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15 best British TV crime dramas of all time (so far)

By Alexandria Ingham

From left: Martin Compston, Adrian Dunbar, Vicky McClure from Line of Duty. Photo Credit: Des Willie/Courtesy of Acorn TV.
From left: Martin Compston, Adrian Dunbar, Vicky McClure from Line of Duty. Photo Credit: Des Willie/Courtesy of Acorn TV. /
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Programme Name: Shetland – TX: n/a – Episode: n/a (No. n/a) – Picture Shows: Jimmy Perez (DOUGLAS HENSHALL) – (C) ITV Studios – Photographer: Mark Mainz
Programme Name: Shetland – TX: n/a – Episode: n/a (No. n/a) – Picture Shows: Jimmy Perez (DOUGLAS HENSHALL) – (C) ITV Studios – Photographer: Mark Mainz /

4. Broadchurch

Number of seasons: 3 seasons

Created by: Chris Chibnall

Starring: David Tennant, Olivia Colman, Jodie Whittaker, Andrew Buchan, Arthur Darvill, Carolyn Pickles, Matthew Gravelle, and Charlotte Beaumont

What it’s about: David Tennant plays DI Alec hardy, who was called into a case that involved the death of 11-year-old Danny Latimer. While he solved the case, the show focused on the grief and the way a death like this could affect the people in the local area.

While the second season still had elements of the first season creep in, there was a case from the past to work on. The third season had its own case to work through during the season.

Why it’s the best One of the great things about Broadchurch was the way that it was written. The actors had no idea who the killer was until it came to the reveal, so there were never any hints on the screen except through Chibnall’s writing.

It’s one of teh British TV crime dramas with some heartfelt storylines. It was hard not to get caught up in the grief, as it focused more on the character development than the actual murder investigation.

3. Shetland

Number of seasons: 5 seasons (so far)

Created by: David Kane, based on the novels by Ann Cleeves

Starring: Douglas Henshall, Alison O’Donnell, Steven Robertson, Lewis Howden, Stewart Porter, Erin Armstrong, Mark Bonnar, Anne Kidd, and Julie Graham

What it’s about: British TV crime dramas do tend to be one-story focused. That’s certainly the case for Shetland, which each season delving into the one case. There are a few things that crop up along the way, but there’s one main case to work out.

We follow Douglas Henshall as Jimmy Perez, a detective inspector working for the Shetland police. However, the cases aren’t going to be easy to solve when the local people refuse to cooperate.

Why it’s the best One of the things that works so well for Shetland is that the show is based on beloved books. And only the right amount of time is spent on the storytelling. The first season, for example, is only two episodes long. But you don’t feel like you’re missing out on anything.

The series gives us a look at the Scottish people on the small island. It’s a chance to see how supportive they are of each other, but also how they will keep each others’ secrets.

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