British Crime Dramas

My last TV post got me thinking about why I watch so many British TV shows. In that post I discussed my tendency to pick shorter, auteur-driven shows over network TV. And I guess that's why I'm drawn to so many British shows on Netflix - they tend to have shorter series, which I think makes for smarter, more tightly-plotted shows.

Lately I've been into British crime dramas. A couple to watch:

Happy Valley - Probably my favourite British crime series to date. Scripted by Sally Wainwright (who used to write for Coronation Street!), this show is a gripping police drama set in rural West Yorkshire. From the start of the show you know who committed the crime, but will the police be able to solve it in time? Not only is it a well-crafted crime drama, it also explores the lives of middle-aged women, a subject not often seen on TV. Starring the great Sarah Lancashire (also from Coronation Street) and Siobhan Finneran (Mrs. O'Brien from Downton Abbey).

Scott & Bailey - Another police drama from Sally Wainwright, this time following two female detectives on the (fictional) Manchester Metropolitan Police. This is a more traditional case of the week show, but I really enjoyed the complex relationship it set up between Scott (played by the fantastic Lesley Sharp) and Bailey (Coronation Street's own Karen (Suranne Jones)). DCI Gill Murray (played by Amelia Bullmore, who took over writing duties after Wainwright left the series) is also one of the greatest female characters on television. One of the things I like about Wainwright's writing is how she can have two characters, while speaking to each other, carry on two separate conversations. There is a realism to how her characters interact, and are driven by their own psyches. (You can skip the final series of this if you want - neither Wainwright or Bullmore were associated with the show anymore, and honestly it feels like a completely different series.)

Two to skip (I watched these so you don't have to. Really.):

Doctor Foster - Also starring Suranne Jones, this series had really good reviews, and an intriguing first episode that looked to be setting up a compelling plot. But the series majorly went down hill after episode one, and the plot resolutions were weak at best. Not worth your time.

Paranoid - Like Doctor Foster, at first this seemed like a really interesting detective show, filled with a number of talented, familiar faces. The first episode was quite gripping, but OH MY GOD does this show go off the rails!

Any good British crime show recommendations out there?

XOXO

(Photo by Sven Scheuermeier)