ITV are delighted with the ratings for Whitechapel.
Over eight million viewers watched the first episode and seven million the second.
But Phil Davis, who plays DS Ray Miles, almost turned down a role in the three-part modern day drama, which concludes on Monday.
“I have to admit and own up and say I had no interest whatsoever in Jack the Ripper,” he told us at the press launch for the series.
Yet once he actually started to read the scripts, he couldn’t put them down.
“I did no research at all but I went on the Ripper tour.
“And since then, I still have no theories as to who it might have been.
“It could have been anyone, as far as I can make out.”

REGULAR readers of my awards blogs will know that it’s never quite like it looks on the telly.
Last night’s Orange British Academy Film Awards at the Royal Opera House was crammed full of top stars.
But, as usual, members of the working press don’t get anywhere near the auditorium.
You can hardly file copy on a laptop and use a mobile sitting next to Brad and Angelina in the posh seats.
As usual, we were placed in rooms set aside for the media – in this case the windowless Ballet Room, normally used for what it says on the tin.
Backstage at the Royal Opera House is a right old labyrinth, so we had to be escorted wherever we went.

“THE things we’ve risked,” said Robson Green.
It appears no drama series is safe from ITV cost cuts after the decision to axe Wire In The Blood.
Still a successful show watched in the UK by around five million viewers and screened in 33 other countries.
The dark drama was originally based on the novels by Stockport-based author Val McDermid.
It starred Robson Green as clinical psychologist Tony Hill and Simone Lahbib as Det Insp Alex Fielding.
With Hermione Norris appearing in earlier series as Det Insp Carol Jordan.
Wire was made by Coastal Productions, led by Sandra Jobling and Robson.
As was the recently deservedly acclaimed Place of Execution.

ITV were left with very red faces tonight after scoring a huge own goal during their live football coverage.
Armchair fans had waited almost two hours for a goal in the FA Cup fourth round replay between Everton and Liverpool.
And when it came…ITV viewers in several parts of the country missed it.
What are being described as “technical problems” began 27 minutes into extra time.
Just before Everton teenager Dan Gosling scored the dramatic winning goal two minutes from time.
It appears ITV Granada viewers were luckier than most and saw the goal live.
But millions elsewhere did not.

OVER three million viewers are watching the new series of Shameless on Channel 4.
Plus healthy audiences for both the catch-up on C4+1 and the first showing of next week’s episode on E4.
As we await news of whether Channel 4 will change their mind on credit crunch plans to cut the next series from 16 episodes to eight.
Surely both the Chatsworth estate residents and viewers deserve better?
Almost one in five people watching TV at the time are tuning in to this sixth series.
Which should convince C4 to think again.
New characters introduced in the current series include auxiliary nurse Maxine, played by Joanna Higson.
She was seen for the first time in last night’s C4 episode, unless you watched it on E4 last week.
You can read yesterday’s feature interview with Joanna here.

REGULAR readers will know how much I love television.
Also being lucky enough to interview and write about many of those involved in making it.
But it’s not all good.
Just off the top of my head, here are 12 things I hate about TV.
Do you agree? Can you add to the list? Check out the comment box at the bottom of this page:

JUST over 24 hours since news broke about the future of both Heartbeat and The Royal.
And it’s clear we still haven’t got the full story.
ITV announced that both series will not be re-commissioned after their current production cycles are completed this year.
In the same breath denying the dramas are being axed.
“Heartbeat and The Royal are an important part of ITV’s schedule and are currently in production,” said a spokesman for the network.
The background being that by the end of 2009, enough episodes will have been stockpiled for another series worth of shows.
ITV want to broadcast the backlog before making new ones.
With viewers able to watch the series on screen well into 2010.

SOME people really ought to get out more.
It was a tired old question posed by a TV interviewer.
Are there really people like that?
Shameless star David Threlfall, who plays Frank Gallagher, toured the television studios yesterday.
Ahead of the launch of the sixth series on Channel 4 and E4 last night.
Which is how it came to pass that Breakfast co-presenter Bill Turnbull asked: “No-one’s really, really like that, are they?”
Prompting David to reply: “Yeah, yes, what’s the matter…get out more, Bill.
“Of course there are.

THERE was one question I wish I’d asked Rupert Penry-Jones at the launch of new ITV1 drama Whitechapel.
I know he will have heard it many times before.
But I have this image of his actress wife Dervla Kirwan serving up a TV dinner at home.
Does the voice of those commercials inform him, “This is not just microwaved Chicken Arrabbiata…this is Marks & Spencer…”
Happily, the questions were – hopefully – a bit more sensible than that.
As you can read in today’s MEN TV feature here.
Extra content which didn’t make the final cut of the story included confirmation that Rupert has no regrets about moving on from Spooks.