Updated April 2026
Best Crime & Thriller Series UK Streaming 2026
14 essential picks across every major UK streaming platform — from British police procedurals to US crime epics and spy thrillers. All available to watch right now.
3
BBC iPlayer
1
Apple TV+
3
Netflix
3
ITVX
2
Amazon
1
BritBox
1
Disney+
Jump to service
BBC iPlayer
BBC iPlayer is free with a TV Licence and holds the best British crime drama archive in the UK. Happy Valley, Line of Duty, and Killing Eve are all available at no extra cost — making iPlayer the essential starting point for British crime.
Happy Valley
West Yorkshire police sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) has spent her career haunted by the man she holds responsible for her daughter's death. When he resurfaces, the collision is devastating. Three seasons spanning several years of Catherine's life.
Why we recommend it
The finest British crime drama of the past decade, and arguably of the past quarter century. Lancashire's performance is a complete masterclass, but the whole ensemble — including James Norton as the unforgettable Tommy Lee Royce — is exceptional. The final season (2023) is among the best television made anywhere. All three series are free on BBC iPlayer.
Line of Duty
AC-12, an anti-corruption unit within a large English police force, investigates officers suspected of being "bent coppers". Each series follows a new target while threading a long-running conspiracy through all six runs.
Why we recommend it
The most compulsively watchable British procedural in years. Jed Mercurio's writing combines genuine procedural rigour with telenovela-level twists and the interview scenes — often 20 minutes of characters talking across a table — are somehow the most gripping sequences on television. The show rewards patient long-run viewing; start at series one.
Killing Eve
MI5 officer Eve Polastri becomes obsessed with tracking a psychopathic assassin called Villanelle, while the assassin becomes equally fascinated with her pursuer. A cat-and-mouse thriller unlike anything else on television.
Why we recommend it
Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer have one of the most electric dynamics in recent television history. The first two seasons — written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Emerald Fennell respectively — are close to perfect. The show loses some of its edge in seasons three and four, but the central performances remain compelling throughout.
Apple TV+
Apple TV+ has established itself as the premium destination for spy thriller in the UK. Slow Horses is the definitive argument for subscribing.
Slow Horses
Slough House is MI5's dumping ground for disgraced agents — and Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) is its slovenly, brilliant, contemptuous chief. When his slow horses stumble into a real crisis, the results are unexpectedly compelling. Based on Mick Herron's Slough House novels.
Why we recommend it
One of the best spy dramas ever made. Gary Oldman is on career-best form as the shambling, flatulent, razor-sharp Lamb, and the supporting cast — Kristin Scott Thomas, Jack Lowden, Olivia Cooke — is exceptional. The show has the rare quality of being genuinely funny while remaining genuinely tense. Essential viewing for anyone who finds most spy fiction too earnest.
Netflix
Netflix has the biggest global crime and thriller catalogue. Its best UK picks range from methodical character studies (Mindhunter) to sustained family-crime epics (Ozark) to true-crime dramatisations (The Serpent).
Mindhunter
Two FBI agents in the late 1970s — idealistic Holden Ford and pragmatic Bill Tench — begin interviewing imprisoned serial killers to develop the science of criminal profiling. Methodical, unsettling, and entirely unlike most crime procedurals.
Why we recommend it
David Fincher directs multiple episodes and the show carries his clinical, obsessive sensibility throughout. Jonathan Groff and Holt McCallany are outstanding as the central pair, but it is the serial killer interview sequences — particularly Cameron Britton's Ed Kemper — that make the show unforgettable. Criminally cancelled after two seasons, but complete enough to satisfy.
Ozark
Financial advisor Marty Byrde launders money for a Mexican drug cartel and, after a deal goes wrong, is forced to relocate his family to the Lake of the Ozarks and build a new criminal enterprise there. Things escalate from there.
Why we recommend it
Jason Bateman and Laura Linney are superb as a married couple whose relationship is tested by increasingly extreme circumstances. The show hits its peak in season two — Julia Garner's Ruth Langmore is one of the best characters in contemporary television, and she won three consecutive Emmy Awards for the role. A reliable, sustained 40+ hours of tension.
The Serpent
A dramatisation of the real-life case of Charles Sobhraj, a French-Vietnamese con artist and serial killer who preyed on Western backpackers across Southeast Asia in the mid-1970s. Tahar Rahim is mesmerising as Sobhraj.
Why we recommend it
A BBC/Netflix co-production that feels distinctly British in its restraint. The show is structured around a Dutch diplomat who becomes obsessed with tracking Sobhraj down, and the non-linear storytelling builds genuine dread. Rahim's performance — seductive, terrifying, completely controlled — is the best true-crime portrayal of a real killer since Zac Efron's Bundy. Six gripping episodes.
Watch all Netflix picks above with a subscription.
Start watching on Netflix →ITVX
ITVX holds one of the strongest free crime drama libraries in the UK. Broadchurch, Unforgotten, and Trigger Point are all available on the free ad-supported tier — no subscription required.
Broadchurch
The murder of an eleven-year-old boy in a small Dorset coastal town throws its community into chaos. Detectives Alec Hardy (David Tennant) and Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) investigate while the town disintegrates around them.
Why we recommend it
The gold standard of the British small-town murder genre. The first series is one of the most compelling pieces of crime television ever made in this country, with a final-episode reveal that rewards the patience required to sit through its quieter middle section. Colman's grief in that finale is extraordinary. Series two is a bold courtroom drama; series three shifts genre entirely.
Unforgotten
Cold case detectives in London investigate murders from decades past — cases where a small piece of new evidence surfaces and ripples through the lives of everyone connected to the original crime. An anthology-within-a-series format: new case each series, same detectives.
Why we recommend it
Consistently excellent police drama that never betrays its audience with cheap twists. The format rewards new viewers — you can start at any series — while the characters accrue emotional weight across all five runs. Series 1-4 starred the late, great Nicola Walker as DCI Cassie Stuart; her presence is irreplaceable, but the show has adapted thoughtfully. A model of intelligent British crime writing.
Trigger Point
Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) officer Lana Washington (Vicky McClure) investigates a series of escalating bomb attacks across London while wrestling with the personal trauma that comes with the job.
Why we recommend it
Vicky McClure (Line of Duty) carries the show entirely — her physicality and quiet intensity make every bomb disposal scene genuinely harrowing, even when the plot mechanics are occasionally familiar. The show is at its best as a character study of someone who routinely walks towards explosions, and the London terrorism setting gives it a specific urgency.
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video has invested significantly in British and US crime and thriller content. Reacher delivers reliable entertainment; The Rig is the platform's most distinctively British thriller.
Reacher
Former military police major Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) drifts across America with no possessions and no fixed address. When he stops in a small Georgia town, he is immediately arrested for a murder he did not commit. Things escalate considerably.
Why we recommend it
Exactly what it sets out to be: a confidently-cast, well-plotted action thriller that finally gives the Lee Child novels the adaptation they deserve. Ritchson is physically and tonally perfect as Reacher, and the show's commitment to making its hero both hypercompetent and quietly decent is refreshing. Zero pretension; maximum entertainment.
The Rig
Workers on a Scottish oil rig find themselves cut off from the mainland by a mysterious fog. As strange phenomena escalate, it becomes clear that something beneath the sea has been disturbed — and the consequences extend far beyond the rig itself.
Why we recommend it
Amazon's most interesting Scottish original: part supernatural thriller, part environmental parable, with a strong ensemble led by Martin Compston (Line of Duty) and Mark Bonnar. The show takes its mythology seriously and the North Sea setting provides a properly oppressive atmosphere. Thoughtful genre television with genuine ideas beneath the genre mechanics.
Watch all Amazon Prime Video picks above with a subscription.
Watch on Prime Video →BritBox
BritBox is the home of the British crime drama archive — ITV and BBC back catalogues in one place. Vera in particular represents a warm, reliably satisfying counterpoint to the more intense entries on this list.
Vera
Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope (Brenda Blethyn) investigates murders across Northumberland. Brilliant, abrasive, and incapable of dropping a case, she is one of British crime fiction's great characters. Based on Ann Cleeves's novels.
Why we recommend it
Brenda Blethyn is a national treasure in this role. Vera is deliberately traditional crime drama — no conspiracy arcs, no overarching villain — just well-crafted standalone investigations in beautiful Northern England landscapes. Perfect for viewers who want the satisfaction of a closed case and superb character work without the psychological intensity of Happy Valley or Broadchurch.
Watch all BritBox picks above with a subscription.
Watch on BritBox →Disney+ (Star)
Disney+ carries a wealth of FX crime and thriller content through the Star hub. Fargo is the standout: an anthology series that ranks among the finest crime television produced anywhere.
Fargo
Each season of Fargo is a self-contained story set in the American Midwest with different characters, time periods, and crimes — connected by tone, theme, and dark humour rather than plot. Inspired by the Coen Brothers' 1996 film, but entirely its own thing.
Why we recommend it
Creator Noah Hawley has crafted one of the most consistently brilliant anthology series on television. Season one (Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman) is a near-perfect piece of television; season four (Chris Rock in a startling dramatic turn) is genuinely surprising. Each season can be watched independently, so you can start wherever you like. Fans of Crime and Punishment via the American Midwest will find something extraordinary here.
Watch all Disney+ (Star) picks above with a subscription.
Watch on Disney+ →Explore UK streaming services
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best British crime drama to stream right now?
Happy Valley (BBC iPlayer) is the consensus pick — Sarah Lancashire's performance across three seasons is one of the finest in British television history. Slow Horses (Apple TV+) is the best spy-thriller of recent years, and Broadchurch (ITVX) remains the gold standard for small-town murder mystery. All three are complete, so you can watch them in full without waiting for future seasons.
Is Happy Valley worth watching?
Yes, without reservation. Happy Valley is the most acclaimed British drama of the past decade. All three seasons are on BBC iPlayer for free — you only need a TV Licence and a BBC account. The show follows West Yorkshire police sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) across a career defined by one violent criminal. The final season (2023) delivers one of the most satisfying conclusions in British drama.
Where can I watch Line of Duty in the UK?
All six series of Line of Duty are available on BBC iPlayer. Series 1–6 were broadcast on BBC One and remain in the iPlayer archive. BBC iPlayer is free with a valid TV Licence. You can also watch Line of Duty on BritBox, which includes the full back catalogue as part of its subscription.
What is the best crime series on Netflix UK?
Mindhunter is the critical standout — David Fincher's meticulous, slow-burn portrait of FBI criminal profiling is unlike most crime procedurals. Ozark (4 seasons) is the best binge option if you want sustained tension across a long run. The Serpent is an excellent limited series with a UK connection, based on a real case involving a French serial killer preying on backpacker tourists across Asia.
What crime series are on Amazon Prime Video UK?
Reacher and The Rig are the two standout crime and thriller series on Amazon Prime Video UK. Reacher is a confidently-cast action thriller based on the Jack Reacher novels, best watched without expectations of high literary drama. The Rig is an atmospheric Scottish supernatural thriller set on an oil rig — tonally different but equally compelling for fans of slow-burn mystery.
What crime dramas can I watch on ITVX for free?
ITVX has a strong free crime drama catalogue. Broadchurch (all three series), Unforgotten (all five series), and Trigger Point are all available without a subscription on the ad-supported tier. You need a free ITVX account to watch. ITVX Premium (£3.99/month) removes ads and unlocks early access to ITV1 series.
Is Slow Horses based on a book?
Yes. Slow Horses is adapted from Mick Herron's Slough House spy novel series. There are currently eight novels in the series and Gary Oldman plays Jackson Lamb, the slovenly head of MI5's dumping ground for disgraced agents. The TV adaptation is exceptionally faithful to the books' tone — dry, cynical, and genuinely surprising. Watching the show is a perfect gateway to the books.
Not sure which service to subscribe to?
Our subscription advisor compares your watchlist against every UK streaming service and tells you where to find the most of what you want to watch.
Find the right service for you →Affiliate disclosure: WhatShouldIWatch may earn a commission if you subscribe to a streaming service through links on this page. This does not affect our editorial independence — all recommendations are based on our own viewing and research, updated independently of any commercial relationships. Last updated April 2026.