Streaming favourites: British Procedurals
Stream suggestions if your viewing interest leans toward British realism and crime investigation.
What are the best more recent British crime series if your viewing interest leans toward realism and the investigation process; in other words, no cozy "blue skies crime"?
I suggest some of my favourites here listed in random order.
Line of Duty
It's one thing when policemen are up against smart criminals – but imagine policemen trying to outmaneuver other skilled, very cunning high-ranking police chiefs. LoD is a very intense experience to watch. The interview scenes are nerve-wracking and well-written.
Unforgotten
The classic “cold case” formula works perfectly here for real fans of investigation. A 20-40-year-old body turns up. Two detectives with a team must unravel who and why - and find a culprit. Typically, four groups of people with relations to the diseased person emerge. They are all worried, to say the least, when a body turns up from the past. There are countless "people of interest" along the way before we get there. Fans are forever in shock after the end of series 4.
Endeavor
It's hard to create a successful sequel, but ‘Lewis’ was well done. Far more difficult would be to execute a prequel to the classic 'Morse' series, but the fact is that ‘Endeavor’ is formidable and in a class of its own. Fans will smile at "Shall we say two o'clock?”, while they share their pain (in Facebook groups) over wedding scenes in the last episode from 2023.
Shetland
The Shetlands are a brutal, windy, cold, beautiful backdrop for a sympathetic Scottish police team that year after year encounters a remarkably high, complicated, and cruel crime rate in the small communities. Fair enough - it's crime fiction. The show faced a major challenge when the enormously popular lead actor Douglas Henshall retired after 9 years, but the smooth introduction of a new main character just confirms the superb writing.
George Gently
We are in the same period as the Endeavor series. Police team face many very different cases often inspired by real events that paint a vivid picture of life in England in the mid-to-late 60s. The mature, wise, and heavy-handed policeman, Gently, fought his way up through Italy in the war and this is reflected in his character.
Vera
A British classic with a grumpy older policeman – here a woman. Vera is a quirky, yet dangerous acquaintance if you are on the wrong side of the law. ‘Vera’ is a crime series par excellence with investigations that introduce viewers to shady characters and gloomy fates in the north of England. There are always 2-3 plot layers, or lines of inquiry, which in the last ten minutes turns out to be a dead end. Fortunately, the story always contains the fine narrative device; Two briefings at the police station, where the team - and we - get help with the overview.
Hinterland
There are also troubled souls in Wales and good plots. Dilapidated farms, broken stone walls, and grey, desolate landscapes almost play a supporting role, just like in Shetland, and a particularly burdened main policeman who is thankfully supported by a capable team.
DCI Banks
A solid police series. Based on books by Peter Robinson. DCI Banks and team investigate various difficult and very different cases with people in trouble, life-threatening opponents, and police officers with messy lives.
Grace
Peter James' books about Detective Grace are practically written as 1½ hour TV episodes. On the surface, Grace may not be very different from many of the other great offers. Yet, it sticks to a captivating formula; a criminal situation happens, at first glance seemingly uncomplicated, then it gradually unfolds and explodes in all unimaginable, malicious directions.
The Chelsea Detective
This may be a little too cozy at first glance, but that is mainly due to the beautiful buildings and neighbourhoods in London's Kensington/Chelsea area that are the backdrop. A good alternative to the above.
Happy Valley
I took my time warming up to this one. It looked like a classic cozy crime series set in a quaint English small town, where the cases are pretty much solved over a pint. But no, no! The first episode starts in 3rd gear and accelerates to 6th gear in just 15 minutes.
I haven’t forgotten these:
One of the best ‘Foyle's War’ (obviously!) and ‘The Fall’, ‘Collision’, ‘The Bay’, ‘Vigil’ season 1, and many more. The mobile phones may be enormous in ‘Prime Suspect’, but it is a riveting investigative police series and portrait by Helen Mirren.