6 of the best binge-worthy British crime dramas

By Ashley Wallace

Broadchurch Season 3 stars David Tennant and Olivia Colman as local detectives
Broadchurch Season 3 stars David Tennant and Olivia Colman as local detectives
Even if crime dramas exacerbate your fear of being murdered, it's hard to deny that they are pretty damn addictive.

And when it comes to the genre, we have to say the Brits have it down pat. If you haven’t watched these binge-worthy drama series yet, make sure you add them to your to-watch list ASAP.

Luther

 

Luther is scary and will make you never want to leave the house again. But it’s manageable – I refuse to watch horror films yet Luther is one of my favourite shows of all time. Each episode sees DCI John Luther hunt down an evil killer who is terrorising the streets of London. There are five seasons – season one is the longest with six episodes, so it’s easy to binge over one rainy weekend. Not recommended if you live home alone, however.

Also, If you have doubts that Idris Elba would make a good James Bond, you certainly won’t once you’ve watched Luther. Luther is rougher around the edges compared to 007, but Elba is so captivating as the character, you can see that he could take on any other action role with ease.

The Fall

Prepare to feel conflicted – the seriously handsome Jamie Dornan will make you feel simultaneously scared and seduced in his role as serial killer Paul Spector in The Fall. This series sees Detective Superintendent Stella Gibson (played by the ever-amazing Gillian Anderson) work to find and capture Spector, who has been murdering young professional women around Belfast. It’s a plot that calls to mind Ted Bundy in its consideration of how good looks can lure people into a false sense of security. I also find Northern Irish accents fascinating and The Fall has them in spades.

Happy Valley

This show about a police sergeant pursuing the man who assaulted her late daughter is a harrowing and adrenaline-filled watch that is truly excellent. It’s made especially worth watching thanks to Sarah Lancashire’s incredible performance as Sergeant Catherine Cawood. Even though Cawood has a lot of bad things happen to her, she is so badass it made me really want to quit my day job and become a cop so that I can be her.

Sherlock

We’ve all heard of Sherlock Holmes, but this is the story brought up to date and set in modern day London (save one episode that takes place in Arthur Conan Doyle’s original Victorian setting). Sherlock’s impressive writing and acting, as well as some much-appreciated humour, make this series particularly special. It stars fan favourites Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes and Martin Freeman as the faithful Watson, but Fleabag fans will also enjoy the presence of one ‘Hot Priest’, with Andrew Scott in the villain role as Jim Moriarty.

Broadchurch

Broadchurch is a classic ‘whodunit’, with season one following DI Alec Hardy (David Tennant) and DS Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) as they figure out who is behind the death of 11-year-old Danny Latimer. Season two strays into more of a court drama (with Phoebe Waller-Bridge in a serious role). While season three is also a bit disjointed from earlier storylines, but it’s still a gripping series overall. Once again, it’s made all the more enjoyable thanks to fantastic performances from top-notch actors Tennant and Colman.

Marcella

Many of the best cop dramas include a deeply-flawed protagonist and Marcella is definitely one of them. In fact, to say Marcella Backland is ‘deeply flawed’ could be an understatement. With the former detective having to battle her own dramatic emotional outbursts and blackouts as she tries to solve horrific murders. Season three gets a bit random but new characters that were introduced were strong enough to keep me engaged. And I must praise the lead actor in this series too! Anna Friel is awesome, and she has great hair that will make you want to get a fringe.

 

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