2025 is here, and you’ve probably vowed to give a few things up this year. I know I have; no more greasy beef, unhealthy soda, and sweet, sweet cookies for me this year! But there’s no way I’m giving up watching excellent British crime shows, and neither should you. It’s one of the few things that comfort me in a world that can sometimes be cold and cruel.
You could watch the latest Harlan Coben crime hit, Missing You, on Netflix, but there are other better British mystery shows you can stream. Don’t believe me? Then keep on reading because I have three such shows that will keep you guessing who did it, why they did it, and with what weapon until the very end.
Need more recommendations? Check out the best British shows on Netflix and the best British shows on Hulu.
Vigil (2021-present)
From its opening scene, Vigil lets you know right away this won’t be your usual crime show. For starters, the crime that prompts the investigation, and the entire season, happens on a submarine. A crew member is found dead, and detectives Amy Silva (Suranne Jones) and Kirsten Longacre (Game of Thrones vet Rose Leslie) must find out who killed him and why. What’s strange about the death is that it’s somehow linked to a missing fishing trawler that disappeared years ago.
On land and at sea, both Amy and Kirsten must ask questions, discover clues, and disrupt the order and authority of the Royal Navy, who are none too pleased to see these two detectives snooping around. What secrets are they hiding? And will they find out in time before another person winds up dead?
Vigil excels at generating suspense without dumbing it down for the audience. Season 2 is even better, trading a submarine for a military base in which a hijacked drone kills someone. That season is just as twisty, and it humanizes both lead characters, who share a secret I wouldn’t dare to reveal here.
Vigil is streaming on Peacock.
Criminal Record (2024)
Apple TV+ just recently offered a free weekend for everyone to sample their original programming. While everyone knows and raves about Severance and Silo, no one much talks about Criminal Record, a British detective show that premiered quietly last year to respectful acclaim. That’s a shame as it’s one of the best mysteries around and features two compelling performances by veteran actors Peter Capaldi (Doctor Who) and Cush Jumbo (The Good Fight).
They star as detectives Daniel Hegarty and June Lenker, who are both on opposite sides of their careers. Daniel, a has-been who resents being pushed out of police work, is contacted by the rapidly-rising-through-the-ranks June about an old murder case. A mysterious caller claims the man convicted of the murder is innocent, and the real killer is about to strike again. Will Daniel and June overcome their generational, racial, and gender differences in time to solve the case?
Criminal Record was just renewed for a second season, and after watching season 1, you can understand why. The series does a great job of setting up its central mystery while also devoting time to exploring both Daniel’s and June’s complicated professional and personal lives. They make an odd couple, one that is at frequently each other’s throats, but their mutual animosity also makes them compulsively watchable.
Criminal Record is streaming on Apple TV+.
Miss Scarlet and the Duke (2020-present)
Not all crime shows are set in the present; just look at Miss Scarlet and the Duke, which takes place in 1882 London when Queen Victoria still ruled the British Empire and Brits still called their underwear “knickers.” It’s here where we meet Eliza Scarlet, a high society woman whose financial situation just got desperate. Her father had just died and has left her penniless. Yet instead of marrying rich, Miss Scarlet decides to take over her father’s detective agency and run it herself.
Well, that’s easier said than done, especially in such a rigid time when women possessed little economic and social freedom. That’s why Miss Scarlet partners with William Wellington, a tough Scotland Yard detective who was mentored by Eliza’s father. With William’s help, Eliza manages to make her living as a for-hire detective, solving such mysteries as a death photographer receiving messages from beyond the grave and an empty building that could be a hideout to a clandestine gang of criminals. If you’re craving mysteries with a touch of Bridgerton, Miss Scarlet and the Duke is for you.
Miss Scarlet and the Duke is streaming on PBS.
