If, like us you’ve worked your way through every possible murder mystery and crime drama, and need some new cases to look forward to solving – from the comfort of your living room – we bring good news. We’ve read all the TV guides so you don’t have to and have uncovered seven superb crime dramas you’ll want to have on your radar.
From the next Death In Paradise to a prison drama uniting Broadchurch and Happy Valley stars, plus a chilling abduction drama starring Robert De Niro, our television offering is about to become very exciting. So, get ready to dust off your detective boots – here’s our pick of the best upcoming crime dramas to watch now on ITV, Netflix, the BBC and more.
Benidorm Is Murder
©5 Broadcasting Limited / Clapperboard / @juanma bernabeu
This six-part series, Benidorm Is Murder, follows former detective Dennis Crown (John Hannah), who’s moved to Benidorm to open a bar, hoping for a quieter life in the sun. But, when tourists start showing up dead, he’s reluctantly pulled back into his old crime-busting life. Helped by his barmaid Rosa (Carolina Bécquer), an aspiring actress and true-crime super fan, he’s willed from pulling pints and back to solving murder cases in what’s set to be the next Death In Paradise. Benidorm Is Murder is coming to Channel 5 on Tuesday 30th July.
The Blame 
ITV
Based on Charlotte Langley’s novel of the same name, the six-part series The Blame introduces us to DI Emma Crane (played by Michelle Keegan) and her partner, DI Tom Radley (Douglas Booth), who are called to the eery discovery of the body of a teenage figure skater in the sleepy town of Wakestead. What unfolds is a thrilling unravelling of deceit, cover-ups and corruption. Filming is currently underway and it will premiere on ITV – as for the official release date, we’ll keep you posted.
The Whisper Man 
Netflix
This upcoming abduction drama, based on Alex North’s 2019 novel of the same name, takes us to a sleepy town, where recently widowed crime writer Tom Kennedy (Adam Scott) and his son Jake, eight, have just moved for a fresh start. However, the town has a dark secret: 20 years ago, a serial killer called The Whisper Man victimised five young boys, murdering them after luring them from their windows at night. He was caught and imprisoned, but boys start disappearing shortly after the dad and son arrive in town – and Jake suddenly vanishes. Tom turns to his estranged father, Peter Willis (Robert De Niro), a retired police officer, for help. But, if The Whisper Man is behind bars, who abducted Jake – and will Peter and Tom be able to save Jake and stop the culprit from striking again? The Whisper Man is coming to Netflix on Friday 28 August.
Dustfall 
BBC
This upcoming six-part crime drama takes us Down Under, where seasoned Detective Tig (Anna Torv) returns to her hometown, North Gap, after years of working in the city. Based on the novel The Unbelieved by Vikki Petraitis, the series sees Tig uncover a sting of drink-spiking assaults, but the case is turned on its head when one of the prime suspects is murdered. Tig, who has an unwavering sense of justice, must confront the harsh reality that she’s part of a world where victims aren’t believed and predators hide in plain sight – with the legal system falling short. Filming for Dustfall is currently underway and it will be arriving on the BBC – we’ll keep you updated with the official release date.
Dept Q season 2 
Netflix
After the rip-roaring success of the first season, Dept. Q is back to take on another unsolved case. For those who don’t know, the series is based on the novels by Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen and follows Carl Morck (Matthew Goode), who leads a new team tasked with solving Edinburgh’s cold cases. The first series saw him grappling with the guilt in the aftermath of an attack that left his partner, DCI Hardy (Jamie Sives), paralysed and another officer dead. Upon his return to work, he was cast away to the force’s dingy basement to work on the missing persons case of Merritt Lingard (Chloe Pirrie), a talented prosecutor who vanished on a Highlands ferry. The new series sees the department expanding and tasked with a new high-profile case linked to a boarding school. Filming on Dept. Q series 2 is currently underway in Edinburgh, which means we don’t have the official release date, but you can catch-up with the first series now on Netflix.
Last Seen 
Ben King
The six-part series Last Seen introduces us to Ian Ridley (Patrick Brammall), a former police detective in Victoria, Australia, who has never got over his daughter vanishing 11 years ago. Adapted from Ryan David Jahn’s book, The Dispatcher, the series sees Ridley now working as a police dispatcher and the only thing keeping him going is the unwavering hope that his daughter is still alive. Then, he gets a distress call from a girl he believes to be her and embarks on a relentless search. Last Seen will be available to watch on Apple TV on Wednesday 9 September.
Time 
Photographer:
Happy Valley’s Siobhan Finneran and Broadchurch’s David Tennant are uniting for the third season of Time. For those who don’t know, the series premiered in 2021 with a star-studded cast and follows the life of inmates and staff in prison. Each series has a different plot line, starring television royalty such as Sean Bean, Stephen Graham and Jodie Whittaker. Series 3 will take us to a Young Offender Institution, with Siobhan Finneran returning as disillusioned prison chaplain Marie-Louise and David Tennant playing a new role, prison officer Bailey. When tragedy hits the prison, the pair clash – and Bailey knows more than he’s letting on about the incident. We expect Time Series 3 to reach our screens at some point in 2026, but you can catch up on the first two series on BBC iPlayer now.