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Prime Suspect
Between Law & Order, C.S.I., and NCIS, it would be easy for us Yanks to believe that we have perfected the television crime series. We’ve been able to distill the murder mystery game to not just a formula, but multiple franchises. Still, we weren’t the first to figure out how to turn a “Whodunit?” into a gripping, sprawling series. Great Britain is ground zero for the best crime dramas in the world.
What makes British crime dramas so damn good? Maybe it’s the setting, maybe it’s the actors, but we think it’s because murder mysteries are woven into the nation’s identity. Whether it’s the influence of Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie or the real life danger defined by one “Jack the Ripper,” the Brits have crime grafted into their DNA.
Every few years the BBC and ITV seem to rewrite the game on crime dramas, but here are the top 10 most essential British crime dramas that you need to know to understand the history — and the future — of the genre.
'Prime Suspect'
Dame Helen Mirren might be the most badass British lady to play both Queen Elizabeths, but she solidified her place as a stone cold acting goddess when she starred in the legendary crime drama Prime Suspect. Mirren played hard-boiled Detective Jane Tennison, a fierce fighter who finds herself tasked with fighting both bad guys and the patriarchy. [ Watch Prime Suspect on Hulu]
'Poirot'
Agatha Christie’s most beloved detective is probably the eccentric Belgian Hercule Poirot and the man who best brought him to life is British actor David Suchet. Suchet landed the plum part back in 1990 and has played out the detective’s greatest adventures over the course of 13 seasons of television. In 2013, Suchet said farewell to the role in “Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case.” The TV movie is nominated for an Emmy this year. [ Watch Seasons 1-11 on Netflix] [ Watch Seasons 1-13 on Acorn TV]
'Midsomer Murders'
Midsomer Murders is kind of Britain’s quaintly twisted version of Law & Order. Set for over 17 seasons in one small British county, this show has become crime story comfort food. Only don’t overthink the show’s concept. We did once and we’re still reeling from just how dangerous it must be to live in the “quiet” county of Midsomer. [ Watch Midsomer Murders on Netflix]
'Broadchurch'
Britain took a lesson out of Sweden and Denmark’s gritty drama playbook with Broadchurch. The spellbinding series uses the death of a young boy as a catalyst to expose the secrets lurking in the heart of a seemingly perfect seaside town. The series is anchored by the tremendous performances of David Tennant and Olivia Coleman. [ Watch Broadchurch on Netflix]
'Sherlock'
IMDB Score: 9.2/10
Sherlock Holmes is pretty much a crime-solving legend, and Benedict Cumberbatch's modern-day interpretation of the detective certainly does him justice. This award-winning British series follows the the greatest detective in the world and his partner Watson as they uncover some of Britain's most intricate crimes.
[ Stream Sherlock] PBS
Sherlock Holmes is one of the most filmed characters in history, but there’s one TV version of his adventures that stands tall above the rest. Sherlock is a clever reimagining of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s detective that puts the quintessentially Victorian character smack dab in modern London. Still, the real stars of this show aren’t the clever twists r classic tales; it’s the double whammy of Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman acting at their very best. [ Watch Sherlock on Netflix]
'Luther'
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
Looking for a riveting crime drama that also stars an incredibly hunky leading man? Look no further than Luther, starring Idris Elba as a brilliant detective with some dark secrets. His inability to suppress his emotions often pushes him to use unorthodox methods to solve crimes and seek justice - a fault that may very well come back to haunt him later.
[ Stream Luther on Netflix] Everett Collection
Luther is a beguiling trip down into the darkest reaches of one man’s psyche. Idris Elba is dazzling as the title character, a detective so driven to collar his adversaries that he’s willing to put everything on the line — and we mean everything. The Affair‘s Ruth Wilson also appears on the show, playing Luther’s main adversary, Alice, a seductive sociopath with a taste for playing games. [ Watch Luther on Netflix]
'Inspector Morse'
Inspector Morse debuted in 1987 — the first episodes were written by The English Patient director Anthony Minghella! — and is still a crime drama favorite. The series follows the adventures of one Detective Inspector Endeavor Morse, a seemingly snobbish man with hidden depths of empathy. The show has recently earned itself a prequel series called Endeavor, but we recommend going back and starting where it really all began. [ Watch Inspector Morse on Netflix]
'Agatha Christie's Marple'
Second only to Poirot in universal popularity and acclaim is Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple. She’s sort of the opposite of what you think a crafty crime fighter should be. She’s not a tough cop or action hero. Rather, she’s a shrewd old spinster. Miss Marple has been brought to life numerous times over the years, but the most recent version is probably the best-known. Marple is played by Geraldine McEwan in the first three seasons and Julia McKenzie in the fourth. [ Watch Agatha Christie’s Marple on Acorn TV]
'Taggart'
Oh, Taggart… Taggart used to be one of the most quintessentially British shows on television. The Scottish detective drama ran for a whopping 27 seasons, which made it the longest running police drama series in history. The show was also known for giving up-and-coming Scottish talent their first TV credit. It’s your typical tried and true procedural, but it’s worth checking out just to see how different and how similar our network detective dramas are to this Glaswegian gem. [ Watch Taggart on Hulu]
'Grantchester'
We’re including the delightful new detective series Grantchester on this list because we have a hunch it’s on the verge of exploding in the United States. Why? Well, it combines the bucolic beauty of British country life with a crackerjack series of murder mysteries, all under the focus of one Sidney Chambers. This immensely likable character is a sweet, lovelorn vicar with a drinking problem and a heaping dose of PTSD from World War II. He teams up with British crime drama alum Robson Green and solves a series of murders, all with a very modern and progressive twist. It’s massively easy to binge-watch. The first season is available on Prime and season two debuts on PBS on March 27. [ Watch Season 1 of Grantchester on Prime Video]
