37 Must-Watch British Crime Shows to Stream Right Now (April 2026): ‘Bodkin’ and More

Married couple Emma (Jill Halfpenny) and John Barnett (Rupert Penry-Jones), and their daughter Beth (Megan Tower) live an idyllic life together on the quiet street of Shelbury Drive. But everything seems to come crashing down around them after they decide to make one crucial decision: renovate their kitchen. When Emma decides to expand her family’s kitchen, she faces resistance from her formerly friendly neighbors. The petty dispute and rising tensions ultimately lead to the unearthing of dark, earth-shattering secrets.

The Feud on Shelbury Drive is a paranoid thriller-drama with a highly engrossing and addictive narrative about warring neighbors behaving very badly. The series does an excellent job of maintaining plenty of suspense and tension to keep you on the edge of your seat, and the character arcs are well-written and thoroughly developed. If you love dark, dishy melodramas, you won’t want to miss this.

American podcaster Gilbert Power (Will Forte) travels with his assistant Emmy (Robyn Cara) to the Irish coastal town of Bodkin to investigate the three-decades-old cold case involving the disappearance of three people during a Samhain celebration. Joining Gilbert and Emmy is Irish investigative journalist Dubheasa “Dove” Maloney (Siobhán Cullen), who is sent to Bodkin on assignment following the death of her whistleblower source.

Bodkin manages to wrap a compelling mystery into a sharp satire of podcasting and true crime obsession, and the narrative is frequently intriguing and eccentric. Forte, Cara and Cullen do a terrific job in their performances, and though the eclecticism of the scatter-shot plot doesn’t always come together perfectly, Bodkin is always entertaining. Fans of Only Murders in the Building should check this equally cozy mystery series as soon as possible.

In 2021, Detective Inspector Huw Miller (Robson Greene) tries and fails to catch the prolific Ripton Stalker, a serial killer who tortures victims over a long period of time before eventually killing them. Three years later, the murders have since stopped and Miller has retired, but the unsolved case still haunts him. When new neighbor Patrick Harbottle (Jason Watkins) moves into the house across the street following the shock death of its previous owner, Miller believes Harbottle may be the Ripton Stalker when he utters the killer’s famous catchphrase.

The Game takes a couple of episodes to find its footing, but once it does, this miniseries becomes a powder keg of mounting tension and gripping suspense. While often a little on the nose with clichés, the series is sufficiently entertaining and thrilling, anchored by the performances from Watkins and Greene. Fans of The Beast in Me would do well to check this one out.

The famous Sherlock Holmes (Hero Fiennes Tiffin) returns to popular culture as a teenager, beginning his studies at Oxford University. This new British series focuses on Holmes’ younger years before facing off ad infinitum with his mortal enemy, James Moriarty. Holmes is a far cry from the world-famous detective we come to know and love, and is instead a brash and arrogant student who has yet to find his rigorous work ethic. Nevertheless, he becomes entangled in a murder mystery at his own school, and he dives headfirst into the world of crime-solving.

Young Sherlock proves to be a breezy, engaging and action-packed series. It excels in providing a compelling mystery narrative, as well as some expertly crafted character writing that creates richness to familiar characters. The series benefits from being directed by Guy Ritchie (who helmed both Sherlock Holmes movies starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law), and also features Colin Firth and Joseph Fiennes. Overall, Young Sherlock is a can’t-miss for fans of light-hearted crime capers.

Known for his work on Doctor Who and Sherlock, writer/actor Mark Gatiss brings the all-new Bookish to PBS. Gatiss stars as Gabriel Book, an unconventional bookseller and literature lover in 1946 London. Using his extensive knowledge of crime novels, Book helps the local police solve crimes and bring criminals to justice. The show also explores Book’s lavender marriage to his wife Trottie (Polly Walker), and his romantic interest in his shop’s new employee, Jack (Connor Finch). 

It’s no surprise that, coming from one of the best British television writers, Bookish is an excellent and well-written mystery series. It’s a cozy crime drama that boasts some entertaining detective work and a great atmosphere. With genuinely engaging character development, twisty narratives and surprising emotional heft, Bookish is a must-watch for fans of Agatha Christie mysteries.

In early 1950s Britain, the local priest of the fictional Cotswold village, Father Brown (Mark Williams), finds himself getting involved in solving crimes that are far outside his jurisdiction. In addition to his typical duties running the St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Brown uses the skills he’s acquired serving God to serve the people of his community and bring criminals to justice. With assistance from his parish secretary (Sorcha Cusack), Brown works to piece together clues and find the truth no matter what.

Father Brown is the perfect fluffy, nonsensical entertainment. Fans of this off-kilter crime show adore its willingness to get silly in addition to its intriguing crime stories — but part of the joy of Father Brown is that it never gets all that serious. It’s a relaxing and comforting watch, with charming characters and a light-hearted tone to keep you smiling with every new episode.

Harlan Coben’s 2019 novel Run Away has been waiting six years to get the series treatment, and it’s finally gotten one in this new Netflix crime drama starring James Nesbitt, Minnie Driver and Ruth Jones. The show follows a missing woman named Paige (Ellie de Lange) — an addict who had been stuck in an abusive relationship — and her father’s (Nesbitt) desperate search to find her, leading him on a journey through the dark underbelly of an unforgiving city.

Reviews of Run Away have been favorable, with some critics feeling that it may be one of the best Coben shows yet. Not only highly bingeable (as Coben adaptations tend to be), Run Away is also very well-written with a twisty and complex narrative. Seasoned fans of Coben will likely fall in love, but Run Away is also for anyone who loves to watch a good mystery. Either way, we will be seated.

The espionage thriller Red Eye stars Richard Armitage and Jing Lusi as Dr. Matthew Nolan and Detective Constable Hana Li, respectively. Season 1 takes place entirely during one all-night flight from London to Beijing, as Nolan has been accused of a crime and extradited to China. But flight 357 is anything but boring, as new murders and a progressing conspiracy begin piling up on Li.

The second season of Red Eye focuses on a new crime, with a largely new cast featuring Lesley Sharp and Jemma Moore. Lusi is back as Li, and Martin Compston co-stars as Clay Brady, whom Li will have to work with in order to solve a conspiracy connected to a murder in the U.S. embassy. The first season of Red Eye was praised for being a highly entertaining show with an intriguing narrative and great performances, and the follow-up season is sure to bring more of the high-quality storytelling fans of the show now expect.

After serving nearly two decades for the murder of a young woman, Joe Pritchard (Iwan Rheon) is released from prison. When journalist Cat Donato (Alexandra Roach) returns to her hometown, she seeks to uncover the truth about the woman’s death and where her body is buried, since Joe never revealed the location. But Cat’s presence threatens to reveal even more secrets, as her persistent search for the truth rattles the town.

This crime drama, spoken in both Welsh and English, becomes an anthology series in the second season after a three-year hiatus. The Light in the Hall will now focus on a different character from season one, played by Sian Reese-Williams, in addition to a brand new cast and story. Season one was praised for its fantastic performances and rich storytelling, and the current season promises to deliver more of the same.

Mild-mannered British couple Susan (Olivia Colman) and Christopher Edwards (David Thewlis) don’t seem like the sort who could carry out an unthinkable crime — and yet together they killed Susan’s parents and buried them in their back garden. Opening with the couple’s arrest in 2012, Landscapers takes a look at how this horrific act could have been committed, and how it remained undetected for more than a decade.

Anchored by an absurd true story, top-notch performances from Thewlis and Colman and capable direction by Will Sharpe (he acted in The White Lotus season 2 and Netflix’s Too Much), Landscapers was highly acclaimed by critics at the time. The show is an inventive and aesthetically ambitious true crime drama that offers an empathetic look at two complicated real-life people.

Apple TV is premiering a second adaptation of a Mick Herron novel, who previously saw success with the adaptation of his novel Slow Horses starring Gary Oldman. Down Cemetery Road stars Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson as private investigator Zoë and concerned neighbor Sarah, respectively, who begin investigating a mysterious house explosion in Sarah’s sleepy suburban neighborhood. But their inquiries lead them to a chilling government conspiracy that threatens their lives.

Early reviews of Down Cemetery Road have praised the series for its pitch-black sense of humor and compelling action, which makes for a frequently riveting watch. Fans of Slow Horses will definitely find a lot to love, but new recruits to Herron adaptations will also likely enjoy the mystery, intrigue and character drama.

Down Cemetery Road premieres on Apple TV on October 29.

Infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper sets the tone for this grisly British period crime series, which is not about the Ripper himself but about the rippling effect of fear he instilled around the Whitechapel area of London. Six months after the Ripper’s last known kill, the police have failed to capture and convict the culprit. But women begin turning up dead in the streets, and residents fear the Ripper may have returned. Detective Inspector Edmund Reid (Matthew Macfadyen) tries to keep order while being drawn into the dark underworld of Victorian London.

Ripper Street was praised by critics during syndication for its excellent blend of engaging character-writing, riveting narratives and genuinely lurid imagery. The series also received a lot of brownie points for its razor-sharp attention to period detail, from the production design to the costuming and even the specific accents of each character. All in all, whether you’re a fan of period dramas or macabre thrillers, Ripper Street is the perfect overlap for you.

Since 1997, Midsomer Murders has delighted crime fans everywhere with its charming mix of levity and humor in a serial crime series format. The show focuses on the various crimes that take place across the fictional county of Midsomer in England, and the lead detective and his partner who are tasked with solving the crime, finding the culprit and discerning a motive.

Actor John Nettles initially portrayed Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby until he retired from acting in 1997, after which his character’s cousin took over and was played by Neil Dudgeon. Funny, engrossing and always well-acted, Midsomer Murders is a British television institution and a classic of “Whodunnit?” crime procedurals.

Inside Man is an ambitious crime thriller that weaves a mystery across continents. In the United States, former professor of criminology Jefferson Grieff (Stanley Tucci) has been on death row for two years after his conviction for the murder of his wife. In England, a tutor (Dolly Wells) mistakenly believes that her vicar employer (David Tennant) has a USB of illegal materials — and ends up locked in his basement. Shockingly, Janice and Grieff’s stories are connected.

The immersive puzzle box plot is led by fantastic performances from Tucci and Tennant, and the filmmaking style gives Inside Man the perfect atmosphere. Though the limited series is only four episodes long, viewers will find the narrative immensely rewarding with plenty of twists and turns. Inside Man comes from Doctor Who and Sherlock’s acclaimed scribe, Steven Moffat, so viewers will know that they are in good hands.

Through the eyes of Detective Inspector Liz Nyles (Siobhan Finneran), Protection explores the fraught world of witness protection, inspired by real first-hand accounts from a witness protection officer. Nyles finds herself at the center of a scandal — a breach in security arises when it is exposed that she’s been having an affair with her coworker.

However, there is real corruption within Nyles’ unit, and it looks like she is being used as a scapegoat. In spite of the risks it poses to her safety, Nyles sets out to uncover the truth. In her quest for redemption, she also must maintain the safety of the witnesses under her protection. The series also stars Katherine Kelly (Coronation Street), Nadine Marshall (The Smoking Room) and Chaneil Kular (Sex Education).

When the unthinkable happens to a young girl, all eyes are on the teenage boy who pined after her. Evidence has mounted against 13-year-old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper) in this Emmy-winning series co-created and co-written by lead actor Stephen Graham. Graham plays Jamie’s confused and heartbroken father, and he took home an Emmy himself for his affecting performance.

Each episode in the series is filmed to simulate one long, unbroken take and focuses on a different aspect of the fallout from the crime over the course of a year. We witness Jamie’s arrest, investigations by police officers at his school, an interrogation between Jamie and a forensic psychologist, and the aftermath with Jamie’s family attempting to return to their normal lives amidst tragedy. Bit by bit, we learn more about Jamie’s psychology and whether or not such a young boy could be guilty of such a horrific act.

If the now-canceled Doctor Odyssey had gotten a second season, maybe it could’ve had a crossover with The Good Ship Murder, another series set on the high seas. Unlike Odyssey, The Good Ship Murder focuses more on actual crimes than crimes of the heart, as former detective Jack Grayling (Shayne Ward) solves a series of murders on a luxury cruise ship.

Aided by First Officer Kate Woods (Catherine Tyldesley), Jack solves a series of mysteries involving the guests, crew and locals in each port the ship stops in from week to week. When he’s not apprehending criminals, Jack finds time in each episode to belt out a tune thanks to the boat’s local band. More silly than thrilling, The Good Ship Murder is easy, breezy escapist fun that’s perfect to watch in August or any month of the year.

When a man with everything to live for withdraws money from the bank, drops it in a trash can, and then sets himself on fire, it’s at first dismissed as an unusual suicide. But when Patience (Ella Maisy Purvis), an autistic police archivist, notices a connection to other recent suicides, Detective Bea Metcalf (Laura Fraser) recruits her to be on her team to find the culprit. The unlikely duo tackles several cases, including the mysterious death of a bestselling author and a body disappearing from the morgue. 

Like Grantchester and dozens of other British crime shows, Patience works largely because of its odd couple dynamic between a veteran cop and a rookie outsider. The mysteries Patience and Bea solve are interesting enough to keep you engaged for an episode or two, and the chemistry between the two leads is terrific. The show also stands out for its nuanced portrayal of a young woman with autism, which isn’t typically seen in the crime genre. 

Art Detectives is a new mystery show focused on the Heritage Crime Unit, a police department that specializes in crimes related to the art world. That sounds a bit dry, but rest assured, there are plenty of dead bodies and scandalous secrets just waiting to be discovered.

Detectives Mick Palmer (Stephen Moyer) and Shazia Malik (Nina Singh) tackle cases like elaborate art forgeries, stolen artifacts from the Titanic and, of course, murder. Art Detectives doesn’t skimp on the drama either, with Mick striking up a romance with a charismatic museum curator (Sarah Alexander) and Mick’s father, an infamous forger, complicating the detective’s professional and personal lives. 

Art Detectives is already one of Acorn TV’s most popular shows of all time, and for once, the masses have got it right. It’s wonderful, brainy fun, and you don’t have to be an art lover to appreciate it.

Hulu’s dynamic and unsettling four-episode series, Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes, dramatizes the events leading up to Jean Charles de Menezes’ death. On July 22, 2005, bombing suspect Jean Charles de Menezes was shot and killed by the Metropolitan Police Service at a subway stop in London. It’s quickly revealed that he’s innocent, and the resulting public outcry rocked all of Great Britain.

Looking’s Russell Tovey and The Newsroom’s Emily Mortimer lead the cast as members of the London police force who make a fatal error in judgment, and newcomer Edison Alcaide plays the innocent and doomed Jean. Suspect is a mesmerizing true crime tale that meticulously documents a real event that had a tragic ending.

Those interested in survival crime stories should check out both seasons of Safe House. In the first season, Christopher Eccleston stars as Robert Carmichael, a retired police detective living in a remote part of England. He’s still haunted by the death of a witness he was assigned to protect years ago, so that’s why it’s surprising when he agrees to help shelter a family on the run from dangerous criminals. Robert isn’t happy he’s been brought back in for active duty, but he wants to correct some mistakes he made in his past. 

Safe House is an under-the-radar thriller that boasts fine performances and a narrative that’s full of understated tension. Eccleston is terrific as the traumatized detective, and the first season has plenty of moody visuals that are just perfect for a crime show like this one. 

The second season has a new cast led by Stephen Moyer and a different story with little connection to season 1. It’s just as good, though, with Moyer showing all the charisma that made him a star on True Blood nearly two decades ago.

It’s been a while since Netflix has had a solid crime drama from the United Kingdom, but that drought is finally over with Dept. Q. Downton Abbey star Matthew Goode plays Carl Morck, an emotionally damaged British detective assigned to lead Department Q, which deals with cold cases no one else can solve. Carl, along with his quirky team of investigators and forensic scientists, must now catch murderers and criminals who have escaped justice for years.

Dept. Q isn’t just a watered-down CSI clone; instead, it’s a surprisingly involving mystery show that cares much about the relationships between its investigators as it does in spinning a good crime yarn. The show features a stellar cast of Scottish and British actors, including Kelly Macdonald as Morck’s well-meaning therapist, but it’s Goode who dominates the show with his haunted detective. 

John Chapel (Harry Potter actor Timothy Spall) fears his best days are behind him. A beloved actor best known for playing a popular detective on TV, his retirement has so far proven to be a bit dull and uninspiring. But when John’s neighbor turns up dead, he’s inspired to solve the case himself. He’s helped by Detective Janie Mallowan (Gwyneth Keyworth), who actually has experience solving crimes, and together, the duo solves numerous crimes in and around their sleepy Welsh village.

It’s a classic British crime show set-up, and while Death Valley doesn’t radically change the genre, it pretty much perfects it. Much of the show’s success is due to Spall, one of Britain’s great character actors, who imbues Chapel with enough complexity and charm to make him stand out from all the other English amateur sleuths. The first season consists of six tidy episodes, and the show’s ratings success guarantees it will come back for at least another season.

You can always rely on the British to produce a mystery series worth watching, and they don’t disappoint with I, Jack Wright. The new BritBox show concerns the apparent suicide of the titular character, who manages to surprise his grieving family from beyond the grave by leaving most of them out of his will.

Why did Jack (Trevor Eve) seemingly screw over the family he loved when he was alive? And is his suspicious death somehow related to his decision to leave them with nothing? Jack Wright eventually answers those questions by the time it wraps up its mystery, but the main pleasure in watching this six-episode series is getting to its inevitable conclusion. 

What would you do if someone you loved disappeared? That’s what Eliza Blix (Andor‘s Denise Gough) experiences when she picks up her daughter Lucia (Beatrice Cohen) after a sleepover at a friend’s house and can’t find her. She can’t find her friend’s family either, and she eventually discovers that the house was a rental and that no one permanently lives there.

Where is Lucia? And why would anyone want to kidnap her for seemingly no reason? The Stolen Girl is a captivating five-episode mystery series that explores every parent’s worst nightmare. As Eliza, Gough is superb as a mother who is desperate for answers. She may find them by talking to her husband, Fred (Jim Sturgess), who knows more than he’s willing to tell.

In the mood for a good, old-fashioned thriller involving the rich and immoral? If yes, then BritBox has another mystery worth watching — and solving. Agatha Christie’s Towards Zero is a three-episode series that adapts the 1944 novel of the same name. Anjelica Huston stars as Lady Tressilian, a rich widow who invites some guests to her seaside property for a house party. When an old family friend is found murdered, suspicion naturally falls on the party’s guests, which include a disgraced tennis star (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) and his new wife (Mimi Keene). Inspector Leach (Matthew Rhys) has his hands full, and he’ll have to act quickly before the murderer strikes again.

Towards Zero is a surprisingly risque adaptation (expect some steamy sex scenes) that is nonetheless largely faithful to the book’s main plot. Huston is fun to watch playing a snobby rich lady with daggers for eyes while Jackson-Cohen is appropriately dashing as one of the suspects. 

A fire at a swanky vacation houseboat, a love triangle involving an older man and two teenage girls and a podcaster investigating a person who has been missing for years — none of these things seem related to one another. Yet, by the time The Jetty concludes its superb four-episode first season, Detective Ember Manning (Jenna Coleman) will somehow tie all of them together in a tricky mystery that’s one of British TV’s best of 2024.

Coleman stars as Manning, who must deal with her own personal issues — she’s a widow, and her pre-teen daughter is starting to smoke — while also trying to solve several mysteries simultaneously. Similar to Happy Valley, The Jetty examines violence occurring in a bucolic setting and features a dynamite lead female performance from Coleman. 

It’s no spoiler to reveal that Ruth Ellis (Lucy Boynton), the lead character in the new four-episode crime show A Cruel Love,  died by hanging on July 13, 1955. Ruth was a real woman who committed a very real crime: She shot her lover, David Blakely (Laurie Davidson), on Easter the year of her death. But what led the nightclub hostess to carry out such a horrible act?

That’s the question behind A Cruel Love, BritBox’s excellent true-crime drama that explores Ruth’s motivations behind David’s murder, the subsequent trial that dominated the tabloid press and her death by execution, which is still the last time a woman was put to death for her crimes in the United Kingdom. 

This story has been told before, most notably in the 1985 film Dance with a Stranger, but never as absorbing and detailed as it is here. As Ellis, Boynton is never better playing a woman left with few options in life. The show convincingly evokes a period when scandal could ruin reputations and a crime of passion could captivate a still-innocent public.

Dating apps are the worst, but for Detective Inspector Kat Donovan (Rosalind Eleazar), they could be deadly. When she finds a former boyfriend — who she thought had died over a decade ago — alive, well and looking for love on one of these apps, it sends her down a path that will force her to confront some dark secrets in her past. 

Missing You is adapted from the novel by Harlan Coben, an American crime novelist behind several hit Netflix mysteries like Fool Me Once and Stay Close. Missing You offers similar pleasures: a protagonist traumatized by her past, a mystery with several twists and turns and several talented British actors who are largely unknown to Americans. With only five episodes, the series doesn’t overstay its welcome, and the ending is satisfying enough to make you look forward to the next Coben adaptation.

After his wife and daughter die tragically in a fire, Detective John Ridley (Adrian Dunbar) is forced into early retirement following a nervous breakdown. Eighteen months later, he’s back to help his former co-workers, but does he still have what it takes to solve mysteries? And, specifically, the curious cases of a murdered sheep farmer, a dead body that’s found on the moors and a cold case involving the disappearance of a young man 40 years ago?

Ridley is a run-of-the-mill British crime show that’s executed exceptionally well. The show spotlights the pastoral beauty of the English countryside and is just the right amount of moody to be cozy without becoming menacing. Dunbar is excellent as the haunted detective, and his frequent trips to the local jazz club to belt out a tune or two are a welcome wrinkle in an otherwise straightforward procedural.

You don’t become the so-called “Godmother” of the British criminal underworld by being nice. Joan Hannington (Sophie Turner) is a single mother with too many responsibilities and not enough money to handle them all. In desperation, she turns to a life of crime to take care of her daughter and her debts. It’s easy for her, since she has a photographic memory and a talent for mimicry. But will Joan’s newfound taste for luxury, furs and jewels be her downfall?

As Joan, Turner gets to flex all her dramatic muscles without the aid of a dragon or a CGI phoenix. Armed with ’80s-era bangs and giant shoulder pads, her Joan is a warrior marching on a different kind of battlefield — one filled with lowlifes whom she can’t really trust. Maybe it’s not that different from her time on Game of Thrones after all. 

Murder shows with priests are more common than you think, and they don’t get much better than Grantchester. The long-running series, which began in 2014 and is currently on its ninth season, focuses on the unlikely crime-solving duo of Detective Geordie Keating (Robson Green) and the vicar of Grantchester. Sidney Chambers (James Norton) was the first and best priest/sleuth, but his successors, Will Davenport (Tom Brittney) and Alphy Kotterman (Rishi Nair), are just as likable and dashing. 

The show follows a standard formula — someone finds a dead body in or around Grantchester and Geordie and Sidney/Will/Alphy catch the culprit. The crimes are pretty routine, and the mysteries aren’t all that complex, but the show’s 1950s-to-1960s period setting is evocative, and the cast is uniformly excellent. You may question the unusually high body count of a sleepy English village, but you won’t regret bingeing a season or two in one sitting. It’s that charming.

No one writes a better crime novel than Alan Conway (Conleth Hill). He knows that, which makes him insufferable. His editor, Susan Reyland (Lesley Manville), puts up with him because he sells a lot of books. But when Alan is found dead and the police deem it a suicide, she becomes suspicious. Alan would never do that — he loved himself too much. But who would end his life? And why?

Magpie Murders has a central mystery that is genuinely intriguing and a cast of appropriately shady suspects. But it’s Manville who is the chief reason to watch the show. She’s one of Britain’s best actors working today, and she’s funny and clever as the nonplussed Susan. A sequel series, Moonflower Murders, was released in 2024, and it’s also worth a look.

Buckinghamshire is one of those quaint English villages where people go for rest, relaxation and maybe a cup of tea. But murder? That’s what retired archaeologist Judith (Samantha Bond), dog walker Suzie (Jo Martin) and the vicar’s wife Becks (Cara Horgan) discover one sunny afternoon. But who left the dead body floating in the river? Before the trio can even answer, another corpse turns up. Is there a serial killer on the prowl?

The Marlow Murder Club won’t win any points for realism or originality, but this kind of show needs to be credible enough to be entertaining without anyone bothering to question its logic. It’s a stereotypically “cozy” British crime series in the best possible sense, and former James Bond star Bond gets a rare lead role to showcase her underappreciated talents.

Adam Dalgliesh ranks along with Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes as one of England’s most beloved detectives, yet he’s largely unknown in America. That will hopefully change with Dalgliesh, a new crime series on Acorn TV. Stage actor Bertie Carvel embodies P.D. James’ brainy sleuth this time around, and he has his hands full in a series of mysteries set in the 1970s.

A brutal murder at a seminary, a politically-motivated crime among an upper-class family and a mystery involving an unusual hospital are just some of the cases Dalgliesh has to crack, and Carvel provides enough appeal to make you invested in the detective’s investigations. Like the novels it’s based on, Dalgliesh is more highbrow than your average crime show, but it provides the same thrills viewers expect from the genre. 

A pizza delivery man, Abdullah Asif (Sam Otto), is shot and killed in southwest London, and almost no one seems to care. Detective Kip Glaspie (Carey Mulligan) is the exception and thinks Abdullah’s death is more than just a random act of violence. Her assumption proves to be correct, as Kip’s investigation leads her to uncover a complex web that connects the police, politicians and human traffickers.  

Collateral is shorter than your average crime series, but it packs a lot in its four episodes. In her pursuit to find Abdullah’s killer, Kip interrogates members of Parliament, a female vicar with something to hide and several MI5 agents to find out who killed him and why. 

With an intelligent script by playwright David Hare and a bravura lead performance by Mulligan, Collateral is a rarity — a politically-minded crime drama that will leave you a bit unsettled after it’s over.