The Classic British Crime TV shows.
I prefer the older programmes from this list, nothing better than the classics!
List activity
11K views
• 105 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
128 titles
- StarsKenneth MoreDennis BurgessGraham CrowdenBased on the stories of G.K. Chesterton, a British Catholic Priest solves mysteries.Kenneth More is outstanding and the series does justice to the original stories.
- StarsIan CarmichaelGlyn HoustonRoy BoutcherSolve the mystery with Lord Peter Wimsey, based on the book by Dorothy L Sayers.
- StarsIan CarmichaelMark EdenRachel HerbertWhen one of the copy writers of Pym's Advertising Agency meets his death by falling down a spiral staircase, a new "writer" joins the staff to investigate the matter.
- StarsIan CarmichaelGlyn HoustonElizabeth ProudThe title refers to the nine strokes of a church bell to announce the death of a man. In this adaptation of Dorothy L. Sayers's intricate, nostalgic, and atmospheric novel of the same name, Lord Peter Wimsey, stranded in a New-Year's Eve snowstorm ca. 1930 in the fens of eastern England, becomes the guest of a local clergyman, an adept enthusiast of the esoteric, mathematical art of change-ringing the eight swinging bells of his magnificent medieval church. Wimsey is pressed into service to assist with a heroic and historic all-night peal to welcome the new year. A few months later the vicar, having learned of Wimsey's reputation as a sleuth, summons him back to the village to investigate a mysterious body newly discovered in the churchyard, an unknown man secretly buried, who had apparently died about the time of Wimsey's first visit. A much earlier jewel robbery, details of church architecture, unclaimed letters from a French farm, and peculiarities of canon law are only a few of the further pieces of the puzzle which Wimsey must put together.
- StarsIan CarmichaelTerence AlexanderAnna CropperWhen one of the members of the Bellona Club passes away, Lord Wimsey is brought in to determine the time of death for testamentary purposes.
- StarsIan CarmichaelGlyn HoustonMark EdenLord Peter's brother, the Duke of Denver is accused of murdering their sister Mary's fiancé. It's up to Lord Peter and his faithful man Bunter to untangle all the clues and the contradicting testimony of a cloud of witnesses to save Denver.
- StarsDavid SuchetHugh FraserPhilip JacksonHercule Poirot, a famous Belgian detective, who has an impeccable knack for getting embroiled in a mystery, solves crimes along with Captain Hastings and Scotland Yard Chief Inspector James Japp.David Suchet personifies Poirot.
- StarsJohn ThawKevin WhatelyJames GroutChief Inspector Morse has an ear for Western classical music, a taste for beer, and a nose for crime. He and Detective Sergeant Robert Lewis solve intriguing cases in and around the Oxford area.
- CreatorGeorges SimenonStarsRupert DaviesEwen SolonHelen ShinglerTelevisations of the Maigret novels by Georges Simenon.
- CreatorHarry BlythStarsLaurence PayneRoger FossDorothea PhillipsAdventures of the handsome, fencing detective Sexton Blake and his sidekick Tinker.
- StarsKevin WhatelyLaurence FoxClare HolmanDI Robert Lewis and DS James Hathaway solve the tough cases that the learned inhabitants of Oxford throw at them.
- CreatorBrian ClemensAnthony SkeneMichael ZagorStarsDonna MillsGary CollinsDerek Francis"Thriller" was an anthology series of self-contained episodes, with genres ranging from murder mystery to suspense to psychological and supernatural horror.
- CreatorDaisy CoulamStarsRobson GreenTessa Peake-JonesAl WeaverA Cambridgeshire clergyman finds himself investigating a series of mysterious wrongdoings in his small village of Grantchester.
- StarsPeter VaughanPeter BarkworthDouglas WilmerAdaptations of mystery stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's contemporary rivals in the genre.
- CreatorTed WillisStarsJohn BarrieWilliam GauntCharles MorganVictorian-era whodunnit with venerable Sergeant Cork battling entrenched views in a bid to use a more scientific approach to solving cases. Trusty sidekick Bob does not always understand his methods but faithfully co-operates..
- DirectorAshley PearceStarsRowan AtkinsonLeo StaarShaun DingwallChief Inspector Jules Maigret hunts for a serial killer.
- StarsHugh BurdenWilloughby GoddardMona BruceMr J.G. Reeder is an employee of The Department of Public Prosecutions, unassuming in appearance but blessed with a razor-sharp mind. He solves mysteries under the watchful eye of his larger-than-life boss, Sir Jason Toovey.
- DirectorThaddeus O'SullivanStarsNicola SloaneSebastian De SouzaSimon GregorMaigret investigates the random murders of a Countess and a showgirl and discovers a dark secret that links their past lives at the Grand Hotel in Nice.
- DirectorJon EastStarsIan Puleston-DaviesDorottya HaisMark HadfieldMaigret plunges into the murky Parisian underworld.
- DirectorSarah HardingStarsBen CaplanKatherine KanterRobin WeaverMaigret: Night at the Crossroads tells a complex tale of murder, deceit and greed set in an isolated country community.
- StarsNathaniel ParkerSharon SmallLesley VickerageBritish crime investigation series based around aristocratic, Oxford-educated Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and his working-class assistant Sergeant Barbara Havers.
- StarsWilliam SimonsPatrick MalahideBelinda LangDrawing on her love of theatre and art, New Zealand author Ngaio Marsh created elegant crime-puzzlers full of quirky characters with hidden agendas, all brought meticulously to life in this BBC series.
- DirectorAisling WalshStarsSophie RundleLucy ChappellMiranda RichardsonA mysterious inspector investigates the wealthy Birling family and their dinner guest following the suicide of a young woman.
- CreatorJohn HawkesworthStarsPeter DavisonBrian GloverAndrew BurtIn 1930s England, a man from an aristocratic family takes up the pseudonym Albert Campion and, with the help of his ex-burglar manservant, solves mysteries.
- StarsJoan HicksonPeter TilburyHelen CherryMiss Marple receives a cryptic letter requesting her to right an unknown injustice, but receives no hint other than a ticket for guided tour of historic homes.
- StarsJoan HicksonFabia DrakeStacy DorningWhen a handful of grain is found in the pocket of a murdered businessman, Miss Marple seeks a murderer with a penchant for nursery rhymes.
- StarsJoan HicksonMichael CulverDeborah ApplebyThe normally friendly village of Lymston is plagued by vile anonymous letters. When a mother of three takes her own life, following such a letter, Ms. Marple is not at all convinced things are as they seem.
- DirectorJohn DaviesStarsJoan HicksonGeraldine AlexanderJohn Moulder-BrownWhen a young bride moves into a country manor, long repressed childhood memories of witnessing a murder come to the surface.
- StarsJoan HicksonGwen WatfordMoray WatsonAmateur detective Miss Jane Marple investigates the murder of a young woman whose body is found in the library at Gossington Hall, home of Colonel and Mrs. Arthur Bantry.
- StarsJoan HicksonUrsula HowellsSamantha BondAn unusual announcement in the newspaper leads the curious villagers to Miss Blacklock's home, where they become witnesses to a murder.
- DirectorNorman StoneStarsJoan HicksonJean SimmonsJoss AcklandWhen Miss Marple is invited to the manor house of an old friend, it is not long before a puzzling murder puts her mind to work.
- StarsJoan HicksonCaroline BlakistonHelena MichellDuring a stay at one of London's most elegant and venerable hotels Miss Marple uncovers a sinister undercurrent of corruption and murder beneath Bertram's stuffy veneer.
- DirectorNorman StoneStarsJoan HicksonClaire BloomBarry NewmanAt a reception for a fading film star making a screen comeback, a gushing, pushy fan is poisoned by a drink apparently meant for the actress.
- DirectorJulian AmyesStarsJoan HicksonPaul EddingtonCheryl CampbellFaced with two false confessions and numerous suspects after a despised civil magistrate is found shot in the local vicarage, Detective Inspector Slack reluctantly accepts help from Miss Marple.
- DirectorChristopher PetitStarsJoan HicksonDonald PleasenceAdrian LukisWhile on vacation at a resort hotel in the West Indies, Miss Marple correctly suspects that the apparently natural death of a retired British major is actually the work of a murderer planning yet another killing.
- DirectorMartyn FriendStarsJoan HicksonJuliette MoleDavid BeamesA friend of Miss Marple's sees a woman being strangled in a passing train. When police cannot find a body and doubt the story, Miss Marple enlists professional housekeeper, Lucy Eyelesbarrow, to go undercover.
- StarsGeraldine McEwanJulia McKenzieStephen ChurchettAn elderly spinster living in the village of St. Mary Mead helps her friends and relatives solve mysterious murders.
- StarsJohn MalkovichEamon FarrenMichael ShaefferIn 1933, retired detective Hercule Poirot is targeted by a taunting killer who sends letters signed "ABC", which Poirot must decode in order to discover the identity of the murderer.
- StarsMaeve DermodyCharles DanceToby StephensTen strangers are invited to an island by a mysterious host, and start to get killed one by one. Could one of them be the killer?
- StarsMaurice DenhamAngela EasterlingChristopher WrenA collection of ten hour-long dramas based on short stories by Agatha Christie.
- StarsDavid JasonBruce AlexanderJohn LyonsDI Jack Frost is an unconventional policeman with sympathy for the underdog and an instinct for moral justice. Sloppy, disorganized, and disrespectful, he attracts trouble like a magnet.
- CreatorAnthony HorowitzStarsMichael KitchenHoneysuckle WeeksAnthony HowellAs WWII rages, DCS Foyle fights his own war on the home-front; investigating crime on the south coast of England. Later series, see the retired detective working as an MI5 agent in the aftermath of the war.
- CreatorReginald HillStarsWarren ClarkeColin BuchananDavid RoyleSuperintendent Dalziel and partner DI Pascoe investigate murder, and find a bond forming between them despite their blatantly different personalities.
- StarsNeil DudgeonDiana RiggPeter DavisonPaired with her reliable and devoted chauffeur, Mrs Bradley's finely honed skills of investigation seek out the truth behind the mysteries surrounding a death at the opera, crimes of passion at a circus, poisoning and family secrets.
- CreatorPeter FlanneryStarsMartin ShawLee InglebySimon HubbardWith the help of DS John Bacchus, Inspector George Gently spends his days bringing to justice members of the criminal underworld who are unfortunate enough to have the intrepid investigator assigned to their cases.
- StarsHarriet WalterEdward PetherbridgeRichard MorantA gentleman sleuth solves mysteries and falls in love with a detective novelist.
- StarsMichael GambonGeoffrey HutchingsJack GallowayFrom Montmartre to the remote French countryside, Maigret encounters the dark side of the human psyche. Yet, he manages to maintain both compassion and a sense of humor as he explores the complex motives that lie behind every crime.
- CreatorCaroline GrahamStarsJohn NettlesJane WymarkBarry JacksonA veteran Detective Chief Inspector and his young Sergeant investigate murders around the regional community of Midsomer County.
- StarsAlan DaviesCaroline QuentinStuart MilliganJonathan Creek, a magician with a natural ability for solving puzzles, works from his home in a converted windmill. He uses his abilities to solve impossible crimes and mysterious murders.
- StarsAnton RodgersChristopher TimothyJohn ComerFlaxborough, near the sea, near the countryside, seems such a nice town, so quiet, so charming. But underneath its placid surface, all kinds of scandalous things go on.
- CreatorNigel McCreryRoy MitchellStarsDennis WatermanAmanda RedmanAlun ArmstrongThree retired police officers are drafted in to solve cold cases, with a touch of comedy and drama
- CreatorNeil CrossStarsIdris ElbaDermot CrowleyMichael SmileyJohn Luther is a brilliant homicide detective with a knack for getting inside the minds of murderers. Unfortunately, his unconventional methods and personal demons put him at odds with his team.
- DirectorKenneth BranaghStarsKenneth BranaghPenélope CruzWillem DafoeWhen a murder occurs on the train on which he's travelling, celebrated detective Hercule Poirot is recruited to solve the case.
- CreatorRachel FlowerdayTahsin GunerStarsMark WilliamsJohn BurtonSorcha CusackIn the early 1950s, Father Brown, a Roman Catholic priest based in the fictional Cotswold village of Kembleford, uses his distinctive skills to solve various crimes.
- StarsTim RothNico MirallegroSamantha MortonA three-part drama about serial killer John Christie and the murders at 10 Rillington Place in the 1940s and early 1950s.
- CreatorIan Kennedy MartinStarsJohn ThawDennis WatermanGarfield MorganJack Regan and George Carter are hard-edged detectives in the Flying Squad of London's Metropolitan Police. They pursue villains by methods which are underhanded and often illegal, frequently violent and - more often than not - successful.
- StarsWilliam MervynKeith BarronJune TobinChief Inspector Rose (William Mervyn), previously seen in 'The Odd Man' and later to have his own series, investigates off-beat cases assisted by Detective Sergeant Swift (Keith Barron).
- CreatorPhilip MackieStarsWilliam MervynDonald WebsterGillian LewisChief Inspector Rose, previously seen in 'The Odd Man' and 'It's Dark Outside', has retired from the police and intends to write his memoirs - but is constantly distracted by intriguing mysteries.
- CreatorAnthony MarriottRoger MarshallStarsAlfred BurkeRay SmithPauline DelaneyCynical, dour and world-weary, private eye Frank Marker is frequently the unwitting stooge in bigger criminal wheels in his attempts to make a tenuous living on the outskirts of London.
- StarsPeter VaughanArtro MorrisRichard LeechTough cop Detective Chief Superintendent Cradock is assigned to track down and bring to justice the criminals behind the daring theft of five and half million pounds worth of gold bullion from an airfield in the South of England.
- CreatorMurray SmithStarsDon HendersonDennis BlanchFiona MollisonThe eccentric police detective George Kitchener Bulman is reluctantly transferred to a station in the North of England.
- CreatorTed WillisStarsEwan HooperDavyd HarriesDuncan PrestonPolice drama series, created by Ted Willis, set in a small town in Northamptonshire.
- StarsJames EllisJohn SlaterDouglas FieldingA gritty drama which follows the work of the police force in the fictional town of Newtown in the North of England.
- StarsFrank WindsorNorman BowlerDavid Lloyd Meredith1970s BBC police drama with experienced cops DCS Charlie Barlow and DS John Watt who lead a task force charged with tackling the toughest cases Thamesford has to offer.
- CreatorAndrew BrownStarsDavid DakerWilliam MarloweTom AdamsAn anthology series of dramas looking at the criminal classes.
- StarsTom BellBrian CroucherJohn JunkinAfter an eight-year stint for a failed bank heist, Frank Ross (Tom Bell, Prime Suspect) returns to his old gangland haunts to find the snitch who sent him to jail. The smooth, streetwise ex-con quickly adjusts to the new attitudes of the disco-tinged '70s but discovers that although neighborhoods change, old grudges never go out of style. Played with steely intelligence by Bell, Ross doesn't hesitate to pull a gun or swing a fist if it suits him. Can he find the rat without falling into the clutches of a ruthless crime boss (Brian Cox, Rise of the Planet of the Apes) or the detective (Norman Rodway, The Bretts) determined to destroy him? Filmed on location in South London, Out depicts a world where gritty pubs, dingy flats, and run-down office buildings teem with high-living mobsters, cash-starved hustlers, and corrupt cops. BAFTA nominee Bell delivers a psychologically complex portrait of a gangster whose inner demons torment him as ferociously as his flesh-and-blood enemies.
- StarsGerald HarperDavid BurkeJune BarryThe once famous athlete Bob Kerry dies mysteriously on a golf course. His son Jack, a detective, suspects murder and decides to investigate the case. He gets caught up in a web of intrigue set in the Soho red-light district in London, with its pimps and prostitutes.
- StarsSylvia SymsJohn ThawDudley FosterMurdered by his wife and her lover, the dead husband's voice haunts his killers through sinister phone calls.
- StarsJohn WoodvineJohn CarlisleMichael TurnerDetectives at New Scotland Yard solve extraordinary, mysterious crimes.
- CreatorJohn CreaseyStarsJohn GregsonAlexander DavionDaphne AndersonFollows Commander George Gideon of Scotland Yard and his family life.
- StarsPeter EganAlan BrowningDonald BurtonThe rise of a vicious young thief, Hog, to the top of the London criminal fraternity
- CreatorGraham WilliamsStarsPatrick MowerPhilip MadocBrendan PriceA small team of detectives solve crimes of a varied nature in Southampton.
- CreatorRobert Banks StewartRichard HarrisStarsTrevor EveMichael MedwinDoran GodwinLighthearted detective series set in the West Country, about radio-phone-in detective Eddie Shoestring.
- StarsRobert MorleyAndrew JohnsCharles KayBritish drama about famous murder cases involving women.
- CreatorN.J. CrispGerard GlaisterStarsMarius GoringAnn MorrishVictor WindingProfessor John Hardy is a forensic scientist who works not only for the police but also for other interested parties.
- CreatorGlenn ChandlerStarsBlythe DuffJames MacPhersonRobert RobertsonThe Maryhill CID investigates gruesome murders against the bleak backdrop of the city of Glasgow.
- StarsBruce SetonRobert RaglanPhilip DaleDramatization of murder investigations and other criminal cases that Detective Superintendent Robert Fabian, a real-life Scotland Yard Inspector and the host of the show, worked on.
- StarsShaun EvansRoger AllamJames BradshawSet from 1965 into the 1970s, the show follows Endeavour Morse in his early years as a police constable. Working alongside his senior partner DI Fred Thursday, Morse engages in a number of investigations around Oxford.
- CreatorChris ChibnallStarsDavid TennantOlivia ColmanJodie WhittakerThe murder of a young boy in a small coastal town brings a media frenzy, which threatens to tear the community apart.
- StarsJack ShepherdHelen MastersJimmy YuillSet in Cornwall, Detective Superintendent Charles Wycliffe, who works along with his colleagues DI Doug Kersey and DI Lucy Lane, investigates murder cases with his trademark determination and clinical accuracy.
- CreatorJeffrey CaineStarsGillian MartellMartin ShawKaren ArcherFocussing on the politics at the top of a typical English police force in its continual battle to solve the problems the times, in this case the fictional Eastland of East Anglia.
- StarsChiwetel EjioforChristopher EcclestonKierston WareingChristopher Eccleston and Chiwetel Ejiofor star in this intricate conspiracy thriller set in a world of blurred morality, inhabited by conflicted characters on both sides of the law.
- StarsSteven MackintoshWarren BrownNicola WalkerThe story of three employees of a security depot who plan and execute a multi-million pound cash heist.
- CreatorPaul SmithStarsDawn FrenchPaul Mark ElliottSoo DrouetDawn French stars in this dark and twisted comedy series, in which she plays a different character embroiled in murder, in each hilarious episode.
- StarsRobbie ColtraneAmanda HaleBel PowleyA thriller that tells a traumatic murder story through the eyes of three central characters: Carrie the daughter of the murdered woman, Douglas Hain the detective in charge of the investigation, and Sally the murder victim.
- CreatorKenny McBainStarsChristine KavanaghIan McNeiceZoë WanamakerThe investigation of Paul Vandervent into the mysterious death of his father brings further discord among two feuding families tied together in business and marriage, living under the same roof.
- StarsAshley WaltersJacob IfanPeter SullivanA fresh, authentic and visceral drama that takes the audience on an exhilarating ride through the challenges of front-line policing.
- CreatorJimmy McGovernStarsMichael MaloneyChord MelodicAndrew ReadmanCreated by Jimmy McGovern, each episode of this series examines a person who is accused of a crime and what led them to end up in the Dock.
- CreatorKate AshfieldTracey MaloneStarsRomola GaraiDaniel MaysLara PeakeA haunting exploration of the mind of Sam, a teenager who's on the verge of acting out hidden psychopathic desires.
- CreatorTed WillisStarsAnthony NewlandsDaniel MoynihanJohn PhillipsBritish courtroom drama set in France, concerning the trials of murderers who commit crimes of passion.
- CreatorTerence FeelyStarsJill GascoineWilliam MarlowePaul MoriartyThe adventures of tough lady cop Maggie Forbes.
- CreatorIan Kennedy MartinStarsDavid EllisonNoel CollinsStephanie TurnerInspector Jean Darblay is assigned to Hartley, Lancashire. Initially facing scepticism from sergeants Joe Beck and George Parrish, she gradually earns their respect and admiration as their new female boss at the police station.
- StarsFrancesca AnnisJames WarwickReece DinsdaleAgatha Christie's husband-and-wife sleuthing team take on a series of short whodunit mysteries.
- StarsJoss AcklandHartmut BeckerSarah WinmanA retired journalist finds that his life is in danger when he uncovers details of a secret NATO project.
- StarsJohn DuttineGavan O'HerlihyTim WoodwardThe police are drawn into the financial world of the City as they investigate the murder of a merchant banker.
- StarsFinbar LynchOrla BradyCharlotte BradleyWhen investigative reporter Terry Corcoran (Finbar Lynch) unearths a connection between a small-time thief's murder and a crooked accountant's death, the newshound's sleuthing leads him to a sordid scandal involving human trafficking, high finance, and a polticial hopeful's burgeoning career.
- StarsRobert LindsayMichael PalinDearbhla MolloyPolitician Michael Murray's life entwines with headmaster Jim Nelson's, changing their trajectories when their paths cross unexpectedly.
- CreatorKenneth RoyceStarsDon HendersonSiobhan RedmondThorley WaltersHaving left the police force in disgust, the eccentric and bad-tempered detective George Kitchener Bulman set himself up as a private investigator. This leads him into trouble with the hard men of London's gangland underworld, and the devious men of the secret service. Although its darker qualities persisted, by the end of the series, precious little attempt was being made to take it seriously.
- StarsChristopher EllisonZoë EelesJustin PierreHaving built his reputation on good detective work, combined with his unique approaches, Burnside is back on familiar form heading a crack unit in the National Crime Squad, Britain's equivalent of the FBI.
- StarsRoy MarsdenWendy HillerFiona FullertonSir Paul Berowne a prominent Government Minister turns to his old friend Adam Dalgleish following a series of threatening letters delivered to his London home.