#bbc vera

#1: Ludwig

A detective inspector goes missing while investigating what appears to be corruption, and his autistic brother must assume his identity in order to finish the case. This show weaves in the major mystery with the murder of the day so well, and each character is very compelling. The scenes are beautiful, the casting is perfect, and it’s one of the most well-written murder mysteries to come out of the last ten years (in my opinion). Delightful, intelligent, and engaging.

#2: Death Valley

A quirky, of-putting detective befriends her favorite retired actor to solve crimes. She is a chaotic mess, and he is melodramatic and observant. Together they bicker and catch killers incredibly fast. Death Valley is heart-warming and funny, and the dialogue leaves me in stitches. Janie Mallowan is of my all-time favorite female TV characters.

#3: McDonald and Dodds

As the police force tries to move a detective to retirement, he befriends a younger DI who is his polar opposite in every way. They become each other’s ride-or-die. When I watched the first episode of McDonald and Dodds, I was flabbergasted. I laughed, cried, and realized that a new era of quality British mysteries had begun. This show makes you fall in love both with the wholesome Dodds and high-strung McDonald for completely different reasons.

#4: Vera

A seasoned DI moves back to her hometown to solve murders that appears simple on the surface, but become more and more complex. Why. Is. No. One. Talking. About This. Show.??!! The locations are gorgeous, and each episode is slow to reveal the timeline before a victim’s death piece by piece. There is virtually no interpersonal drama (which is exactly my style). The personality of the main detective is pretty hysterical at times, and her team work tirelessly. It’s incredibly well-shot and well-written.

#5: The Cleaner

A crime scene cleaner stumbles upon insane stories that would send an average person into a coma. Our list takes a turn here, because The Cleaner is completely different from every other murder mystery I’ve ever seen. Wicky doesn’t solve the crimes, but ends up being a victim after the fact. It’s wild, hysterical, and unexpected in the best ways.

#6: Law and Order UK

The title says it all: Law and Order, but with more rain. Personally, I love the pacing of this one. While it retains much of the style of the OG show, it’s a bit more artistic and dramatic. It feels more like a classic murder mystery, and you connect with the characters from the get-go. Obviously the cases can be very heavy, but the routine of it is comforting.

#7: The Mallorca Files

Ah yes, the classic: autistic blond woman with her bimbo type B boyfriend who solve mysteries. I love this show for the characters’ dynamic. The mysteries are good, but their chemistry on set really sells it the show. One of my favorite on-screen pairings!

#8: Wild Bill

In a town where corruption and crime are running rampant, a violently American jerk who has a very dysfunctional relationship with his teen daughter takes over the police force. Do I like this because I watch it with my dad and we sometimes relate too much? Possibly. But I also watch it for DI Yeardsley: a farm girl who is smarter than everyone else on the whole force.