Let’s face it, the entertainment industry is in the hands of US producers. As if a movie industry like Hollywood wasn’t enough, they dominate our screens with countless television channels and digital platforms. Especially when it comes to crime and detective series, American productions come to mind first, but if you are a fan of this genre, let’s keep a little secret, British detective series do not do bad things in this regard.
When it comes to British detective series, we are sure that you all first think of the Sherlock series, which we also include in our list. Of course, we can make it our crown as a legend, but it is a visible fact that the crime world was presented in a unique way by the British, thanks to the region’s climate, unique political structure and culture. Let’s take a closer look at some of the best British detective series and briefly see the stories they present to the audience.
Recommendations for the best British detective series:
- sherlock
- Line of Duty
- Happy Valley
- Broadchurch
- Unforgotten
- Shetland
- The Fall
- bodyguard
- vera
- river
- CB Strike
A true legend: Sherlock
- Year: 2010 – 2017
- Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
- Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Amanda Abbington
- IMDb: 9.1
Sherlock, one of the first productions that comes to mind not only when it comes to British detective series, but also when it comes to crime; It is one of the most modern adaptations of the detective Sherlock Holmes character created by Scottish writer Arthur Conan Doyle. Our detective continues to unravel today’s mysterious files with his ever-present comrade Doctor Watson.
A new excitement in every episode: Line of Duty
- Year: 2012 – 2021
- Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
- Cast: Vicky McClure, Martin Compston, Neil Morrissey
- IMDb: 8.7
If you want to get to know the British police force and the country’s criminal world, the Line of Duty series that you must watch is a long-term adventure. In the series, we follow the adventures of the cops in the AC-12 unit. With each new episode, we get involved in a new story and see the details of the incredible relationship between organized crime and the police force tasked with protecting the public.
Toxic town: Happy Valley
- Year: 2014 – 2023
- Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
- Cast: Sarah Lancashire, James Norton, Siobhan Finneran
- IMDb: 8.5
Our main character in Happy Valley is a female police officer working in Yorkshire, a rural area of England. While our character experiences the pain of his lost daughter, he also tries to take care of his son. As if that wasn’t enough, his brother is also a drug addict. After a case of disappearance in the town, it turns out that drugs are actually the biggest problem in the whole town.
Hell with heaven sauce: Broadchurch
- Year: 2013 – 2017
- Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
- Cast: David Tennant, Olivia Colman, Jodie Whittaker
- IMDb: 8.4
A small seaside town in the Dorset region and close-knit townspeople. The revelation that this place, which looks like a real paradise from the outside, is actually the bottom of hell, begins with the murder of a small child. As the police detectives who came to town investigate the matter to shed light on the murder, a picture full of blood and confusion emerges.
A knot that gets tangled as you untie it: Unforgotten
- Year: 2015 – …
- Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
- Cast: Sanjeev Bhaskar, Jordan Long, Nicola Walker
- IMDb: 8.3
We can say that the Unforgotten sequence is a knot that gets more confused as it is solved. The series begins with the appearance of a corpse that appears to have been buried for a long time. Two police detectives who take over the investigation talk to witnesses who seem to have little to do with each other. As the series progresses and the story gets deeper, we see that each character actually has strong bonds with each other and with the corpse.
The island is not the island, the cemetery you know: Shetland
- Year: 2013 – …
- Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
- Cast: Alison O’Donnell, Steven Robertson, Douglas Henshall
- IMDb: 8.2
Few people live on the Shetland Islands, one of the Scottish islands far from the mainland, full of cold and mythological mysteries. These few individuals depend on each other. One day, when scientists and archaeologists arrive on the island, it turns out that this tranquil place is actually more mysterious than it seems. Because during the excavations, it is seen that the bottom of the island is full of corpses.
British serial killer story: The Fall
- Year: 2013 – 2016
- Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
- Cast: Gillian Anderson, Jamie Dornan, Laura Donnelly
- IMDb: 8.1
The Fall is not only remarkable for being a British detective series, it tells the story of a serial killer. While watching the story of a serial killer who kills people he meets around Belfast and a detective chasing him, you won’t be able to stop yourself from thinking; Which of these characters is the prey and which is the hunter?
What you can stand for the sake of duty: Bodyguard
- Year: 2018
- Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
- Cast: Richard Madden, Keeley Hawes, Gina McKee
- IMDb: 8.1
Working as an ordinary bodyguard in the police force, David Budd intervenes in an important terrorist incident one day, saving people’s lives and getting a promotion. Thanks to his promotion, his new job is to protect the country’s interior minister. But this minister defends the opposite of David’s thoughts. Our character begins to question himself at some point and has to choose between his thoughts and his duty.
An unusual police detective: Vera
- Year: 2011 – …
- Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
- Cast: Brenda Blethyn, Kenny Doughty, Cush Jumbo
- IMDb: 8.1
Vera presents the audience with a kind of detective story that they are not accustomed to because our main character is not a young and strong man like in the crime productions we know; A middle-aged and wise female police detective. Our character, who has learned to restrain his anger thanks to the empathy he has built over the years, will truly mentor new youth when he goes on field duty.
No doubts: River
- Year: 2015
- Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
- Cast: Stellan Skarsgård, Nicola Walker, Adeel Akhtar
- IMDb: 8.1
In River, a 6-episode mini-series decorated with paranormal details, our main character, John River, claims to talk to ghosts. A successful police officer, River’s actions are met with suspicion by his new partner. As the story progresses, we see that these doubts are even less.
The most brutal murders: CB Strike
- Year: 2017 – …
- Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
- Cast: Tom Burke, Holliday Grainger, Nick Blood
- IMDb: 7.9
Our character, former soldier Cormoran Strike, who retired after serving in the army for many years, now serves as a private detective. He finds himself a trusted assistant named Robin Ellacott. In the series adapted from the work of JK Rowling, our detective tries to open the veil of events as brutal as other detectives are afraid to take.
We briefly talked about their stories by listing some of the best British detective series that attract attention with their more mysterious and exciting style. Of course, this list could have been much longer. You can share the productions you want to be on our list in the comments.
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