Ripper Street writer Toby Finlay has revealed that there will be “no diminishing of creative freedom” in the recently-commissioned third series.

The period crime drama was axed by BBC One after two series last December, but brand new episodes will now debut on Amazon Prime Instant Video before airing on BBC One a few months later.

Speaking exclusively to CultBox, Finlay explained: “The deal was being wrangled for quite a while, but the upshot is that we premiere online and the BBC will screen terrestrially shortly afterwards. My main concern in continuing to be involved was that there would be no diminishing of creative freedom, nor of series budgets. And there hasn’t been. So happy days.”

Hinting at how what to expect in Series 3, he teased: “The main cast are all coming back. If you saw the end of the second series, you’ll know that pretty much every major character was in some way devastated by the events which came to culmination. All I’ll say is that the third series begins some four years after that. ”

The writer added: “[Creator Richard Warlow] and I began outlining the series back in October 2013, before we were axed. And we were very keen to push things ever forward, to embrace the serial elements of the narrative and the fact that these characters have endured too much to just reset themselves at the start of every episode or series.”

Are you looking forward to Series 3? Let us know below…