and Among Us: The Case of Jack the Ripper (US; 2009; 47 min) [Is available for streaming on Amazon Prime]
Gets the award for longest and most convoluted title.
Narrated by Tom Kimball and featuring Kirk Gill, Jack Levin, Frederic Reamer and Steven A. Egger (uncredited). In the first episode of this series about American serial killers, Jack the Ripper is considered within the historical context as the first serial murderer. In place of "actual footage" and for illustrative purposes, it uses somewhat anachronistic footage from the 1944 movie The Lodger.

36. Unearthing Ancient Secrets S01E07 - Jack the Ripper (US; 2009; 44 min) [Couldn't find a source]
From what I can gather, this is an edited and repackaged version of 30. Jack The Ripper: Case Unsolved listed above.

37. Revealed [#2] S08E01 - Jack The Ripper: Tabloid Killer (US; 2009; 44 min) [Watch on YouTube]
Narrated by Michelle Colins and featuring Martin Brunt, Andrew Cook, Stewart Evans, Christopher Frayling, Eddie Cachegua, Kelvin Mackenzie, Elaine Quigley, Donald Rumbelow, Matthew Street and Kate Williams. Looks at how the notion of Jack the Ripper was largely an invention of the press, fuelled by their readers who couldn't get enough tabloid thrills.

38. Jack The Ripper: Killer Revealed [#1] (UK; 2009; 45 min?) [Couldn't find a source]
May get repeated on The Discovery Channel from time to time.
Presented by Mei Trow. Using psychological and geographical profiling, this documentary highlights a new Jack the Ripper suspect, mortuary attendant Robert Mann. Posits that Martha Tabram was the first killing and Alice McKenzie was the seventh.

39. MysteryQuest S01E08 - Jack The Ripper (US; 2009; 42 min) [Buy DVD from amazon.co.uk or watch on Amazon Prime in the US]
Narrated by Stan Bernard and featuring David Cook, Michelle Dresbold, Stewart Evans, Donald Rumbelow and Brent Turvey. An investigative team looks at evidence pointing to two new suspects; Francis Tumblety and Mary Pearcey. Explores a theory regarding the killer's escape route.

40. Jack the Ripper in America (UK; 2009; 45 min) [Watch on YouTube]
The youTube version is split into five parts, the link above goes to the first part and the others should play consecutively after it.
Presented by Ed Norris (former head of the NYPD Cold Case Squad) and narrated by Terry MacDonald. Features Brian Andersson, Daniel Czitrom, Jonathan Hayes, Shiela Kurtz and Steve Mancusi. Looks indepth at the murder of Carrie Brown in New York and the chances that she was a victim of Jack the Ripper. Suggests James Kelly as a possible suspect of this and the other Ripper murders.

41. Mystery Files S01E02 - Jack the Ripper (US; 2010; 26 min) [Watch on YouTube]
Narrated by Struan Rodger and featuring Pat Brown, Bob Peckitt, and Donald Rumbelow. "Mystery Files" unearths new evidence to eliminate an age-old suspect, and to discover a new, likely candidate who was right under the policemen's nose (Jacob Levy).

42. The Real Jack the Ripper (CAN; 2010; 44 min) [Watch on YouTube]
The youTube video is incorrectly titled "Uncovering Jack The Ripper London" and runs for 66 mins because it repeats a section of the programme after the final credits roll.
Narrated by Robert Latimer Cornell and featuring Paul Begg, Stewart Evans, Bob Hinton, Philip Hutchinson and Donald Rumbelow. Trys to look at the case through the eyes of the victims and features interviews with some of their descendants.

43. Jack the Ripper: The Definitive Story (UK; 2011; 90 min) [Watch on YouTube]
The YouTube version linked to above is the DVD version. The original Channel 5 broadcast version is slightly shorter and was shown in two 44 minute episodes (these are also available on YouTube I believe).
Narrated by Paul Begg and featuring Robert Anderson, Bill Beadle, Neil Bell, John Bennet, Richard Jones, Donald Rumbelow, Lindsay Siviter, Neal Shelden and Gareth Williams. Reconstructing the the original buildings and lighting as 3D virtual environments, and using actors to recreate what actually happened on the night of each murder, this documentary attempts to take a closer look at the original police investigation.

44. Jack the Ripper: Prime Suspect / The Australian Suspect (AUS; 2011; 50 min) [Watch on YouTube]
Narrated by Dennis Cometti and featuring Mike Covell, Ian Findlay, Susan Hayes, Amanda Howard and Kris Illingsworth. Forensic scientists use modern methods to point to a previously undiscovered suspect... Frederick Bailey Deeming; and try to use DNA technology to link him to the murders.

45. Find My Past S01E06 - Jack the Ripper (UK; 2011; 50 min?) [Couldn't find a source]
May get repeated from time to time on the UK cable TV channel Yesterday.
Presented by Chris Hollins. Find My Past sees ordinary members of the public find out how their ancestors played a role in some of history's key moments. In this episode, three unconnected people (Karen Miller, Dan Nielson and Oliver Boot) find out how they are connected to the Whitechapel Murders and Jack the Ripper.

46. Finding Jack the Ripper AKA Jack the Ripper: The German Suspect / New Suspect Revealed / Killer Revealed [#2] (UK/GER/US; 2011; 44 min) [Watch at Dailymotion.Com]
Theres also another version, repackaged and padded out to 56 minutes, on Dailymotion.
Narrated by Sean Pertwee (UK), Joachim Kerzel (GER) or Harry Chase (US). Trevor Marriott leads a group of experts (Ian Calder, Simone Eick, Phil Harrison, Rob Hollander, Duncan Lees, Thomas Müller, Alex Werner and Arthur M. Wolpinsky) through new evidence that leads to a German sailor (Carl Feigenbaum) and to New York's Lower East Side.

47. Fred Dinenage, Murder Casebook / Murders That Shocked The Nation S03E01 - Jack the Ripper (UK; 2013; 45 min) [Watch on YouTube]
Presented by Dinenage with criminologist David Wilson and featuring John Bennett, Norman Kertlan and Linda Stratmann. The series reinvestigates the most infamous murders from the 19th, 20th and 21st Centuries, exploring them from a modern perspective. This episode tells the story of life in the East End and what could have led to some of the most horrendous murders of the 19th Century. They also highlight a new suspect (William Benjamin Belcher AKA William Williams) to add to the list.

48. The Missing Evidence S01E03 - Jack the Ripper (UK; 2014; 48 min) [Watch on YouTube]
Narrated by Steven Mackintosh and featuring Christer Holmgren with Andy Griffiths, Arthur Ingram, Gareth Norris, Jason Payne-James and James Scobie. Explores Holmgren's theory that Charles Cross (AKA Charles Allen Lechmere), the man who "discovered" the body of Polly Nichols, is the murderer of not only Polly, but of the other Whitechapel murder victims too.

49. Jack the Ripper: The Case Reopened (UK; 2018; 59 min) [Watch at Dailymotion.Com]
Also available for streaming on BBC iPlayer.
Presented by Emilia Fox with David Wilson; featuring Peter Blecksley, Dave Hill, Samantha Lundrigan, Tracey Marks, Jason Payne-James, Fern Riddell and Jackie Whitehead. Documentary which aims to cast new light on the Whitechapel Murders using modern technology (the Home Office Large Major Enquiry System (HOLMES), a bespoke computer system used by the police to help detect patterns in criminal activity and aid with geo-profiling). They suggest Martha Tabram should absolutely be considered a victim of Jack the Ripper; and they try to identify the killer from a handfull of the usual suspects, singling out Aaron Kosminski as the most likely.

50. Murder Made Me Famous S5E01 - Jack the Ripper: What Happened? (US; 2018; 44 min) [Couldn't find a source]
Hosted by Steve Helling, this show reenacts some of the events in the Autumn of Terror. Having not seen it, I can't comment further.

51. Legend Hunter S01E02 - Jack the Ripper Revealed (2018; 42 min) [Couldn't find a source]
Hosted by Pat Spain, this The Travel Channel Reality Show sets out to solve the eternal mystery of who was Jack the Ripper. With Stewart Evens and Mike Hawley. They name a new suspect apparently, though I haven't seen it and I couldn't find out the name of this suspect else where.

52. Murderous Minds: Inside Serial Killers S1E06 - Jack the Ripper (US; 2018; 42 min) [Watch on YouTube]
Narrated by [?] (if anyone knows who narrated this doc, please let me know). A fairly well done indie documentary that employs many contemporary photos and illustrations mixed with modern movie stills to tell the story of Jack the Ripper. Gives a relatively detailed account of the murders and looks at a rather random selection of suspects.

53. Murder Maps S5E01+E02 - Jack the Ripper parts 1-2 (UK; 2019; 2 x 43 min) [Available for streaming on UKTV Play]
May get repeated from time to time on the UK cable TV channel Yesterday.
Hosted by Nicholas Day, this long running series explores notorious homocides in London's modern history. Each case is discussed in detail and dramatic reconstructions attempt to retell the events. They devoted two episodes to a re-examination of Jack The Ripper's crimes, revealing how the story we know today was shaped by the sensationalist press of 1888.

54. The Wigmaker of Wellington Street (UK; 2019; 32 min) [Watch on YouTube]
P. W. Grimm's controversial documentary film presenting newly-analyzed evidence supporting the theory - both plausible and fanciful at once - that the famed wigmaker Willy Clarkson was Jack the Ripper; and that he had the motive, expertise and opportunity to commit the historical tragedies that were the Whitechapel Murders.

55. History Hit LIVE on Timeline - Finding Justice For Jack The Ripper's Victims (UK; 2020; 38 min) [Watch on YouTube]
Originally streamed live on 3 June 2020.
Hallie Rubenhold, historian and expert on the killings of Jack the Ripper, joins Dan Snow to discuss the notorious serial killer who prowled East London in the late 19th century, and bust some of the myths that surround his victims. Rubenhold's book 'The Five' is the most thoroughly researched examination of the canonical victim's lives so far.

56. Jack the Ripper - 5 Victims [AKA Jack the Ripper - The Hidden Victims] (UK/USA; 2022; approx 110 min)
Shown on UK TV channel 'Channel Five' on May 24th 2022 - may get repeated.
With Ruth Goodman, Kerry Daynes and Howard Groves, this documentary selectively re-examines some of the evidence from the 1800s and attempts to provide a new perspective in the style of a live linear investigation, concentrating more on the known victims, rather than the unknown killer, and examining the context of the prurient and misogynist times in which the crimes took place.

- The Ripperologist -

The Ripperologist: purveyor of all the latest news, updates, chatter and trends from the field of Ripperology - investigating and exploring the mystery of the 1888 Whitechapel murders and the origins and legacy of Jack the Ripper - the archetypal serial killer!

Stay up-to-date by following The Ripperologist on Twitter @Ripperology101!

Other great resources for the study of Ripperology can be found in our list of
Ripperology websites HERE and our list of Jack The Ripper documentaries HERE.

Buy the Latest Books about the Whitechapel Murders and Jack the Ripper from Amazon.co.uk or from Amazon.com.

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