The new series of Victorian crime drama Ripper Street began filming in Manchester today.

Ripper Street is filming in the UK for the first time – first in Manchester, then Loughborough – before moving to its traditional production base in Dublin, Ireland.

Regular cast members Matthew Macfadyen, Jerome Flynn and Adam Rothenberg are all returning to their roles as Detective Inspector Edmund Reid, Detective Sergeant Bennet Drake and Captain Homer Jackson. MyAnna Buring (Downton Abbey) is also back as Long Susan.

The show 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.

Ripper Street creator Richard Warlow commented: “It’s a day many of us thought we’d never see, but it is particularly wonderful to be able to say that cameras are rolling on Ripper Street once more.”

Lookout Point’s Simon Vaughan added: “Producing this new series with Amazon and BBC working together is an exciting industry first. We believe that the combined reach and marketing power of these two partners working together will bring the series to a wider audience than ever.”

Series 3 will again be comprised of eight episodes.

Series 1 is available to watch in full now on Amazon Prime Instant Video now, with Series 2 launching on the service next month.

Speaking exclusively to CultBox earlier this year, Ripper Street writer Toby Finlay revealed: “As far as I know the intention is very much to have Ripper Street live on and flourish for a fourth and even fifth series, so long as people still want to watch it.”

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