Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search
49 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Any recs for good British mystery series? (Original Post) bif Feb 2019 OP
Broadchurch is pretty good JDC Feb 2019 #1
Anything with Olivia Colman is pretty good! Goodheart Feb 2019 #32
Endeavour matt819 Feb 2019 #2
Foyle's War and Poirot were both great. bif Feb 2019 #4
Foyle's War is WONDERFUL. TeapotInATempest Feb 2019 #37
All magnificent. Byronic Feb 2019 #40
Foyle's Law. Prime Suspect. touching Evil. NRaleighLiberal Feb 2019 #3
I really enjoyed 6 years of Scott & Bailey. A detective series. Hoyt Feb 2019 #5
Me too MLAA Feb 2019 #6
George Gently Ohiya Feb 2019 #7
Yeah! 912gdm Feb 2019 #16
It's my favorite British mystery series. Ohiya Feb 2019 #18
What about area51 Feb 2019 #8
Happy Valley targetpractice Feb 2019 #9
Happy Valley is terrific. Goodheart Feb 2019 #33
I liked Happy Valley a lot. yardwork Feb 2019 #41
Quite a few DoBotherMe Feb 2019 #10
Miss Fischers is excellent. Lochloosa Feb 2019 #12
Midsomer Murders. We are watching it for the second time. Lochloosa Feb 2019 #11
I second that krispos42 Feb 2019 #19
I love Midsomer Murders. smirkymonkey Feb 2019 #22
Death in Paradise. Lochloosa Feb 2019 #13
River Sneederbunk Feb 2019 #14
Father Brown Rosco T. Feb 2019 #15
there is the "The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax" series in book form. 912gdm Feb 2019 #17
I've started reading that! Lars39 Feb 2019 #20
Brother Cadfael, Prime Suspect Lars39 Feb 2019 #21
I enjoyed Cadfael ornotna Feb 2019 #26
Grantchester. smirkymonkey Feb 2019 #23
Agatha Christie's Miss Marple stories. smirkymonkey Feb 2019 #24
Joan Hickson was Agatha Christie's Miss Marple. whistler162 Feb 2019 #45
We liked Shetland, also Hinterland and Broadchurch. Bluepinky Feb 2019 #25
Hinterland was very compelling, loved it n/t TubbersUK Feb 2019 #31
Shetland is good Soph0571 Feb 2019 #27
Harlan Coben's "Safe" GentryDixon Feb 2019 #28
I've been watching the PBS Masterpiece Theatre series on Queen Victoria Rhiannon12866 Feb 2019 #29
Happy Valley and Unforgotten are both very good TubbersUK Feb 2019 #30
Thanks for all the great suggestions! bif Feb 2019 #34
Then Midsomer Murders is definitely for you Byronic Feb 2019 #39
Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries is a great show. IrishEyes Feb 2019 #35
Many of the ones I watch/watched have already been listed. Fla Dem Feb 2019 #36
A couple of my favorites Leith Feb 2019 #38
Luther. yardwork Feb 2019 #42
Sherlock Holmes Zorro Feb 2019 #43
Case Histories Bryan Feb 2019 #44
I tend towards the older ones whistler162 Feb 2019 #46
Lewis! Definitely the best of all. Can't believe it's only been mentioned once!! nt LAS14 Feb 2019 #47
Endeavour shenmue Feb 2019 #48
Iv'e have seen many of the Brittish shows mentioned. socdem60 Feb 2019 #49

Byronic

(504 posts)
40. All magnificent.
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 03:03 AM
Feb 2019

Endeavour, of course, will chronologically lead you to - in my opinion - the greatest of them all: Inspector Morse with the much-missed John Thaw.

I keep waiting for Endeavour to get grumpier!

Ohiya

(2,208 posts)
18. It's my favorite British mystery series.
Tue Feb 19, 2019, 11:00 PM
Feb 2019

and I am a big British mystery fan.

I'm in the middle of watching a good Australian mystery called "Winter"

targetpractice

(4,919 posts)
9. Happy Valley
Tue Feb 19, 2019, 09:23 PM
Feb 2019

One of my favorite shows of all time... Strong female lead, hooked in the first five minutes.

Available on Netflix and iTunes.

I love British crime dramas... But, I confess I need subtitles to fully appreciate due to the accents.

DoBotherMe

(2,339 posts)
10. Quite a few
Tue Feb 19, 2019, 09:25 PM
Feb 2019

That I enjoy (65 yo woman): Father Brown, Inspector Lewis, SHERLOCK, Wallander (gory), Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. Netflix has a great selection.

Lars39

(26,093 posts)
20. I've started reading that!
Tue Feb 19, 2019, 11:59 PM
Feb 2019

Never could get into the series before because the font was so tiny. Kindle really helps with that.

 

smirkymonkey

(63,221 posts)
23. Grantchester.
Wed Feb 20, 2019, 01:57 AM
Feb 2019

It's about a priest (James Norton - very handsome for your wife ) who helps to solve crimes w/ his detective friend and it's set back in the 1950's. He lives in the vicarage with a cranky housekeeper and he carries a torch for a wealthy ex-lover who is now married. He likes to listen to Sidney Bechet and drinks whiskey like its going out of style. He is a very kind, good man but also flawed which makes him lovable and interesting.

Anyway, it's a very good show with many interesting, complex characters and it tackles a lot of controversial social issues as well.

 

smirkymonkey

(63,221 posts)
24. Agatha Christie's Miss Marple stories.
Wed Feb 20, 2019, 02:07 AM
Feb 2019

There are a number of versions w/ different actresses. My favorite are with Margaret Rutherford, but those are the oldest and hardest to find. The others in order of greatness would be Joan Hickson, Julia McKenzie and Geraldine McEwan. However, I loved all of them. They are definitely worth looking up.

 

whistler162

(11,155 posts)
45. Joan Hickson was Agatha Christie's Miss Marple.
Fri Feb 22, 2019, 09:03 PM
Feb 2019

"In the 1940s she appeared on-stage in an Agatha Christie play, Appointment with Death, which was seen by Christie who wrote in a note to her, "I hope one day you will play my dear Miss Marple""

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Hickson

Bluepinky

(2,260 posts)
25. We liked Shetland, also Hinterland and Broadchurch.
Wed Feb 20, 2019, 05:29 AM
Feb 2019

Right now we’re in the fourth season of Midsomer Murders, with a more “Murder She Wrote” tone but also very good.

Rhiannon12866

(203,041 posts)
29. I've been watching the PBS Masterpiece Theatre series on Queen Victoria
Wed Feb 20, 2019, 06:13 AM
Feb 2019

The acting is terrific, as are the sets - and I read that it was based on her actual diaries. I like the historical series.


TubbersUK

(1,439 posts)
30. Happy Valley and Unforgotten are both very good
Wed Feb 20, 2019, 06:22 AM
Feb 2019

Grittier than some of the others mentioned here - but eminently watchable and contain good performances by female leads.

bif

(22,560 posts)
34. Thanks for all the great suggestions!
Wed Feb 20, 2019, 11:49 AM
Feb 2019

Love seeing the English countryside in British shows. It makes me want to live there!

Byronic

(504 posts)
39. Then Midsomer Murders is definitely for you
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 03:02 AM
Feb 2019

Although not a mystery, I would recommend the curious little British series 'Detectorists' with Mackenzie Crook and the always superb Toby Jones. You could say the English countryside is an important character in that show.

IrishEyes

(3,275 posts)
35. Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries is a great show.
Wed Feb 20, 2019, 11:57 AM
Feb 2019

It is set in Australia though. It has a British feel to it. It is set in the 1920s and it is about a independent, wealthy, beautiful, interesting woman solving murders. The interaction between her and the other characters is fun to watch. The clothes, cars, houses and other historical set pieces are beautiful.

Fla Dem

(23,352 posts)
36. Many of the ones I watch/watched have already been listed.
Wed Feb 20, 2019, 01:20 PM
Feb 2019

I was never a follower of British shows on PBS, except for Downton Abbey. However I got hooked on them on Netflix and Amazon. I pretty much liked them all as well as the ones from Germany, Australia and Sweden. Here's a partial list. I actually loved all of them and was disappointed when some of the series came to an end.

British
Hinterlands
Death In Paradise
Marcella
Happy Valley
SAFE
Unforgotten
Scott & Bailey
Paranoid

German
Dark

Australian
Secret City
Glitch
The Code
Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries

Swedish
Wallender

Leith

(7,802 posts)
38. A couple of my favorites
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 02:08 AM
Feb 2019

Poirot with David Suchet

Jonathan Creek with Alan Davies

I've seen the split-second snippets of each on the Brit Box commercials (which "stars" Alan Davies).

Also, it isn't a mystery, but I thought Kingdom was very good. It ended too soon and left a great big cliff hanger. I watched it on YouTube, but it seems to have disappeared.



Zorro

(15,691 posts)
43. Sherlock Holmes
Fri Feb 22, 2019, 12:12 AM
Feb 2019

The 80s Granada/PBS series starring Jeremy Brett, who IMHO was the best actor to ever portray Holmes.

Might be hard to find now.

 

whistler162

(11,155 posts)
46. I tend towards the older ones
Fri Feb 22, 2019, 09:17 PM
Feb 2019

Campion
Tommy and Tuppance original version
Lord Peter Wimsey both incarnations
The Mrs Bradley Mysteries with Diana Rigg
Poirot
Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Foyle's War
Maigret
Rosemary and Thyme
Inspector Lynley

and of course

Time Team who unravel the mysteries of history.

socdem60

(52 posts)
49. Iv'e have seen many of the Brittish shows mentioned.
Sat Feb 23, 2019, 10:27 AM
Feb 2019

and I haven't been disappointed. I really like the new Sherlock with Cumberbatch. I love the old Prime Suspect, with Helen Mirren too.

Latest Discussions»The DU Lounge»Any recs for good British...