The Best British Detective Series
A list of the all-time top British mystery series, from classic series like Poirot to modern hits like Luther.
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- CreatorMark GatissSteven MoffatStarsBenedict CumberbatchMartin FreemanUna StubbsThe quirky spin on Conan Doyle's iconic sleuth pitches him as a "high-functioning sociopath" in modern-day London. Assisting him in his investigations: Afghanistan War vet John Watson, who's introduced to Holmes by a mutual acquaintance.
- StarsJohn ThawKevin WhatelyJames GroutChief Inspector Morse has an ear for Western classical music, a taste for beer, and a nose for crime. He and Detective Sergeant Robert Lewis solve intriguing cases in and around the Oxford area.
- CreatorJed MercurioStarsMartin CompstonVicky McClureAdrian DunbarDrama series following the investigations of AC-12, a controversial police anti-corruption unit.
- StarsHelen MirrenJohn BenfieldTom BellA female police detective investigates a series of serial murders while dealing with sexist hostility from her male comrades.
- CreatorRachel FlowerdayTahsin GunerStarsMark WilliamsJohn BurtonSorcha CusackIn the early 1950s, Father Brown, a Roman Catholic priest based in the fictional Cotswold village of Kembleford, uses his distinctive skills to solve various crimes.
- CreatorCaroline GrahamStarsJohn NettlesJane WymarkBarry JacksonA veteran Detective Chief Inspector and his young Sergeant investigate murders around the regional community of Midsomer County.
- StarsShaun EvansRoger AllamJames BradshawSet from 1965 into the 1970s, the show follows Endeavour Morse in his early years as a police constable. Working alongside his senior partner DI Fred Thursday, Morse engages in a number of investigations around Oxford.
- StarsKevin WhatelyLaurence FoxClare HolmanDI Robert Lewis and DS James Hathaway solve the tough cases that the learned inhabitants of Oxford throw at them.
- CreatorDaisy CoulamStarsRobson GreenTessa Peake-JonesAl WeaverA Cambridgeshire clergyman finds himself investigating a series of mysterious wrongdoings in his small village of Grantchester.
- CreatorChris ChibnallStarsDavid TennantOlivia ColmanJodie WhittakerThe murder of a young boy in a small coastal town brings a media frenzy, which threatens to tear the community apart.
- StarsBrenda BlethynJon MorrisonRiley JonesWith her caustic wit and singular charm, DCI Vera Stanhope leads her team as they face a series of captivating murder mysteries set against the breathtaking Northumberland landscape.
- CreatorNeil CrossStarsIdris ElbaDermot CrowleyMichael SmileyJohn Luther is a brilliant homicide detective with a knack for getting inside the minds of murderers. Unfortunately, his unconventional methods and personal demons put him at odds with his team.
- CreatorRobert ThorogoodStarsElizabeth BourgineDon WarringtonDanny John-JulesCultures collide when British Detective Inspector is transferred from England to the Caribbean island of Saint Marie to head the island's police department.
- CreatorAnthony HorowitzStarsMichael KitchenHoneysuckle WeeksAnthony HowellAs WWII rages, DCS Foyle fights his own war on the home-front; investigating crime on the south coast of England. Later series, see the retired detective working as an MI5 agent in the aftermath of the war.
- CreatorPeter FlanneryStarsMartin ShawLee InglebySimon HubbardWith the help of DS John Bacchus, Inspector George Gently spends his days bringing to justice members of the criminal underworld who are unfortunate enough to have the intrepid investigator assigned to their cases.
- StarsDavid SuchetHugh FraserPhilip JacksonHercule Poirot, a famous Belgian detective, who has an impeccable knack for getting embroiled in a mystery, solves crimes along with Captain Hastings and Scotland Yard Chief Inspector James Japp.
- StarsEssie DavisNathan PageHugo Johnstone-BurtA female sleuth sashays through the back lanes and jazz clubs of Melbourne in the late 1920s, fighting injustice with her pearl-handled pistol and her dagger-sharp wit.
- StarsAlison O'DonnellSteven RobertsonLewis HowdenA local police team investigate crimes within the close knit island community of Shetland.
- StarsGeraldine McEwanJulia McKenzieStephen ChurchettAn elderly spinster living in the village of St. Mary Mead helps her friends and relatives solve mysterious murders.
- CreatorSally WainwrightStarsSarah LancashireSiobhan FinneranJames NortonYorkshire-based crime drama centering on the personal and professional life of Police Sergeant Catherine Cawood.
- StarsStephen TompkinsonJack DeamAndrea LoweTenacious and stubborn DCI Alan Banks unravels disturbing murder mysteries aided by his young assistants, DS Annie Cabbot and DI Helen Morton.
- CreatorBen CourtCaroline IpStarsRupert Penry-JonesPhil DavisSteve PembertonA fast-tracked inspector, a hardened detective sergeant, and an expert in historical homicides investigate modern crimes with connections to the past in the Whitechapel district of London.
- StarsDavid JasonBruce AlexanderJohn LyonsDI Jack Frost is an unconventional policeman with sympathy for the underdog and an instinct for moral justice. Sloppy, disorganized, and disrespectful, he attracts trouble like a magnet.
- StarsFelicity KendalPam FerrisRyan PhilpottSet amongst the stunning gardens of Europe, Rosemary Boxer and Laura Thyme, two professional gardeners, find themselves drawn into solving mysterious crimes.
- StarsNathaniel ParkerSharon SmallLesley VickerageBritish crime investigation series based around aristocratic, Oxford-educated Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and his working-class assistant Sergeant Barbara Havers.
- CreatorSally WainwrightDiane TaylorStarsSuranne JonesLesley SharpTony MooneyDetectives Janet Scott & Rachel Bailey investigate murders with Manchester Police's Major Incident Team.
- StarsPeter OuterbridgeFlora MontgomeryMatthew MacFadzeanIn 1890s Canada, a police inspector applies the latest scientific methods of deduction, much to the chagrin of his superiors.
- StarsKenneth MoreDennis BurgessGraham CrowdenBased on the stories of G.K. Chesterton, a British Catholic Priest solves mysteries.
- StarsRachael StirlingJulie GrahamSophie RundleIn 1952, four women who worked at the wartime code-breaking centre, Bletchley Park, reunite to track down a serial killer.
- StarsDerek JacobiMichael CulverJulian FirthThe medieval era cases of a Crusader-turned-Monk who investigates mysteries in the Norman English town of Shrewsbury.
- CreatorReginald HillStarsWarren ClarkeColin BuchananDavid RoyleSuperintendent Dalziel and partner DI Pascoe investigate murder, and find a bond forming between them despite their blatantly different personalities.
- CreatorNigel McCreryRoy MitchellStarsDennis WatermanAmanda RedmanAlun ArmstrongThree retired police officers are drafted in to solve cold cases, with a touch of comedy and drama
- CreatorRichard WarlowStarsMatthew MacfadyenAdam RothenbergMyAnna BuringThe streets of Whitechapel are the haunt of Detective Inspector Edmund Reid and his team of officers, who aim to maintain law and order in a place once terrorized by Jack the Ripper.
- CreatorBarbara MachinStarsTrevor EveSue JohnstonWil JohnsonDrama series following a team of detectives who investigate unsolved murders using modern technology.
- StarsAlan DaviesCaroline QuentinStuart MilliganJonathan Creek, a magician with a natural ability for solving puzzles, works from his home in a converted windmill. He uses his abilities to solve impossible crimes and mysterious murders.
- CreatorAllan CubittStarsGillian AndersonJamie DornanJohn LynchA seemingly cold but very passionate policewoman goes head to head with a seemingly passionate father who is in fact a cold serial killer in this procedural out of Belfast. The only thing they share is their common complexity.
- StarsRobson GreenMark LetherenEmma HandyA psychologist gets inside of the minds of both killers and victims to aid the police in solving gruesome serial killings in Northern England.
- CreatorJohn HawkesworthStarsJeremy BrettDavid BurkeRosalie WilliamsSherlock Holmes and Dr Watson solve the mysteries of copper beeches, a Greek interpreter, the Norwood builder, a resident patient, the red-headed league, and one final problem.
- StarsKenneth BranaghRichard McCabeJeany SparkUnable to unsee the dark crimes he's tasked to investigate, Wallander's job comes at a cost to his family and relationships.
- StarsEmilia FoxDavid CavesWilliam GaminaraA team of exceptional forensic pathologists and scientists investigate heinous crimes and use their skills to catch the people responsible.
- CreatorM.C. BeatonStarsAshley JensenMatt McCooeyLucy LiemannThe Cotswolds-based PR guru turned amateur sleuth returns for a series of comedic murder-mysteries based on the books by M.C. Beaton.
- StarsRobert CarlyleRalph RiachBrian PettiferHamish Macbeth is a police constable in the small Scottish town of Lochdubh, who occasionally bends the rules when it suits him or when it can help some of his fellow eccentric townsfolk.
- StarsKen StottClaire PriceJennifer BlackSet in Edinburgh, the mercurial Detective Inspector John Rebus's investigations lead him through the city's ancient beauty and into its more sinister quarters.
- StarsNeil DudgeonDiana RiggPeter DavisonPaired with her reliable and devoted chauffeur, Mrs Bradley's finely honed skills of investigation seek out the truth behind the mysteries surrounding a death at the opera, crimes of passion at a circus, poisoning and family secrets.
- CreatorJimmy McGovernStarsRobbie ColtraneGeraldine SomervilleKieran O'BrienDr Edward "Fitz" Fitzgerald is a criminal psychologist. He is rather anti-social and obnoxious but he has a gift for solving crimes. Thus he is employed as a consultant by the Manchester Police.
- CreatorJohn BowenDavid CookStarsPatricia RoutledgeDominic MonaghanDerek BenfieldHetty wakes on her 60th birthday and decides to become a private investigator. With assistance from a teenager called Geoffrey and her husband Robert, combined with her own common sense, Hetty is confident she can solve any case.
- CreatorRichard HarrisStarsPeter DavisonSean HughesRob Spendlove"Dangerous" Davies always gets the cases no one else wants, and no one notices when he eventually succeeds. But his old-fashioned decency and dogged determination have won him legions of loyal fans.
- CreatorAbi MorganStarsStellan SkarsgårdNicola WalkerAdeel AkhtarJohn River is a brilliant police inspector whose genius lies side-by-side with the fragility of his mind. He is a man haunted by the murder victims whose cases he must lay to rest.
- StarsLeo McKernJonathan CoyJulian CurryThe cases of a portly and eccentric criminal law barrister.
- CreatorDick WolfStarsBradley WalshRobert GlenisterHarriet WalterUK version of the long-running U.S. TV drama that tells the stories of two separate yet equally important groups: the police, who investigate crime; and the attorneys, who prosecute the offenders.
- CreatorGeorge AdamsTony WrightStarsNadine GarnerCraig McLachlanCharlie CousinsDr Lucien Blake left Ballarat as a young man. But now he finds himself returning, to take over not only his dead father's medical practice, but also his on-call role as the town's police surgeon.
- CreatorNick CollinsStarsCaroline CatzLisa FaulknerJeremy SheffieldThe series focused on various murders in the fictional suburban English town of Middleford. The crimes are solved by two female police detectives, Inspector Kate Ashurst and Sergeant Emma Scribbins, aka "Ash and Scribbs".
- CreatorIan Kennedy MartinStarsJohn ThawDennis WatermanGarfield MorganJack Regan and George Carter are hard-edged detectives in the Flying Squad of London's Metropolitan Police. They pursue villains by methods which are underhanded and often illegal, frequently violent and - more often than not - successful.
- StarsPenny DownieDavid CardyGary WaldhornA six-part drama series set in an advertising agency. It focuses on Sarah Copeland, a rising copywriter who is pitching for a prestigious account. This series is one of a number documenting the unique social and economic conditions in south-east England during the 1980s economic boom.
- CreatorGlenn ChandlerStarsBlythe DuffJames MacPhersonRobert RobertsonThe Maryhill CID investigates gruesome murders against the bleak backdrop of the city of Glasgow.
- CreatorMatthew GrahamTony JordanAshley PharoahStarsJohn SimmPhilip GlenisterLiz WhiteAfter a near-fatal car accident, smart, savvy, sharp-suited detective Sam is mysteriously transported back to 1973. Confused by his new surroundings, Sam tries to return to the present, but the police force of long ago needs his help.
- StarsGeorge BakerChristopher RavenscroftLouie RamsayFrom cold, rock-strewn moors to comfortable suburban estates, award-winning writer Ruth Rendell explores the dark fissures between friends and family members that motivate murder.
- CreatorGF NewmanStarsMartin ShawJenny SeagroveBarbara ThornSir John Deed, a High Court judge, tries to seek real justice in the cases before him.
- CreatorRobert Banks StewartStarsJohn NettlesTerence AlexanderSean ArnoldRecovering alcoholic and divorced father of a young daughter, DS Jim Bergerac is a true maverick who prefers doing things his own way, and consequently doesn't always carry out his investigations the way his boss would like.
- StarsJill ScottAnika Noni RoseLucian MsamatiPrecious Ramotswe launches the first-ever female detective agency in Botswana. She embarks on various adventures while investigating cases and must also overcome several challenges in her quest.
- StarsRoger MooreIvor DeanLeslie CrawfordSimon (the Saint) Templar's an adventurer, and friend to those in need. Where his money comes from isn't mentioned, but, he travels europe in his white Volvo P1800S righting wrongs.
- StarsTchéky KaryoAnastasia HilleJames NesbittTony and Emily Hughes' vacation turns into a nightmare when their 5-year-old son Oliver disappears from a large celebrating crowd in Northern France.
- CreatorLynda La PlanteStarsKelly ReillyCiarán HindsShaun DingwallA team of dedicated detectives investigate gruesome murders across London.
- CreatorAndrew PayneStarsRichard GriffithsMaggie SteedMalcolm SinclairDI Crabbe retires from the police force after being shot and sets up his own restaurant. However, his ex-boss, Assistant Chief Constable Fisher constantly calls Crabbe back on duty.
- StarsStephen DillaneClémence PoésyCédric VieiraA prominent French politician is found dead on the border between the U.K. and France, and two agents must work together on behalf of their respective countries to find the murderer.
- StarsMichael GambonGeoffrey HutchingsJack GallowayFrom Montmartre to the remote French countryside, Maigret encounters the dark side of the human psyche. Yet, he manages to maintain both compassion and a sense of humor as he explores the complex motives that lie behind every crime.
- CreatorPaul AbbottStarsJoanna ScanlanElaine CassidyWill MellorFollows a group of police officers on the front line wondering what they did to end up where they are now, on the ugly side of Manchester.
- StarsJack ShepherdHelen MastersJimmy YuillSet in Cornwall, Detective Superintendent Charles Wycliffe, who works along with his colleagues DI Doug Kersey and DI Lucy Lane, investigates murder cases with his trademark determination and clinical accuracy.
- CreatorChris LangStarsSanjeev BhaskarJordan LongCarolina MainLondon detectives investigate crimes from the past, unravelling secrets left buried for years.
- CreatorHans RosenfeldtNicola LarderStarsAnna FrielRay PanthakiJack DoolanMarcella Backland left the Metropolitan Police for the sake of her family, only to have her husband leave her. She returns to her job on the murder squad, investigating a case that seems disturbingly familiar to her.
- CreatorSimon DonaldStarsRichard DormerBjörn Hlynur HaraldssonSienna GuilloryPerched on the edge of the Arctic Circle, Fortitude is one of the safest towns on earth. There has never been a violent crime here. Until now.
- CreatorBryan ElsleyStarsSarah LancashirePhil DavisNisha NayarCases of a woman and her male assistant who work for the fictional CJRA (Criminal Justice Review Agency), an organization which seeks out miscarriages of justice.
- CreatorBarry SimnerRob PurseyStarsCaroline CatzDavid HarewoodKen StottVeteran Detective Inspector Pat Chappel (Ken Stott) heads up the Metropolitan vice squad as he and his team investigate prostitution and pornography in the London sex trade.
- CreatorHoward OvermanStarsToby StephensRonny JhuttiRoger GriffithsTwo Detectives Jack and Georgina who share chemistry but have complicated personal lives.
- CreatorPaul AbbottStarsRobson GreenNicola WalkerShaun DingwallA police drama following the exploits of a crack squad within the Organized and Serial Crime Unit, a rapid-response police force serving the entire county.
- StarsDon GiletDervla KirwanAndrew DunnA London detective moves to Newcastle after blowing the whistle on a corrupt colleague.
- CreatorAnthony HorowitzStarsMark StrepanBen TavassoliMark AddyThe series follows junior investigators Stefan and Rash, who are brought together by a link between two seemingly unrelated cases.
- StarsKarla CromeLaura HaddockLindsey CoulsonA police detective working on a drug dealer's murder case is unaware she's the missing witness the cops and killer seek, making her investigation highly perilous.
- CreatorMatthew GrahamAshley PharoahStarsPhilip GlenisterKeeley HawesDean AndrewsAfter being shot in 2008 while investigating DCI Sam Tyler, DI Alex Drake wakes up in 1981.
- StarsJessica RaineDavid WalliamsJames FleetAgatha Christie's crime-fighting duo, Tommy and Tuppence Beresford, solve mysteries and search for enemy spies in 1950s Britain.
- CreatorDavid HoseltonDavid N. TitcherStarsMichael WestonStephen ManganRebecca LiddiardAt the turn of the 20th century the Metropolitan Police were overwhelmed with bizarre cases so they turned to outsiders including Houdini and Doyle, who collaborated with New Scotland Yard on some unsolved and inexplicable crimes.
- StarsRufus SewellCaterina MurinoStanley TownsendDetective Aurelio Zen brings justice to modern-day Italy.
- StarsHelen BaxendaleAnnette CrosbieStruan RodgerCordelia Gray is the reluctant owner of a ramshackle investigation agency following the suicide of her boss. Watching over her as she hunts down clues in the murky and sinister world of crime, is her straight-laced and intuitive office assistant Edith Sparshott.
- CreatorPaul SmithStarsDawn FrenchPaul Mark ElliottSoo DrouetDawn French stars in this dark and twisted comedy series, in which she plays a different character embroiled in murder, in each hilarious episode.
- CreatorBarry SimnerRob PurseyStarsOwen McDonnellDavid HerlihyRuth McCabeJack Driscoll moves back to the town on the west coast of Ireland where he was born. He takes over his retired father's Garda post, and solves different cases.
- StarsCatherine RussellBarbara FlynnSusan FleetwoodElly and Dee team up to form a detective agency.
- StarsHarriet WalterEdward PetherbridgeRichard MorantA gentleman sleuth solves mysteries and falls in love with a detective novelist.
- StarsAmanda BurtonConor MullenNicholas WoodesonA workaholic with a messy personal life, Helen West juggles gruesome cases of domestic abuse, sexual molestation and murder alongside her rocky relationship with policeman Chief Superintendent Bailey.
- CreatorStephen GallagherStarsPatrick StewartAshley JensenDonald SumpterPatrick Stewart stars as science professor Ian Hood, who works for the Home Office as a consultant on special dangerous cases that involve deadly viruses, cloning experiments etc. Special Branch agent Rachel Young is his partner.
- StarsJesse SpencerMartin ShawAlan HowardDetective Adam Dalgliesh looks into the death of a young ordinand who died under mysterious circumstances.
- CreatorColin BatemanStarsJames NesbittDel SynnottClaudia HarrisonAs a maverick cop with a dark past, DS Tommy Murphy fails a psychiatric assessment but is given one last chance by his boss and given a dangerous undercover assignment.
- StarsRobbie ColtraneAmanda HaleBel PowleyA thriller that tells a traumatic murder story through the eyes of three central characters: Carrie the daughter of the murdered woman, Douglas Hain the detective in charge of the investigation, and Sally the murder victim.
- StarsRichard HarringtonMali HarriesAlex HarriesA noir crime drama set in Aberystwyth, Wales, where troubled DCI Tom Mathias solves murders while searching for redemption.