Angela Henderson-Bentley: New take on Jack the Ripper an idea whose ‘Time’ has come – Huntington Herald Dispatch

There is a list on IMDB.com of 110 TV shows and movies that feature Jack the Ripper, a never-identified serial killer who was active in the Whitechapel district of London in 1888. So, exploring who he actually was is not a new idea.

But even though it doesn't really cover any new ground, the latest series featuring the notorious killer - ABC's "Time After Time" - still manages to be entertaining thanks to a charming cast and an unexpected romance set against a darker overall story.

Based on the 1979 novel and movie of the same name and executive produced by Kevin Williamson ("Dawson's Creek, "Scream"), "Time" stars Freddie Stroma as H.G. Wells, best known for the novels "The Time Machine" and "The War of the Worlds."

In 1893, the yet-to-be-published author shows his skeptical friends the actual time machine he has constructed. All but one friend - Dr. John Stevenson (Josh Bowman) - think H.G. is crazy, while John chides him for not having the courage to test his invention or finish his novel. H.G. must summon the courage, however, when he realizes John is Jack the Ripper and must follow John when he escapes into present-day New York City via H.G.'s machine.

H.G. is disappointed when he realizes the utopia he had hoped for doesn't exist in 2017, while John revels in the present, continuing to kill at every opportunity. John plays cat-and-mouse games with H.G. over the key to the time machine, which will allow John to go whenever he wants without fear of H.G. following him. To help track down The Ripper, H.G. befriends Jane (Genesis Rodriguez), the curator of the H.G. Wells exhibit at a downtown museum. But as H.G. and Jane grow closer, Jane finds herself in danger from one of the most notorious criminals of all time.

There is nothing fresh or new about "Time" - especially since it follows the plot of the movie and novel pretty closely. So I was pretty surprised to find it still manages to entertain, thanks to its solid love story foundation. Stroma and Rodriguez are so adorable with so much chemistry, you can't help but root for them as a couple, even though the idea of it is so far-fetched. And Bowman is the perfect combination of creepy and charming to make The Ripper work and be the major obstacle - other than time itself - to a Jane-H.G. coupling. The show even manages to work in some interesting social commentary as John decides his warped ways might actually fit in the world of 2017.

"Time" may not be a new idea, but based on the hour I've seen, I believe it is an idea whose time has come again.

"Time After Time" premieres with a special two-hour episode at 9 p.m. Sunday, March 5, on ABC.

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Angela Henderson-Bentley: New take on Jack the Ripper an idea whose 'Time' has come - Huntington Herald Dispatch