The Best British Detective Shows on Prime Video Right Now (January 2025) (original) (raw)
Updated Jan 26, 2025, 7:00 PM EST
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British television has a wonderful history in numerous genres, with sitcoms such as Fawlty Towers and sci-fi shows like Doctor Who becoming known the world over. In the 21st century, there's perhaps been no bigger genre on British television than the detective show, with many of the country's best-loved series seeing a crime-solving duo take on the gritty reality of Brit-crime. With that in mind, here's a look at the very best British detective shows on Prime Video right now.
Thinking of trying something else? Why not check out Collider's list of the best action movies on Prime? Or how about the best movies on Prime in general?
Disclaimer: These shows are available on US Prime Video.
Editor's note: This article was updated January 2025 to include Tin Star.
‘Tin Star’ (2017 - 2020)
Rotten Tomatoes: 60% | IMDb: 7.2/10
Release Date
2017 - 2020-00-00
Network
Sky Atlantic
Directors
Justin Chadwick, Susan Tully, Alice Troughton, Chris Baugh, Jim Loach, Marc Jobst
Writers
Rowan Joffe, Nathaniel Price
Cast
Christine Tremarco
Carrie McGrath
Christopher Heyerdahl
Louis Gagnon
Genevieve O'Reilly
Angela Worth
This diasporic British detective series sees Tim Roth’s former British police detective, Jim, take a new position in the Canadian Rockies, settling him and his family into the sleepy town of Little Big Bear. However, this town isn’t sleepy for long, with ghosts from Jim’s past catching up with his new life. Roth is captivating in this intriguing drama, with enough mystery packed into each episode to keep you on your toes. Prepare to be gripped to the edge of your seat as Tin Star throws you into the center of a fascinating puzzle. - Jake Hodges
'Broadchurch' (2013 - 2017)
Rotten Tomatoes: 92% | IMDb: 8.4/10
Release Date
2013 - 2017
Network
ITV1
Showrunner
Seasons
3
Creator(s)
Chris Chibnall
Created by former Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall, Broadchurch is the show that put him on the map with a detective story for the ages. The series follows detectives Alec Hardy (David Tennant) and Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) as they investigate the devastating death of a young boy in a sleepy coastal town. With the community close-knit, each person holds their own grief over the tragic death, leading to sudden and sickening revelations that bring even greater tragedy to the town.
Featuring standout performances from the likes of Tennant, Colman, and especially Jodie Whittaker as the murdered boy's mother, Broadchurch is simply a force of nature. Not wanting to be swept up in the policing jargon and twisted narrative that often avoids the familial side of murder cases, Broadchurch embraces the human and family aspects of such an impactful tragedy, making it both refreshing and highly emotional.
'Three Pines' (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes: 72% | IMDb: 7.2/10
Release Date
2022 - 2022-00-00
Directors
Samuel Donovan, Tracey Deer, Daniel Grou
Writers
Emilia di Girolamo
Created by Emilia di Girolamo, Three Pines follows Alfred Molina's Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, an astute detective with a penchant for catching killers. However, his skills are put to the test when a series of strange murders hit the village of Three Pines, with Gamache and his team ready for all but the uncovering of many tragic secrets.
Also starring the likes of Tantoo Cardinal, Rossif Sutherland, and Sarah Booth, Three Pines is a twisting, turning mystery with plenty of devilish intrigue. A wonderful assembled collection of characters is wrapped up in a web of deception, desperately asking the audience to piece the puzzle together themselves. For fans of a murder mystery, this is the perfect series to watch.
'The Fall' (2013 - 2016)
Rotten Tomatoes: 85% | IMDb: 8.1/10
Release Date
2013 - 2016-00-00
Cast
Aisling Fanciosi
Katie Benedetto
This underrated gem of a British detective series sees Jamie Dornan play seedy serial killer Paul Spector, whose methodical spree through the bustling city of Belfast becomes the target of high-profile Superintendent Stella Gibson (Gillian Anderson), who is transferred from the Metropolitan police and assigned specifically to this case.
A brooding, swirling drama with plenty of unpredictable turns, The Fall is at its best when firing unexpected twists at its hungry viewers. Each beat feels meticulously crafted, with **Allan Cubitt'**s attention to detail making for a selection of episodes, each perfectly poised alongside the other. Thrilling from minute one, there's a reason the series earned two BAFTA nominations across three seasons.
'Midsomer Murders' (1997 - Present)
Rotten Tomatoes: 97% | IMDb: 7.9/10
Midsomer Murders
Genre
Crime, Drama, Mystery
Debut Date
March 23, 1997
Perhaps the most famous British detective series is Midsomer Murders, Caroline Graham's cozy crime procedural that follows the frankly terrifying rate of murders in the regional community of Midsomer County. John Nettles' DCI Tom Barnaby is about as famous a British television detective as any other, with the actor becoming the symbol for the genre right through until his exit in 2011.
Proudly boasting its rural countryside setting, the series is both entertaining and relaxing, managing to balance a sense of mysterious intrigue into the crimes themselves and a fond familiarity from a soothing backdrop and easy-to-follow stories. For anyone looking to soften their detective series viewing, Midsomer Murders is the perfect choice.
'Grantchester' (2014 - 2024)
Rotten Tomatoes: 85% | IMDb: 7.9/10
Release Date
2014 - 2024
Network
ITV1
Directors
Harry Bradbeer
Cast
Robson Green
Geordie Keating
James Norton
Sidney Chambers
Set in the gorgeous 1950s titular British village of Grantchester, Cambridgeshire, this detective series follows the village's vicar, Sidney (James Norton), as he becomes unwillingly thrown into the world of murderous crime. With mysteries to solve, Sidney joins forces with Detective Inspector Geordie Keating (Robson Green) to form an unlikely partnership that threatens any budding criminal in the area.
Wonderfully balancing the mysteries themselves alongside a gentle character study, Grantchester is an intelligent adaptation of James Runcie's "The Grantchester Mysteries," a collection of short stories beloved by many. A terrific series with much to be praised, perhaps Grantchester's biggest crime is being wholly bingeable.
'Line of Duty' (2012 - 2021)
Rotten Tomatoes: 96% | IMDb: 8.7/10
Release Date
2012 - 2026-00-00
Directors
David Caffrey, Douglas Mackinnon, Daniel Nettheim, Michael Keillor, John Strickland, Jed Mercurio, Sue Tully, Gareth Bryn, Jennie Darnell
Writers
Jed Mercurio
Seasons
6
Creator(s)
Jed Mercurio
One of the most widely celebrated British detective series of the 21st century, the genius mind of Jed Mecurio brings to life Line of Duty, a long-running saga of criminal enterprises being brought to their knees at the hands of a policing task force. However, this is no normal task force, with AC-12 solely charged with investigating cases of police corruption and, in doing so, uncovering a web of deception that travels right through to the top.
For nine years, Line of Duty had the hungry British public desperate for answers to the show's genius mysteries. Featuring a who's who of British talent, from Martin Compston and Vicky McClure to Neil Morrissey and Keeley Hawes, there's not a single stone left unturned as every corner of this meticulously crafted puzzle is explored, leading to Line of Duty's 13 BAFTA nominations over six seasons.
'Unforgotten' (2015 - Present)
Rotten Tomatoes: 91% | IMDb: 8.4/10
Release Date
October 8, 2015
Directors
Andy Wilson
Writers
Chris Lang
Seasons
6
Creator(s)
Chris Lang
One of the best-loved current detective shows hailing from British soil, Chris Lang's Unforgotten follows Detective Sergeant Sunil "Sunny" Khan (Sanjeev Bhaskar) and Detective Chief Inspector Cassie Stuart (Nicola Walker) as they track down answers to a series of crimes all buried under the rubble of the past. However, for this quick-witted and even quicker-minded pair, no case is too challenging to solve... or so they think.
On its surface, Unforgotten is a wonderfully crafted whodunnit with a desire to weave in an elaborate twist or two. Underneath that, Unforgotten is a charming drama about its central pair, with Sunny and Cassie's relationship the biggest factor in keeping millions hooked for almost a decade.
'River' (2015)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 8.0/10
River
Genre
Crime Drama
Debut Date
October 13, 2015
This 100% rated British detective miniseries created by Abi Morgan follows the titular John River (Stellan Skarsgård), a Swedish-born detective inspector whose professional life excels whilst his personal life threatens to collapse. Intent on solving every murder case in front of him, it is the ghosts of those very murders — and the grief from the loss of a colleague — that haunt his mind and leave him stranded between determined and fragile.
Every aspect involved in the sculpting of this genius series is perfected, with the acting, direction, script, and even the title sequence more than worth their flowers. A wholly underrated masterpiece of modern British television, River remains a must-watch for anyone with even a small taste for crime shows crafted across the pond.