Brooding detectives, unpredictable betrayals, pulse-pounding action. There are few genres more gripping than the British TV thriller.
Loch Ness, starring Happy Valley’s Siobhan Finneran and Death in Paradise’s Don Gilet, is just one of the many standout shows.
First released in 2017, the series has seen a recent resurgence in popularity after landing on Netflix. It’s spent three weeks in the streamer’s top 10 chart, and nabbed the top spot at the start of this month.
The show follows local detective DCI Lauren Quigley (Finneran) as she tackles a disturbing double homicide in the hills of the Scottish Highlands.
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Viewers have praised the series, with Rotten Tomatoes user Ted B writing: ‘The plot was clever and kept me engaged throughout. There were so many twists and turns that you couldn’t help but stay involved. My biggest disappointment in this series was that it is for only one season.’
As for the critics, many have compared it to a critically acclaimed British crime drama. The New Statesman called it ‘Wee Broadchurch’, while The Daily Express agreed this ‘tartan-clad Broadchurch shows a lot of promise’.
Metro readers have their say
Following the popularity of Loch Ness on Netflix, we asked Metro readers to share more of their favourite British TV thrillers.
From award-winning crime dramas to a ‘genius’ 80s hit, these are the six shows that came highly recommended…
Malpractice
Metro reader Bev Symonds recommended ITV thriller Malpractice, praising it as ‘excellent’, with ‘lots of unexpected twists and turns’.
Season one aired in 2023, and followed Dr Lucinda Edwards (Niamh Algar), a doctor who finds herself at the centre of a medical investigation after a patient dies in her care.
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Earlier this year, the twisty thriller returned for season two, this time with the Medical Investigation Unit (MIU) focused on Dr James Ford (Tom Hughes).
The synopsis reads: ‘When on-call Psychiatric Registrar Dr James Ford is caught between an anxious new mother’s postnatal check-up and the sectioning of a psychotic patient, no one could predict the devastating outcome.’
Viewers hailed the medical thriller as ‘absolutely brilliant’, and the second season enjoys a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score.
Where to watch: Seasons 1 and 2 are available to watch in full on ITVX.
Ellis
Detective drama Ellis landed on Channel 5 last year, and Metro reader Lynn Purkiss hailed the series as ‘the new Vera’.
And she’s not the only viewer who thinks the series is a perfect replacement for the Brenda Blethyn drama, which aired its final episode in January.
Google reviewer Stephen Redmond wrote of the series: ‘This is one of the best detective shows we have watched for ages and definitely above average and better than my beloved Vera.’
The show stars Sharon D. Clarke as the tenacious DCI Ellis, who is parachuted into towns across the north of England to help solve failing investigations.
Earlier this year, it was announced that the hit show will return for a second season, though no release date has been confirmed yet.
Where to watch: All three episodes are available to stream on Channel 5.
Dept. Q
Scottish-set Dept. Q stormed the Netflix charts when it landed on the streamer in May, and also ranks as one of the best Netflix shows of 2025 so far, according to Rotten Tomatoes.
Metro readers Nic Geoghegan and Stuart Jackson recommended the series, with Ann Bonner adding of the show ‘Unusual, good characters, interesting stories.’
The nine-part series stars Matthew Goode as detective Carl Morck, who is reeling from a botched murder investigation that left his partner paralysed and another police officer dead.
The first episode sees him relegated to a basement department, where he roots through cold case files alongside Syrian refugee and former police officer Akram Salim (Alexej Manvelov) — which is how he comes across the mysterious disappearance of lawyer Merritt Lingard (Chloe Pirrie).
The thriller is stuffed with twists, red herrings and complex characters, leading to TV fans binging the show. One keen viewer hailed it as ‘pure greatness’.
‘Line of Duty was on my mind when creating Netflix’s latest thriller’
Metro previously spoke to Scott Frank, the creator of Netflix’s Dept. Q. He told us: ‘I just love these kinds of shows myself anyway. They’re my guilty pleasure, not even guilty, my pleasure to watch.
‘I hadn’t made anything like this before, and so it seemed like a really, really fun idea.’
When asked which crime dramas he had in mind while making the show, Frank had a laundry list: Broadchurch, Happy Valley, Prime Suspect, Cracker, as well as Line of Duty.
‘I love Line of Duty, just because of the way it moves and the way it keeps turning,’ Frank said.
‘You have these 20-minute interrogation scenes that are like plays. I just love that.’
Where to watch: All nine episodes are available to stream on Netflix.
Broadchurch
We’ve already mentioned Broadchurch, which is considered a classic British TV show for a reason. In fact, Metro reader Debs Walton didn’t feel she needed to explain her reasoning for recommending the show, simply writing: ‘Everyone knows why’.
Steve Wilkins added: ‘The first series of Broadchurch was brilliant’, though he felt the following two seasons were disappointing.
Nevertheless, the crime drama received several accolades when it first aired, including Baftas for Best Drama Series, Best Female Actor and Best Supporting Actor.
In 2013, the third season won the National Television Award for Best Crime Drama, beating Sherlock and Line of Duty.
The series stars Olivia Colman and David Tennant as detectives working together in a fictional town on the Dorset coast.
Where to watch: Seasons 1 to 3 are available to watch on ITVX.
Edge of Darkness
A popular choice among Metro readers, this 1985 BBC series also made it onto our list of your favourite underrated TV thrillers.
Starring Bob Peck as policeman Ronald Craven, Edge of Darkness follows his efforts to unravel the brutal murder of his daughter, who is shot in front of him.
The series plays on the fears that surrounded the Cold War in the 1980s, as Ronald’s investigation leads him to uncover a government conspiracy at the Northmoor nuclear waste storage facility.
Reader Dylan Griffiths praised: ‘Bob Peck was entrancing as Craven and the pairing with Joe Don Baker as Jedburgh was pure genius!’
Where to watch: All six episodes are available to stream on Apple TV Plus.
The best underrated TV thrillers to binge
Looking for more TV recommendations? We also asked Metro readers about their favourite underrated TV thrillers, and these series came out on top:
- House of Cards — No, not the Kevin Spacey series, but the original British version following a fictional Chief Whip of the Conservative Party.
- Edge of Darkness — Policeman Ronald Craven attempts to solve the brutal murder of his daughter, leading him to uncover a government conspiracy.
- River — A brilliant police officer attempts to hunt down his colleague’s killer, all while dealing with her estranged family, his new partner and a psychiatric evaluation.
- Stag — A black comedy following an obnoxious group of friends in the Scottish Highlands on a deer hunting weekend. Things turn sinister when they find themselves being picked off one by one.
- Collateral — DI Kip Glaspie investigates the murder of a pizza delivery driver, who was gunned down by a masked shooter while delivering to the ex-wife of a politician.
- The Worricker Trilogy — The three films star Bill Nighy as MI5 officer Johnny Worricker, whose life is turned upside down when his boss and best friend dies suddenly.
Happy Valley
We couldn’t possibly make a list of the best British TV thrillers without including BBC hit Happy Valley, which was recommended by Metro readers Sue Wisdom, Steve Wilkins and Debbie Radcliffe.
The series follows Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire), a no-nonsense police sergeant in rural Yorkshire who is raising her daughter’s son, Ryan, after she took her own life.
The series kicks off with Ryan’s father (James Norton), who Catherine holds responsible for her daughter’s death, being released from prison.
In 2023, the show’s final season was one of the most-watched BBC TV moments of the year (second only to the coronation), and in 2024 it won Bafta awards for Best Actress and Memorable Moment.
Metro TV reporter Ruth Lawes gave the final an impressive 4.5 stars out of five, describing Sarah Lancashire as ‘faultless’ and James Norton’s performance as ‘chilling’ in her review.
Where to watch: Seasons 1 to 3 are available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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