Latest news with #SiânBrooke
Forbes
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
5 Great UK Police Detective Shows You Really Need To Watch
5 Great UK Cop Shows Credit: BBC There are few things in this fine world that I enjoy more than a really good cop show, and among the many types of police dramas out there, few I find as gripping as a good cop show from the UK. It's like comfort food for this TV critic. While I'm always looking for something new – and please share if you have favorites not listed here – I do have a few favorites that I thought I'd share with you here. These range from classic murder mysteries to stories about cops on patrol to really emotional family dramas, so there's a lot of variety. All of these are relatively new and set in modern times. We'll save Agatha Christie and the like for another time. Most of these are available on BritBox (one of my favorite streaming services which I subscribe to via Amazon Prime Video) though one is not available anywhere at the moment unless you purchase it on Video on Demand. Other streaming services, like Mhz, PBS Masterpiece also have some great police shows from the UK and Europe. If you're in the UK, obviously BBC iPlayer is a great option. The newest series on this list is one of my favorite new police shows. Blue Lights follows the day-to-day patrols of a group of police officers in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It's not really a mystery in the same sense that shows like The Wire aren't really mysteries. You get to know the cops on the beat, the criminals they come across and you see a lot of the tension between communities and the police as well as just how divided Belfast remains even long after the Troubles have ended. The show's creators met with over 40 police officers in order to craft as authentic a portrayal as possible. Fans of shows like Southland and The Wire will enjoy this gritty, down-to-earth procedural. The series focuses on a trio of rookie cops: Siân Brooke plays Grace Ellis, a mother who changes careers in her 40s to become a police officer, and two young rookies, Annie Conlon (Katherine Devlin) and Tommy Foster (Nathan Braniff). They join veteran cops who show them the ropes as they navigate incredibly tense situations in both Catholic West Belfast (in Season 1) and Protestant/Unionist Belfast (in Season 2). A third season is currently in production. Unforgotten Credit: ITV I've recently been devouring the British crime drama Unforgotten, binging two seasons in (I think) two days recently. I'm up to Season 4 now, and it's absolutely gripping TV. Nicola Walker stars as DCI Cassie Stuart, the head of a cold cases unit. DI Sunny Khan (Sanjeev Bhaskar) helps lead a team of detectives solving historical crimes. Each season, they uncover a new body and get to work piecing together all the clues. Who is this person? When did they die? Was it a murder? And, of course, who is the killer? Inevitably, many closets are emptied of their skeletons in the process, and lives are upended in the process. So far, each season has been better than the last. (Though I've had readers tell me that this changes in later seasons, in part due to a major recasting). The villains in this show are often deeply sinister (Season 3 in particular had me reeling) and have managed to get away with their crime(s) for decades, posing as normal people with nothing to hide, often even from their families – until now. Happy Valley Credit: BBC The undisputed monarch of British cop shows is, in my humblest opinion, Happy Valley. Nothing else compares. In my review of the three-season show I called it a 'masterpiece' and I stand by that. Every minute of this series is compelling, whether it's just really emotional family drama or edge-of-your-seat action that leaves you breathless and shaking. Sarah Lancashire plays police sergeant Catherine Cawood, a middle-aged divorcee who lives with her sister and raises her grandson. Lancashire's performance is easily one of the top five TV performances I've ever seen. The series villain, Tommy Lee Royce, played with crackling menace by James Norton, will haunt you long after the credits roll. The writing and acting is simply outstanding, with moments of genuine humor followed by gut-wrenching scenes of violence or suspense. Creator Sally Wainwright spins a story that's at once tragic and deeply relatable. Somehow, despite a huge gap between Seasons 2 and 3, the show manages to wrap up its decade-long story perfectly. Easily one of my all-time favorite TV shows. This is very much in the 'Nordic noir' tradition, and fans of American mysteries like Mare Of Eastown should definitely check it out. Line Of Duty Credit: BBC So far we've talked a lot about coppers in this post, but what about bent coppers? Because if you want a show about catching bent coppers, there's only one place to turn: Line Of Duty follows the detectives of AC-12, an anticorruption unit whose mission is to stop organized crime and root out crooked cops. It's terrific television right up until its final, wildly disappointing sixth season. Each season tackles a new corruption case, though all of these are connected to a larger conspiracy. The show follows DS Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) as he's transferred to AC-12 where he meets his new boss Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar), a man who has dedicated his life to the pursuit of bent coppers. He's partnered with DC Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) who works undercover for AC-12. Each season introduces a new guest star from an impressive list of British actors including Lennie James, Thandiwe Newton and Stephen Graham. Shetland Credit: BBC Finally we go north – way, way up north to Shetland, the Scottish islands from whence this series takes its name. I don't typically judge my TV mysteries based on which detective I'd most like to have a pint with, but if that question were posed to me, I'd easily pick DI Jimmy Perez (Douglas Henshall). Perez is just such a level-headed guy, I find him calming to watch, even though he doesn't always keep his cool. Henshall is brilliant in the role (though he exits after Season 7, alas). The show is based on the books by Ann Cleeves, though it departs in some pretty significant ways from the source material. Each season tackles a new murder that's taken place in the remote Scottish isles with its rocky beaches and vast open spaces. This is the most rural of these shows, though our heroes find their way to other locations including Glasgow and even Norway, which is just across the water. Some terrific guest stars have appeared on Shetland, including Brian Cox, Ciarán Hinds and Stephen Walters. And while I find some of the choices this series makes (either changes from the books or just peculiar decisions particularly at the end of Season 4) overall it's a great watch. What other great British, Irish and Scottish cop shows and mysteries do you enjoy? Obviously there are countless more to choose from, so tell me your favorites so I can add them to my backlog! Let me know on Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky or Facebook. Also be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me here on this blog. Sign up for my newsletter for more reviews and commentary on entertainment and culture.
Metro
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
BBC's 'best crime drama ever' vows to be even better in season 3
Siân Brooke promised the new season is 'intense' and 'surprising' (Picture: BBC/Two Cities Television) The cast of a critically-acclaimed crime drama returning for season 3 on the BBC has promised the new episodes are going to be the best yet. The Northern Irish series Blue Lights first premiered in 2023, before returning for a second season the following year. The first two seasons generated the type of word-of-mouth buzz to guarantee that it would not only return for a third season, but also a fourth in the near future, after fans hailed it 'the best crime drama ever'. Siân Brooke, who plays one of the lead characters Grace Ellis, confirmed in a new interview that the show wraps filming for season 3 this week, meaning that our class of response coppers will return to the streets of Belfast very soon in six new episodes. Brooke promised that the new episodes are 'intense, surprising', telling the RadioTimes on the Baftas red carpet: 'We're just coming to the end of it, so we're about to enter our last week of filming. 'The writing I think on this one, it just blows it out the water – I don't know how these guys get better and better, but they do.' Nathan Braniff said season 3 is the 'best so far' (Picture: BBC/Two Cities Television) The first two seasons generated huge word-of-mouth buzz (Picture: BBC/Two Cities Television) Brooke went on to praise the characters shaped by creators Adam Patterson and Declan Lawn, who are ex-Panorama journalists turned writer-directors. The actress said: 'There's a lot of care that's gone into making them and they're very individual and so people have related to them, they want to know what happens, where the story ends.' She was joined on the red carpet by Nathan Braniff, who plays Tommy Foster in the series. He added: 'It's the best so far this next one I would say, so we're all super excited for everybody at home to see it.' The third season doesn't have a confirmed release date yet (Picture: BBC/Gallagher Films/Two Cities Television/Steffan Hill) There are more new cast members joining the third season (Picture: BBC/Gallagher Films/Two Cities Television) Blue Lights fans will be just as excited to sit down and watch season three, after the second installment was met with huge praise online. @ChrisPopeWrites wrote on X at the time: 'Best crime drama – ever.' @MrDavidEBrown agreed, adding: 'You glance at Blue Lights and assume, 'just another police drama'. But it's honestly unlike any other show on TV. Love it.' @NomadicWriter also said: 'Tense complicated relationships, great plotting, nice pacing, wicked dialogue and clearly defined characters – #BlueLights has it all.' The third season will take on white collar crime (Picture: BBC/Gallagher Films/Two Cities Television) With filming set to wrap this week, the third season could arrive later this year, although the BBC hasn't confirmed the release date. We do know there will be some new faces in the forever-chaotic precinct, as Boiling Point's Cathy Tyson and Bad Sisters' Michael Smiley have joined the cast. While details on who their new characters will be are being kept under wraps, the BBC has teased the loose outlines of what Grace, Annie and Tommy will face two years into their jobs as response officers. They're expected to enter the sinister white collar world of accountants and lawyers who facilitate organised crime. 'The old political and criminal order has gone and a new global gang rule Belfast, bringing danger closer to home for our officers than ever before.' the BBC said on season three in a statement. Blue Lights is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. Arrow MORE: Traitors fans 'gutted' one rumoured celebrity won't be taking part Arrow MORE: The Celebrity Traitors line-up is a game-changing moment in television Arrow MORE: Stephen Fry and Charlotte Church lead Celebrity Traitors cast as line-up is finally confirmed
