When is The Long Shadow on TV and how many episodes are there?

ITV viewers have already been gripped by the true crime drama, and many want to know when The Long Shadow is on TV next and how many episodes there are in the series.

Anticipation of Magdalene Laundries’ BBC drama had us wondering when is The Woman in the Wall on TV and viewers couldn’t get enough of Timothy Spall’s four-part series with people googling is The Sixth Commandment a true story? 

But as the nights start to draw in, we’re excited for all the new TV series that will keep us hooked throughout cosy season. Next on the watchlist is The Long Shadow – ITV’s latest true crime drama that tells the stories of the women murdered by Peter Sutcliffe between 1975 and 1980.

Intrigued? We don’t blame you, then, for wondering when is The Long Shadow on TV and how many episodes are there? Here’s everything you need to know. 

When is The Long Shadow on TV?

The Long Shadow is a seven-part series that airs every Monday at 9pm. The first episode aired on Monday 25 September 2023 at 9pm on ITV1, with weekly episodes broadcast at the same time every Monday thereafter. 

If you didn’t catch the live episode, you’ll be able to stream The Long Shadow on ITVX after it's finished on ITV1. 

How many episodes of The Long Shadow are there?

There are seven episodes of The Long Shadow and the first aired on Monday 25 September. 

The Long Shadow episode schedule

•  Episode 1 - Monday 25 September 
•  Episode 2 - Monday 2 October 
•  Episode 3 - Monday 9 October 
•  Episode 4 - Monday 16 October 
•  Episode 5 - Monday 23 October 
•  Episode 6 (penultimate): Monday 30 October 
•  Episode 7 (finale): Monday 6 November 

What is The Long Shadow about? 

The Long Shadow tells the harrowing stories of the victims who came into contact with Peter Sutcliffe in one way or another, including the families and survivors. 

Between 1975 and 1980, Peter Sutcliffe (dubbed The Yorkshire Ripper by UK media), murdered 13 women and attempted to kill seven others. 

Sutcliffe was convicted of his crimes in May 1980. It was – and remains – the biggest police manhunt in British history, and the impact of Sutcliffe’s killings is still felt today.

In the first episode, ITV's synopsis reads: "The police struggle to catch the killer of a woman murdered in Leeds, and a desperate mother is forced to make a difficult decision."

Although the first episode has been broadcast, you can watch also the first seven minutes of episode one. 

Is there a trailer for The Long Shadow? 

The Long Shadow cast

• Toby Jones as DCS Dennis Hoban
• David Morrissey as DCS George Oldfield
• Lee Ingleby as DCS Jim Hobson
• Jack Deam as DI Les Hanley
• Katherine Kelly as Emily Jackson
• Daniel Mays as Sydney Jackson
• Jasmine Lee-Jones as Marcella Claxton
• Molly Wright as Donna DeAngelo
• Daisy Waterstone as Jacqueline Hill
• Jill Halfpenny as Doreen Hill
• Alexa Davies as Ruth Bundey
• Christopher Hatherall as DS John Domaille
• Steven Waddington as DSI Dick Holland
• Chloe Harris as WPC Jenny Bush
• Liz White as PS Meg Winterburn
• Sorcha Groundsell as Nicola Briggs
• Shaun Thomas as Neil Jackson
• Michael McElhatton as Chief Constable Ron Gregory
• Kris Hitchen as DC John Nunn
• Stephen Tompkinson plays David Gee
• Cara Theobold as WPC Jill Adams
• Charley Webb as WPC Anna Lawson
• Marcus Fraser as Calvin Thompson
• Emma Williams as WPC June Sinclair
• Gemma Laurie as Wilma McCann
• Alexa Goodall as Sonia McCann
• Dylan Hall as Richard McCann

In an interview with STV Player, Happy Valley and Coronation Street actress Katherine Kelly said: “I grew up on the border of west and south Yorkshire – I just turned one when he was caught – but when you grow up in that area, it lives in people and on that landscape and it touched everybody. 

“It’s not about him [Peter Sutcliffe], it’s about how his crimes affected that county and beyond and still has repercussions to this day.” 

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