Broadchurch? Too Mainstream: 10 Lesser-Known British Crime Shows

written by Leo Hartwell

August 27, 2023 6:32 pm

Broadchurch? Too Mainstream: 10 Lesser-Known British Crime Shows — Image credit: ITV, BBC, Channel 4, S4C, Netflix

From the eerie highlands to the bustling cities, the British Isles are bursting with crimes waiting to be solved.

1. No Offence

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Manchester. Gritty, bustling, and home to a killer targeting women with Down's syndrome. Vivienne Deering and her motley crew are on the case, and they're not your prim and proper detectives. Rough around the edges, they're a mix of humor, chaos, and sheer determination. The crimes are dark, but the banter? Brighter than a summer's day. It's a heady cocktail of grit and wit.

2. River

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Dive headfirst into the enigmatic waters of this show, won't you? River, the protagonist, isn't your average detective. Oh no, he sees dead people. No, this isn't The Sixth Sense. He's haunted by victims whose cases he's trying to solve. Each apparition is a knot to untangle. By day, he unravels crimes; by night, he's drowning in a sea of ghosts. A question bubbles to the surface: Is River solving crimes or simply unravelling himself?

3. Happy Valley

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Rolling hills and scenic beauty paint the backdrop, but don't let that fool you. Sergeant Catherine Cawood patrols these parts, a stronghold of drug trafficking and kidnapping. The valley ain't so happy after all. A kidnapping spirals out of control, bringing her face-to-face with her daughter's rapist. But here's the twist: he's involved in the crime. With each revelation, you're left thinking, "Well, I didn't see that coming".

4. The Loch

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Alright, imagine this: The Scottish Highlands, misty, mysterious, and... murderous? Beneath the pristine waters of Loch Ness lies a body. No, not the monster, but a man, perfectly preserved. Local cop Annie dives into the investigation, but it's more than just a whodunit. The town, a cauldron of secrets, bubbles with tension. When a killer lurks in paradise, can tranquility ever be reclaimed?

5. Line of Duty

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The police. We trust them, right? But what happens when they become suspects? Enter AC-12, a squad dedicated to uncovering police misconduct. They're not chasing masked criminals; they're hunting one of their own. It's a cat and mouse game, but with a twist: the cat doesn't know which mouse to chase. With each season, a new officer under scrutiny, and trust me, it's a roller coaster with no safety harness.

6. Shetland

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Ah, the Shetland Isles. Windswept. Remote. But not devoid of crime. Detective Jimmy Perez is our guide in this rugged terrain. When a local woman's murdered, it seems a straightforward case. But remember, in Shetland, the winds can change suddenly. It morphs into a tale of past sins, family feuds, and shadows that stretch longer than the midsummer nights. Beautifully bleak, it's a journey you won't forget.

7. Hinterland

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Into the wild, wild west of Wales we venture. The landscape? Rugged. The crimes? Darker than a winter's night. Detective Tom Mathias, our brooding lead, doesn't just solve cases; he confronts his own past. Old houses, dense woods, whispers of folktales – each case is draped in eerie atmosphere. You might come for the crime, but you'll stay for the hauntingly poetic narrative.

8. Unforgotten

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Ever find an old coin in the sofa and wondered about its journey? Now replace the coin with a corpse. Unforgotten dives deep into cold cases, dredging up the past with precision. Detectives Cassie and Sunny don’t just uncover a crime; they unearth layers of lives lived and secrets buried.

Old wounds are reopened, stories are retold, and the line between victim and perpetrator blurs. The show isn’t just about solving crimes; it's a mosaic of human frailties and redemption. Every skeleton has its closet, but these detectives are adept at airing them out.

9. Whitechapel

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Imagine the legendary crimes of Jack the Ripper. Got it? Now, catapult them into the 21st century. Grisly murders mimic the Ripper's MO. Could it be a copycat? Or something more sinister? With history as the backdrop, modern detectives scramble to piece together clues. It's not just about catching a killer; it's about understanding the past. Because sometimes, history doesn't just echo; it screams.

10. Vera

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The Northumberland moors, desolate and wild. Vera Stanhope, with her iconic hat and shabby coat, strides across this expanse. Her methods? Unconventional. Her results? Unparalleled. With her trusty sidekick, DS Aiden Healy, she delves into the darkest corners of human nature. But she's not just solving crimes; she's stitching together the fabric of her community. It's less about the 'who' and more about the 'why'.