British Crime shows have been undergoing a quasi-renaissance of late. While previously a British crime show instigated images of David Jason in A Touch of Frost or Midsommer Murders, the trend has recently changed from PG, village-based crime to gritty, grisly, crime with a troubled and flawed detective.
Also, shows are now more focused on a character study of the detective than on the actual crime itself. Netflix's The Stranger was a perfect example of this recent trend, perfectly balancing the surrounding mystery with the character development of the main character.
Updated on February 17th, 2021 by Kristen Palamara: Although Netflix's The Stranger only has a few episodes, the gruesome Netflix British crime series has great reviews with a current score of 83% on Rotten Tomatoes. Richard Armitage stars as a man with a seemingly perfect life that all falls apart when a young woman tells him secrets about the people closest to him, which begins a slow and surprising unraveling of his life. There are several other modern British crime dramas that are just as serious and brutal as Netflix's The Stranger is and full of surprising twists and turns with intriguing characters.
Deadwater Fell
David Tennant stars in this Scottish miniseries that takes a seemingly perfect family and slowly reveals their deepest and darkest secrets, similar to The Stranger. Tom Kendrick (Tennant) is saved from a house fire, but his entire family including his wife and three children and tragically killed.
The series slowly reveals that the entire family was drugged before the fire, which launches an entire investigation into what actually happened on that tragic night.
Tin Star
Tin Star is an Amazon original series that stars Tim Roth as a former London police detective with a violent past he tries to run away from by moving to a remote and small town in Canada with his family.
Of course, similarly to The Stranger, Jim Worth's (Roth) past catches up to him and he has to reckon with his violent past, including alcohol abuse and a violent alter-ego, and still attempt to keep his new, nice, and responsible persona as a facade in the Canadian town.
Shetland
Shetland is a Scottish is a dramatic crime anthology series that follows detectives trying to solve mysteries and crimes in Shetland, Scotland. The show has succinct yet completely engaging and creative crimes at the center of each new series.
There is a main cast in Shetland that reappears throughout the show and in each series, but it also introduces new plotlines and new crimes to focus on each series for the main cast of detectives.
Vera
Vera centers on Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope (Brenda Blethyn) who enthusiastically attempts to solve countless cases in Northumberland, England. The series focuses on the crimes Inspector Stanhope investigates, typically gruesome murders, but also focuses on Stanhope's personal life and the secrets of her past that affect how she approaches her job.
Stanhope is a dedicated investigator and has a supportive team that approaches each new case with enthusiasm and empathy as they truly care about solving the cases and finding justice.
Whitechapel
Whitechapel was a unique show that mixed history and crime together as a team of investigators and historians try to solve copycat cases in the Whitechapel district of London. The team has to solve grisly murders and attempt to catch copycat killers.
Each series focuses has a few parts that are focused on historical and infamous serial killers and other criminals that are brought back to life with copycats offenders, including Jack the Ripper and the Kray twins.
Marcella
Starring Anna Friel as the titular Marcella, this show focuses on Marcella as she returns to work as a detective to deal with an 11-year-old, unsolved case. Rather than being focused solely on the mystery, the show illustrates Marcella's fragile mental state and how she struggles to balance her work with her home life.
Two seasons of the show have been broadcast so far, with the third season of the detective show to be released sometime during the summer of 2020.
River
River is a short-lived yet incredible example of noir-detective storytelling. The series revolves around DI John River, played by Stellan Skarsgård, who is living with the guilt of past murder victims. The show is more than just a detective story, with the show revolving heavily around River's mental state and the guilt he feels at for his past. In addition to Skarsgård, Nicola Walker stars as River's partner.
The series received positive reviews from critics, with many praising the show for how it covers River's mental health, as well as the mysterious and compelling plot. River is incredibly easy to watch as it is only a 6-part series that is available on Netflix, making it the perfect series to watch on a rainy day.
Luther
Luther may be the best British detective show of the last few years. The show follows DCI John Luther (Idris Elba) as he tries to navigate his fragile mental state while also balancing his work and personal lives. In addition, the show also features some of the most compelling and grisly crime mysteries of the past decade.
In addition to the fantastic performance of Idris Elba as Luther, the show also features a stellar portrayal of Alice Morgan, the show's main villain, by Ruth Wilson.
Collateral
Collateral was a fairly underrated British crime drama starring Carey Mulligan, John Simm, and Billie Piper. The film follows Kip Glaspie (Mulligan) as the detective who is assigned to deal with the murder of a pizza delivery boy. From this one case, the plot spreads into a complex, interconnected mystery across the four episodes.
While the series was only limited to four episodes, Collateral received positive reviews from critics, with many praising the series for its compelling and addictive plot.
Broadchurch
Written by Doctor Who's Chris Chibnall and starring David Tennant, Olivia Colman, and Jodie Whittaker, Broadchurch is an iconic British detective show that was a cultural phenomenon in the UK. The first series is based around the death of a young boy and the emotional fallout and subsequent media attention that surrounds this small Dorset town.
The series ran for three seasons, with each season being received well by critics. Due to the fact that there are only three seasons of the show, it is perfect for a binge-watch and is certain to not disappoint.
The Fall
The Fall is a British- Irish detective drama starring Gillian Anderson as Stella Gibson and Jamie Doran as Paul Spector. The plot follows Stella Gibson as she is relocated from the Metropolitan Police Force in London to the Police Service of Northern Ireland in order to investigate a serial killer.
The series has received positive reviews from critics, with both its first and second seasons receiving 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and the third season receiving 71%.
Criminal: UK
Criminal: UK is a recent Netflix anthology crime series that focuses on cases in the UK, France, Spain, and Germany; with each country receiving three episodes. The show is set in a police interrogation room as the police try and press their suspects for answers that will help solve their cases.
The series was received well among critics and audiences, with the IMDB score currently sitting at 7.4 and the Rotten Tomatoes score on 84% currently.
Unforgotten
Created by Chris Lang and starring Nicola Walkera and Sanjeev Bhaskar, Unforgotten follows two detectives as they attempt to solve cold cases around missing persons and murders. The seasons generally follow a pattern whereby unconnected characters are slowly revealed to be heavily connected.
The series currently has three seasons under its belt, with a fourth set to be released in 202o. The series has received good reviews from critics, with many praising the series for its emotional stories and strong cast.
Wallander
Adapted from the Swedish books written by Henning Mankell and starring Kenneth Branaugh as the titular Kurt Wallander, Wallander follows the titular detective as he uncovers grisly murders. Currently, there have been four seasons of the show, making it easy to catch up with the story.
The series has been well received by critics, with the show being praised for its stunning visuals and the strong performance of Branaugh in the central role. In addition to critical praise, the series has also received 6 BAFTAs.
The Missing
The Missing is a British anthology mystery show focused on the hunt for a missing person. The first season starred James Nesbitt and Frances O'Conner as the parents of a missing child in France. The second season starred David Morrissey and Keeley Hawes as the parents of a missing child in Germany. The two seasons are connected by detective Julien Baptiste, played by Tchéky Karyo, who investigates both cases.
The series has received positive reviews from critics, with The Missing being praised for the strong performances of its casts, including Karyo, and the compelling and intriguing plots in both seasons of the show.