5 Great UK Police Detective Shows You Really Need To Watch
5 Great UK Cop Shows
Credit: BBC
There are few things in this fine world that I enjoy more than a really good cop show, and among the many types of police dramas out there, few I find as gripping as a good cop show from the UK. It's like comfort food for this TV critic.
While I'm always looking for something new – and please share if you have favorites not listed here – I do have a few favorites that I thought I'd share with you here. These range from classic murder mysteries to stories about cops on patrol to really emotional family dramas, so there's a lot of variety. All of these are relatively new and set in modern times. We'll save Agatha Christie and the like for another time.
Most of these are available on BritBox (one of my favorite streaming services which I subscribe to via Amazon Prime Video) though one is not available anywhere at the moment unless you purchase it on Video on Demand. Other streaming services, like Mhz, PBS Masterpiece also have some great police shows from the UK and Europe. If you're in the UK, obviously BBC iPlayer is a great option.
The newest series on this list is one of my favorite new police shows. Blue Lights follows the day-to-day patrols of a group of police officers in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It's not really a mystery in the same sense that shows like The Wire aren't really mysteries. You get to know the cops on the beat, the criminals they come across and you see a lot of the tension between communities and the police as well as just how divided Belfast remains even long after the Troubles have ended. The show's creators met with over 40 police officers in order to craft as authentic a portrayal as possible. Fans of shows like Southland and The Wire will enjoy this gritty, down-to-earth procedural.
The series focuses on a trio of rookie cops: Siân Brooke plays Grace Ellis, a mother who changes careers in her 40s to become a police officer, and two young rookies, Annie Conlon (Katherine Devlin) and Tommy Foster (Nathan Braniff). They join veteran cops who show them the ropes as they navigate incredibly tense situations in both Catholic West Belfast (in Season 1) and Protestant/Unionist Belfast (in Season 2). A third season is currently in production.
Unforgotten
Credit: ITV
I've recently been devouring the British crime drama Unforgotten, binging two seasons in (I think) two days recently. I'm up to Season 4 now, and it's absolutely gripping TV. Nicola Walker stars as DCI Cassie Stuart, the head of a cold cases unit. DI Sunny Khan (Sanjeev Bhaskar) helps lead a team of detectives solving historical crimes. Each season, they uncover a new body and get to work piecing together all the clues. Who is this person? When did they die? Was it a murder? And, of course, who is the killer?
Inevitably, many closets are emptied of their skeletons in the process, and lives are upended in the process. So far, each season has been better than the last. (Though I've had readers tell me that this changes in later seasons, in part due to a major recasting). The villains in this show are often deeply sinister (Season 3 in particular had me reeling) and have managed to get away with their crime(s) for decades, posing as normal people with nothing to hide, often even from their families – until now.
Happy Valley
Credit: BBC
The undisputed monarch of British cop shows is, in my humblest opinion, Happy Valley. Nothing else compares. In my review of the three-season show I called it a 'masterpiece' and I stand by that. Every minute of this series is compelling, whether it's just really emotional family drama or edge-of-your-seat action that leaves you breathless and shaking. Sarah Lancashire plays police sergeant Catherine Cawood, a middle-aged divorcee who lives with her sister and raises her grandson. Lancashire's performance is easily one of the top five TV performances I've ever seen. The series villain, Tommy Lee Royce, played with crackling menace by James Norton, will haunt you long after the credits roll.
The writing and acting is simply outstanding, with moments of genuine humor followed by gut-wrenching scenes of violence or suspense. Creator Sally Wainwright spins a story that's at once tragic and deeply relatable. Somehow, despite a huge gap between Seasons 2 and 3, the show manages to wrap up its decade-long story perfectly. Easily one of my all-time favorite TV shows. This is very much in the 'Nordic noir' tradition, and fans of American mysteries like Mare Of Eastown should definitely check it out.
Line Of Duty
Credit: BBC
So far we've talked a lot about coppers in this post, but what about bent coppers? Because if you want a show about catching bent coppers, there's only one place to turn: Line Of Duty follows the detectives of AC-12, an anticorruption unit whose mission is to stop organized crime and root out crooked cops. It's terrific television right up until its final, wildly disappointing sixth season. Each season tackles a new corruption case, though all of these are connected to a larger conspiracy.
The show follows DS Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) as he's transferred to AC-12 where he meets his new boss Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar), a man who has dedicated his life to the pursuit of bent coppers. He's partnered with DC Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) who works undercover for AC-12. Each season introduces a new guest star from an impressive list of British actors including Lennie James, Thandiwe Newton and Stephen Graham.
Shetland
Credit: BBC
Finally we go north – way, way up north to Shetland, the Scottish islands from whence this series takes its name. I don't typically judge my TV mysteries based on which detective I'd most like to have a pint with, but if that question were posed to me, I'd easily pick DI Jimmy Perez (Douglas Henshall). Perez is just such a level-headed guy, I find him calming to watch, even though he doesn't always keep his cool. Henshall is brilliant in the role (though he exits after Season 7, alas).
The show is based on the books by Ann Cleeves, though it departs in some pretty significant ways from the source material. Each season tackles a new murder that's taken place in the remote Scottish isles with its rocky beaches and vast open spaces. This is the most rural of these shows, though our heroes find their way to other locations including Glasgow and even Norway, which is just across the water. Some terrific guest stars have appeared on Shetland, including Brian Cox, Ciarán Hinds and Stephen Walters. And while I find some of the choices this series makes (either changes from the books or just peculiar decisions particularly at the end of Season 4) overall it's a great watch.
What other great British, Irish and Scottish cop shows and mysteries do you enjoy? Obviously there are countless more to choose from, so tell me your favorites so I can add them to my backlog! Let me know on Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky or Facebook. Also be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me here on this blog. Sign up for my newsletter for more reviews and commentary on entertainment and culture.
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