In July, BritBox will once again celebrate Mystery Month. Every mystery lover knows that the Brits really know how to make a fantastic mystery series, from the cozy likes of Father Brown to the gritty realism of Luther. This year’s Mystery Month is bringing plenty to celebrate… including the arrival of Luther on BritBox!
We’ve gathered a list of the best crime shows you need to watch on BritBox—many of which are exclusively available on the streaming service.
Luther
Whether you’re new to the Luther series or have been obsessed with Alice Morgan for years, BritBox is bringing Luther home for a new chance to binge during Mystery Month. Four seasons of the gritty DCI show are freshly available… and in plenty of time to prep for the fabled Luther movie.
The Pembrokeshire Murders
This limited series starring Luke Evans dramatizes the story of a real-life serial killer, John Cooper. In the late 1980s, two double murders shocked Pembrokeshire. A brother and sister were killed in 1985, followed by a married couple in 1989. Despite the notoriety of these attacks as well as a string of burglaries and a rape, Cooper went unidentified for over two decades. This fascinating miniseries recreates the circumstances that finally solved the cold crimes.
Line of Duty
This incredible record-breaking series focuses on corruption within police forces. Kicking off in 2012 to great acclaim, Line of Duty just wrapped its sixth season in May 2021. Featuring stalwarts of the British television world like Kelly Macdonald, Anna Maxwell Martin, Vicky McClure, and Thandiwe Newton, the show follows DS Steve Arnott who is promoted to the anti-corruption unit after refusing to cover up the murder of an innocent man by a fellow officer. Binge the past seasons before diving into the acclaimed latest season!
35 Days
This Welsh series takes an unusual tack in the way it explores the mystery behind a murder. After showing the crime, we travel back 35 days to see exactly what led to the horrifying occurrence. Perfect for those with a taste for a hint of true crime-style investigation, 35 Days unravels mysteries in an enthralling manner.
Grace
Peter James’s best-selling Roy Grace novels have been adapted into two episodes of this thrilling BritBox original. James’s signature touch—in-depth interviews with actual police officers and other forensic experts that lend realism and grit to a fascinating plot—has been preserved in the first two episodes. We were left on the edge of our seats by the miniseries and can't wait for the next three episodes to premiere. Keep your fingers crossed for adaptations of the remaining 12 Grace novels.
New Tricks
This long-running British police procedural recognizes the wisdom of investigators with long careers—even when they’re confronted with cases that present them with new ideas and problems. Reaching nearly American lengths with a total of 107 episodes, this series will appeal to fans of Cold Case or Inspector Lynley.
Silent Witness
This series shares some of the same DNA as New Tricks—also created by Nigel McCrery, Silent Witness is the longest procedural drama out of the UK and is still going strong. This show focuses much more on forensic pathology than New Tricks and will find its viewers amongst lovers of shows like Bones thanks to its focus on the science behind crime-solving, plus some great will they-won’t they relationship building.
The Bay
Sometimes called a Northern Broadchurch, The Bay follows Detective Sergeant Lisa Armstrong as she investigates the disappearance of 15-year-old twins, Dylan and Holly. A morally grey cop who nonetheless works her hardest to solve the crime ahead of her, viewers will love DS Armstrong.
Traces
Fans of Val McDermid will need to check this out. Co-created and co-written by McDermid and Amelia Bullmore, this series tells the story of Emma Hedges, a forensic lab technician whose mother’s own murder haunts her. After realizing that a hypothetical case study was inspired by her mother’s murder, Hedges teams up with Professors Sarah Gordon and Kathy Torrence to attempt to solve it for real.
A Confession
Martin Freeman returns to the world of crime drama in A Confession. Based on the real story of DS Steve Fulcher, the miniseries explores the trade-offs made to bring killers to justice—in this case, Fulcher sacrificed his career to ensure that murderer Christopher Halliwell would be sent to jail for the death of Sian O’Callaghan. The show could easily find itself valorizing Fulcher rather than exploring the experiences of O’Callaghan’s family and the all-too-real loss of her life, but instead is a moving portrait of a family wrecked by grief and uncertainty.
All this and much more is available to watch now on BritBox during Mystery Month!
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