Thanks to flexible production schedules and malleable season lengths, British crime drama is a genre with a deep bench and an impressive legacy. Whether you discovered Sherlock on Netflix or became hooked on an Edge of Darkness VHS tape that you discovered in the early ‘90s, you know that our friends across the pond have been able to strike certain tones, depict certain depths of depravity, or even just tell jokes that aren’t to be found in the American productions.
This doesn’t make British TV inherently better, of course (let’s not waste time with that argument) but the more you explore different productions—both contemporary, and classic—the more you’ll get a feel for their nuances and specificities and, hopefully, the more you’ll develop a flavor for it.
Below, we’ve gathered a list of some of the best new productions, some iconic classics (a few of which have been remade as American movies), and some outside-the-box experimental series that push the boundaries of what a crime drama can even be. And all of these movies are readily available for you, at the very least to rent (and usually you can find lurking around one of the many streaming services you likely already subscribe to). Once you identify one you feel like diving into head first, you’ll find a real gem to fill out a weekend or two of binge-watching, no matter your tastes, proclivities, or ability to handle violence (or just heartwrenching themes).
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