British Detectives
by charlesbaldwin | created - 02 Oct 2016 | updated - 09 May 2022 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Broadchurch (2013–2017)
TV-MA | 1,143 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The murder of a young boy in a small coastal town brings a media frenzy, which threatens to tear the community apart.
Stars: David Tennant, Olivia Colman, Jodie Whittaker, Andrew Buchan
Votes: 127,374
2. Shetland (2013– )
TV-14 | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A local police team investigate crimes within the close knit island community of Shetland.
Stars: Alison O'Donnell, Steven Robertson, Douglas Henshall, Lewis Howden
Votes: 25,912
3. Vera (2011–2025)
TV-PG | 90 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
With her caustic wit and singular charm, DCI Vera Stanhope leads her team as they face a series of captivating murder mysteries set against the breathtaking Northumberland landscape.
Stars: Brenda Blethyn, Jon Morrison, Riley Jones, Kenny Doughty
Votes: 20,109
4. Happy Valley (2014–2023)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Yorkshire-based crime drama centering on the personal and professional life of Police Sergeant Catherine Cawood.
Stars: Sarah Lancashire, Siobhan Finneran, James Norton, Rhys Connah
Votes: 64,662
5. The Fall (I) (2013–2016)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A seemingly cold but very passionate policewoman goes head to head with a seemingly passionate father who is in fact a cold serial killer in this procedural out of Belfast. The only thing they share is their common complexity.
Stars: Gillian Anderson, Jamie Dornan, John Lynch, Aisling Franciosi
Votes: 119,730
6. Sherlock (2010–2017)
TV-14 | 90 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The quirky spin on Conan Doyle's iconic sleuth pitches him as a "high-functioning sociopath" in modern-day London. Assisting him in his investigations: Afghanistan War vet John Watson, who's introduced to Holmes by a mutual acquaintance.
Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Una Stubbs, Rupert Graves
Votes: 999,427
7. Marcella (2016–2021)
TV-MA | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Marcella Backland left the Metropolitan Police for the sake of her family, only to have her husband leave her. She returns to her job on the murder squad, investigating a case that seems disturbingly familiar to her.
Stars: Anna Friel, Ray Panthaki, Jack Doolan, Jamie Bamber
Votes: 37,287
8. Luther (2010–2019)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
John Luther is a brilliant homicide detective with a knack for getting inside the minds of murderers. Unfortunately, his unconventional methods and personal demons put him at odds with his team.
Stars: Idris Elba, Dermot Crowley, Michael Smiley, Warren Brown
Votes: 154,407
9. Waking the Dead (2000–2011)
TV-14 | 100 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Drama series following a team of detectives who investigate unsolved murders using modern technology.
Stars: Trevor Eve, Sue Johnston, Wil Johnson, Tara Fitzgerald
Votes: 6,439
10. Ripper Street (2012–2016)
TV-MA | 59 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The streets of Whitechapel are the haunt of Detective Inspector Edmund Reid and his team of officers, who aim to maintain law and order in a place once terrorized by Jack the Ripper.
Stars: Matthew Macfadyen, Adam Rothenberg, MyAnna Buring, Jerome Flynn
Votes: 22,517
11. Rebus (2000–2004)
TV-PG | 90 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Set in Edinburgh, the mercurial Detective Inspector John Rebus's investigations lead him through the city's ancient beauty and into its more sinister quarters.
Stars: Ken Stott, Claire Price, Jennifer Black, Gregor Gillespie
Votes: 2,248
12. Line of Duty (2012–2021)
TV-14 | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Drama series following the investigations of AC-12, a controversial police anti-corruption unit.
Stars: Martin Compston, Vicky McClure, Adrian Dunbar, Craig Parkinson
Votes: 70,262
13. Hinterland (2013–2016)
TV-14 | 90 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A noir crime drama set in Aberystwyth, Wales, where troubled DCI Tom Mathias solves murders while searching for redemption.
Stars: Richard Harrington, Mali Harries, Alex Harries, Hannah Daniel
Votes: 15,120
14. New Tricks (2003–2015)
TV-14 | 60 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Three retired police officers are drafted in to solve cold cases, with a touch of comedy and drama
Stars: Dennis Waterman, Amanda Redman, Alun Armstrong, James Bolam
Votes: 8,788
15. Whitechapel (2009–2013)
TV-14 | 817 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
A fast-tracked inspector, a hardened detective sergeant, and an expert in historical homicides investigate modern crimes with connections to the past in the Whitechapel district of London.
Stars: Rupert Penry-Jones, Phil Davis, Steve Pemberton, Sam Stockman
Votes: 14,809
16. DCI Banks (2010–2016)
TV-14 | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Tenacious and stubborn DCI Alan Banks unravels disturbing murder mysteries aided by his young assistants, DS Annie Cabbot and DI Helen Morton.
Stars: Stephen Tompkinson, Jack Deam, Andrea Lowe, Caroline Catz
Votes: 9,140
17. Scott & Bailey (2011–2016)
TV-14 | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Detectives Janet Scott & Rachel Bailey investigate murders with Manchester Police's Major Incident Team.
Stars: Suranne Jones, Lesley Sharp, Tony Mooney, David Prosho
Votes: 11,051
18. Unforgotten (2015– )
TV-MA | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
London detectives investigate crimes from the past, unravelling secrets left buried for years.
Stars: Sanjeev Bhaskar, Jordan Long, Carolina Main, Nicola Walker
Votes: 30,548
19. From Darkness (2015)
TV-MA | 233 min | Crime, Drama
Former Greater Manchester Police officer Claire Church's peaceful existence in the Western Isles is shattered when four bodies linked to her previous investigations are unearthed.
Stars: Anne-Marie Duff, Richard Rankin, Johnny Harris, Caroline Lee-Johnson
Votes: 1,643
20. Blue Murder (2003–2009)
Not Rated | 138 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Single mother DCI Janine Lewis struggles with the problems of bringing up four children while leading her team of detectives in solving high-profile murders.
Stars: Caroline Quentin, Ian Kelsey, Paul Loughran, Nicholas Murchie
Votes: 1,859
21. River (2015)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
John River is a brilliant police inspector whose genius lies side-by-side with the fragility of his mind. He is a man haunted by the murder victims whose cases he must lay to rest.
Stars: Stellan Skarsgård, Nicola Walker, Adeel Akhtar, Lesley Manville
Votes: 27,258
22. New Blood (2016)
TV-14 | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The series follows junior investigators Stefan and Rash, who are brought together by a link between two seemingly unrelated cases.
Stars: Mark Strepan, Ben Tavassoli, Mark Addy, Anna Chancellor
Votes: 3,062
23. Touching Evil (1997–1999)
TV-14 | 50 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A police drama following the exploits of a crack squad within the Organized and Serial Crime Unit, a rapid-response police force serving the entire county.
Stars: Robson Green, Nicola Walker, Shaun Dingwall, Michael Feast
Votes: 2,193
24. Chasing Shadows (I) (2014)
45 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A missing persons unit investigate serial killers who target the impressionable and vulnerable.
Stars: Reece Shearsmith, Alex Kingston, Adjoa Andoh, Noel Clarke
Votes: 3,149
25. Wire in the Blood (2002–2008)
TV-MA | 69 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A psychologist gets inside of the minds of both killers and victims to aid the police in solving gruesome serial killings in Northern England.
Stars: Robson Green, Mark Letheren, Emma Handy, Mark Penfold
Votes: 9,374
26. Black Work (2015)
Not Rated | 135 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A policewoman sets out to discover who murdered her husband, an undercover officer.
Stars: Sheridan Smith, Matthew McNulty, Oliver Woollford, Honor Kneafsey
Votes: 1,924
27. The Interceptor (2015)
TV-14 | 60 min | Crime, Drama
Customs officer Marcus Ashton joins a new team hunting Britain's most wanted criminals, based on Cameron Addicott's book.
Stars: O-T Fagbenle, Lorraine Ashbourne, Lee Boardman, Charlie de Melo
Votes: 1,040
28. Paranoid (2016)
TV-MA | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The murder of a female GP in a rural playground in front of numerous witnesses draws a group of detectives into an ever-darkening mystery that takes them across Europe, aided by mysterious notes sent by the "Ghost Detective".
Stars: Indira Varma, Robert Glenister, Dino Fetscher, Christiane Paul
Votes: 10,350
29. Suspects (2014–2016)
Not Rated | 48 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
An unscripted crime/drama series centered on a team of three detectives - each with their own distinctive style of working.
Stars: Damien Molony, Clare-Hope Ashitey, Fay Ripley, Christian Brassington
Votes: 1,503
30. The Five (2016)
60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A mystery series created by author Harlan Coben. Jesse, a five-year-old boy, goes missing. Twenty years later, his DNA shows up at a crime scene.
Stars: O-T Fagbenle, Tom Cullen, Hannah Arterton, Sarah Solemani
Votes: 12,146
31. Thorne: Sleepyhead (2010)
TV-MA | 44 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
DI Tom Thorne's only key to catching a serial killer is a survivor unable to move or communicate.
Stars: Sara Gregory, Trinity Barden, Georgia Tennant, Joshua Close
Votes: 3,266
32. Thorne: Scaredycat (2010)
120 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
DI Tom Thorne hunts for a psychopath who may have formed a depraved partnership.
Director: Benjamin Ross | Stars: Joe Absolom, Jaleh Alp, Freddie Annobil-Dodoo, Lorraine Ashbourne
Votes: 2,204
33. Above Suspicion (2009–2012)
46 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A team of dedicated detectives investigate gruesome murders across London.
Stars: Kelly Reilly, Ciarán Hinds, Shaun Dingwall, Amanda Lawrence
Votes: 3,473
34. Collateral (2018)
TV-MA | 58 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Investigating the murder of a pizza delivery man, a London detective uncovers a tangled conspiracy involving drug dealers, smugglers and spies.
Stars: Carey Mulligan, Nathaniel Martello-White, Hayley Squires, Vineeta Rishi
Votes: 21,467
35. Hard Sun (2018)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Sci-Fi
Two detectives with opposing viewpoints are forced to work together in a pre-apocalyptic criminal world.
Stars: Jim Sturgess, Agyness Deyn, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Derek Riddell
Votes: 5,289
36. Messiah (2001)
152 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
After two horribly mutilated bodies are discovered, DCI Red Metcalfe is assigned to the case and plunged head-on into a nightmare.
Stars: Ken Stott, Frances Grey, Jamie Draven, Kieran O'Brien
Votes: 2,077
37. Bodies (2004–2006)
60 min | Drama
Dark medical drama series following a junior doctor as he unearths the negligent practice of a senior obstetrician.
Stars: Tamzin Malleson, Max Beesley, Keith Allen, Patrick Baladi
Votes: 1,575
38. The Tunnel (2013–2018)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A prominent French politician is found dead on the border between the U.K. and France, and two agents must work together on behalf of their respective countries to find the murderer.
Stars: Stephen Dillane, Clémence Poésy, Cédric Vieira, Angel Coulby
Votes: 10,666
39. Law & Order: UK (2009–2014)
TV-14 | 46 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
UK version of the long-running U.S. TV drama that tells the stories of two separate yet equally important groups: the police, who investigate crime; and the attorneys, who prosecute the offenders.
Stars: Bradley Walsh, Robert Glenister, Harriet Walter, Freema Agyeman
Votes: 4,854
40. In the Dark (2017)
TV-MA | 52 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
As she deals with an unexpected pregnancy, D.I. Helen Weeks must return to the hometown she loathes, to help her childhood best friend who is in the centre of a media frenzy following the abduction of two teenage girls.
Stars: MyAnna Buring, Ben Batt, David Leon, Jamie Sives
Votes: 3,549
41. Prime Suspect: The Lost Child (1995 TV Movie)
101 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Superintendent Jane Tennison (Dame Helen Mirren) orchestrates a search for an abducted baby, but events take a turn for the worse when personal emotions cause complications.
Director: John Madden | Stars: Helen Mirren, Beatie Edney, Robert Glenister, Lesley Sharp
Votes: 3,034
42. Prime Suspect 5: Errors of Judgement (1996)
100 min | Crime, Mystery, Romance
Superintendent Tennison (Dame Helen Mirren) investigates a seemingly straightforward drug murder that she believes is linked to a smugly smooth crime boss.
Stars: Helen Mirren, John Brobbey, Julia Lane, David O'Hara
Votes: 3,022
43. Prime Suspect: The Last Witness (2003)
98 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Detective Superintendent Jane Tennison's (Dame Helen Mirren's) investigation of the murder of a Bosnian refugee leads her to one, or possibly two, Serbian war criminals determined to silence the last witness to a massacre a decade before.
Stars: Helen Mirren, Liam Cunningham, Oleg Menshikov, Ben Miles
Votes: 3,216
44. Prime Suspect 7: The Final Act (2006)
91 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Approaching retirement, Jane Tennison investigates the murder of a missing girl. But the cracks soon begin to show as Jane struggles with an alcohol problem and her father's death.
Stars: Helen Mirren, Stephen Tompkinson, Laura Greenwood, Eve Best
Votes: 3,496
45. Messiah 2: Vengeance Is Mine (2002–2003)
180 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A man is buried alive, and Metcalfe must delve into a serial killer's psyche.
Stars: Frances Grey, Gillian Taylforth, Emily Joyce, Dani Biernat
Votes: 960
46. Messiah: The Promise (2004)
180 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
As a prison riot erupts into violence, Red comes face to face with the ring leader: the man who once held him hostage and nearly drove him mad. But what they don't know is a killer's amongst them, preying on their weaknesses.
Stars: Anthony Lennon, Rufus Jones, Olivia Busby, Leo Bill
Votes: 804
47. Messiah: The Harrowing (2005)
180 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Red Metcalfe's analytical skills are stretched to the limit as he tries to fathom the workings of the mind of a killer determined to create their own Hell.
Stars: Ken Stott, Neil Dudgeon, Helen McCrory, Maxine Peake
Votes: 818
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