“A Shetland rival”: Irvine Welsh’s Crime is ITV’s “exceptionally engaging” detective drama to binge tonight

No matter how hard they try, some of the best detective dramas never quite get the fanfare they deserve – and one of them is Irvine Welsh’s Crime. The ITV drama is the titular Trainspotting author’s first TV project, which sees Dougray Scott bring the bruised detective, Detective Ray Lennox, to life and, in our opinion, it’s so exceptionally engaging it’s good enough to rival Shetland.

The detective drama, which takes us to Scotland’s capital, consists of two very compelling series and begins with Lennox investigating the disappearance of young girl. It’s a gritty, complex case, which is made all the more challenging by Lennox’s personal struggles with addiction and childhood trauma. Featuring a gritty backdrop and fantastic lead performances from Scott and John Simm, the latter of whom plays Lennox’s nemesis, it’s the kind of series weeknights were made for.

With two series of Irvine Welsh’s Crime available to stream on ITV tonight, here’s everything you need to know about the detective drama before you tune in, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.

What is Irvine Welsh’s Crime about?

Britbox

Adapted from Irvine Welsh’s 2008 novel of the same name, the series takes us to Edinburgh where Detective Ray Lennox (Dougray Scott) is investigating the abduction and murder of a young girl, Britney Hamil, at the hands of a serial killer known as Mr. Confectioner. Lennox isn’t your average detective; he’s not content with simply solving crimes, he wants to root out evil wherever he senses it and his obsession with doing so means he alienates most people around him.

The case of Mr. Confectioner pushes him to the brink as he resolves to prove his case that Britney was murdered by the serial killer, who was also responsible for previous crimes pinned on an innocent man. When the detective and the killer come face to face, it’s Mr. Confectioner who has the upper hand as he senses correctly that Detective Lennox is struggling with a private turmoil.

Britbox

As the serial killer turns the tables and Lennox is forced to look deep inside himself, he finds himself in a spiral from which he may not emerge. The question is, is Lennox able to face his demons, prove the truth and triumph over Mr. Confectioner in the process? Expect an intense yet brilliantly compelling journey to find out.

No spoilers, but a second series, which premiered in 2023, revisits Lennox after he’s covered from the toll of his last investigation. But when a high-ranking member of the establishment is found dead in a Leith warehouse, he’s thrown into a case which quickly reveals itself as the work of a serial killer. And as victims mount up, it seems the murders are anything but random – it’s the work of a solitary killer with an axe to grind.

Britbox

Explaining Lennox’s background, Dougray Scott told ITV: “I think you would call him some sort of very rough, fragile, avenging angel who is determined to give a voice to those people who don’t have a voice in society, and to protect the vulnerable. Stuff happened to him as a kid and so he went into becoming a copper because he felt that was the best way to avenge what happened to him as a child.

“What makes him a great copper also makes him a bad copper: he’s impetuous, he works off the cuff, he works on instinct. He’s left field – he’ll go down alleyways that no one else will go down in order to try and find the solution or the answer. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t work. But he’s passionate, deeply passionate about what he does.”

Who’s in the cast of Irvine Welsh’s Crime?

Britbox

The cast of Irvine Welsh’s Crime includes:

Dougray Scott (My Oxford Year) as DI Ray LennoxJoanna Vanderham (The Paradise) as DS Amanda DrummondAngela Griffin (Waterloo Road) as Trudi LoveJamie Sives (Guilt) as DI Dougie GillmanKen Stott (Rebus)as Chief Superintendent Bob ToalJohn Simm (Grace) as Gareth HorsboroughMichael Abubakar (Trust Me) as DC Stuart McCorkelGordon Kennedy (The Borderlands) as DI Eddie RogersDerek Riddell (Payback) as Richie GulliverJonathan Kerrigan (In the Club) as Mark McKendrickStuart Martin (In Flight) as Stuart LennoxEllie Haddington (Motherland) as Avril LennoxEwan Stewart (The Advocates) as John LennoxLaura Fraser (Mint) as Sally HartIs there a trailer for Irvine Welsh’s Crime?

Yes, you can watch the trailer for Irvine Welsh’s Crime below.

Is Irvine Welsh’s Crime any good?

Britbox

Yes – while we’re used to seeing the whole troubled detective meets complex mystery thing on TV, what makes Irwine Welsh’s Crime stand out is the fact that is deals with very real – and traumatic – themes that real-life police are facing every day. It doesn’t feel fictionalised or far-fetched as we watch Lennox’s past trauma resurface and him spiral as a result. It’s not, we should add, the easiest watch given it deals with themes such as addiction, abuse and childhood trauma, but it is brilliantly executed and, as a result, it’s likely to stay with you for several days (months even) after you’ve watched it.

How can I watch Irvine Welsh’s Crime?

Both series of Irvine Welsh’s Crime are available to watch now on ITVX.

What other detective dramas can I watch now?

UKTV

If you like the idea of a compelling setting, emotional mysteries and a troubled but compassionate detective, we’d highly recommend Case Histories. The series enters us into the world of Jackson Brodie (Jason Isaacs) who’s drawn into the lives those who want to understand mysteries from the past – and he can’t help but come to their rescue. You can watch Case Histories now on U. Another exceptionally good series is Chasing Shadows. DS Sean Stone (Reece Shearsmith) and his professional partner Ruth Hattersley (Alex Kingston) track down serial killers targeting vulnerable people and their investigations take them to some very dark places. Chasing Shadows is available to watch now on ITVX.