10 Crime Drama Shows Like Shetland
Season 9 of the popular Scottish crime mystery-drama series Shetland premiered in the UK on BBC in November 2024 and on BritBox in January 2025. Ashley Jensen and Alison O’Donnell reprised their roles as Detectives Ruth Calder and Alison “Tosh” McIntosh for the new season which centered on a double missing person’s case. Season 10 is now in production as the BBC confirmed earlier this month that Jensen and O’Donnell are indeed returning.
Joining the cast for Season 10 of Shetland alongside Jensen and O’Donnell are Clive Russell (The Witcher, Sandman), Ellie Haddington (Motherland, Guilt), Niall MacGregor (The Bombing of Pan AM 103, Line of Duty), Greg McHugh (Guilt, The A Word), Frances Gray (Tom Jones, Vera), Louise Brealey (Such Brave Girls, Clique), Stuart Townsend (Into The Deep, Two Minutes to Midnight), Stephen McMillan (Toxic Town, Boiling Point), Saskia Ashdown (Karen Pirie, The Rig), Lila Rose (Traces), Joanne Thomson (Outlander, The Victim), Gabriel Akuwudike (Screw, The Beautiful Game) and Leigh Biagi (The Prodigal Father, The Lost King).
While you wait for Season 10, here are 10 crime drama shows like Shetland you can currently stream.
Annika (2021 – )
Cast: Nicola Walker, Jamie Sives, Katie Leung, Kate Dickie, Paul McGann, Silvie Furneaux, Ukweli Roach, Varada Sethu,
Synopsis: “Detective Inspector Annika Strandhed works for Glasgow’s Marine Homicide Unit which investigates the puzzling crimes and unexplained murders that wash up on the shores of Scotland’s waters.”
Where to watch: Acorn TV, BritBox (Australia), PBS Masterpiece Amazon Channel (Canada, US), Now TV, Sky Go (UK)
Granite Harbour (2022 – )
Cast: Romario Simpson, Hannah Donaldson, Dawn Steele, Bhav Joshi, Michelle Jeram, Sophia McLean
Synopsis: “When the death of a local oil magnate stuns Aberdeen, trainee detective Davis Lindo is thrown in at the deep end.”
Where to watch: Acorn TV, AMC+ (Australia), BritBox (Canada, US), BBC iPlayer, Sky Go (UK)
Happy Valley (2014-2023)
Cast: Sarah Lancashire, Siobhan Finneran, James Norton, Rhys Connah, Charlie Murphy, Shane Zaza, Ishia Bennison, Rick Warden
Synopsis: “follows the personal and professional life of hard-working, dedicated police officer Catherine Cawood in a small town where drunkards, drug addicts and teenage pregnancies are a way of life. Her world is turned upside down when the man she thinks is responsible for her daughter’s death – Tommy Lee Royce – is released from prison.”
Where to watch: AMC+ (Canada), BBC iPlayer (UK), BritBox, Stan (Australia), Fubo, Philo (US)
Hinterland (2013-2016)
Cast: Richard Harrington, Mali Harries, Hannah Daniel, Aneirin Hughes, Alex Harries
Synopsis: “A troubled detective, DCI Thom Mathias, seeks redemption in the mountainous hinterland of Aberystwyth, Wales.”
Where to watch: BBC iPlayer, ITVX (UK), Acorn TV (Australia, Canada, UK, US), Spectrum (US), AMC+ and BritBox (Australia)
Hope Street (2021 – )
Cast: Niall Wright, Kerri Quinn, Niamh McGrady, Aaron McCusker, Amara Karan, Des McAleer, Ciarán McMenamin, Rachel Tucker, Louis McCartney, Ellie Lavery, Brid Brennan, Sade Malone, Karen Hassan, Finnian Garbutt
Synopsis: “Follows Inspector Finn O’Hare, Sergeant Marlene Pettigrew and the team as they investigate crime in the small coastal town of Port Devine in Northern Ireland.”
Where to watch: BritBox (Australia, US, Canada), BBC iPlater, ITVX (UK)
Inspector George Gently (2007-2017)
Cast: Martin Shaw, Lee Ingleby, Simon Hubbard, Lisa McGrillis
Synopsis: “A crime drama set in the 1960s, based on a series of novels by Alan Hunter, concerning the partnership between the veteran title detective and his mouthy younger sidekick, John Bacchus.”
Where to watch: Acorn TV, Hoopla (Canada, US), 7Plus, BritBox, Prime Video (Australia), Netflix, Now TV, Sky Go (UK), Spectrum (US)
Karen Pirie (2022 – )
Cast: Lauren Lyle, Chris Jenks, Zach Wyatt, Barrie Hunter, Ariyon Bakare, Gilly Gilchrist, Emer Kenny, Jack Hesketh, Kevin Mains
Synopsis: “Newly promoted DS Karen Pirie is tasked with reopening a daunting cold case – the subject of a provocative true crime podcast.”
Where to watch: BritBox (Australia, Canada, US), ITVX (UK)
The Loch (2017 miniseries)
Cast: Jim McMeekin, Laura Fraser, Siobhan Finneran, Don Gilet, Murray Fraser, Shona McHugh, Jack Bannon, John Sessions, Alastair Mackenzie, Gray O’Brien
Synopsis: “The search for a serial killer becomes a matter of life and death for detective Annie Redford, who is trying to cope with her first murder case.”
Where to watch: BritBox (Australia), ITVX (UK), Discovery+ Amazon Channel (Canada, UK), Spectrum (US)
Unforgotten (2015 – )
Cast: Sanjeev Bhaskar, Nicola Walker, Sinéad Keenan, Lewis Reeves, Pippa Nixon, Jordan Long, Hiten Patel, Peter Egan, Carolina Main, Jassa Ahluwalia, Georgia Mackenzie
Synopsis: “London detectives investigate crimes from the past, unravelling secrets left buried for years.”
Where to watch: BritBox (Australia, Canada), PBS, PBS Masterpiece Amazon Channel, Prime Video (US), Stan (Australia), ITVX, Disney+, Netflix (UK)
Vera (2011-2025)
Cast: Brenda Blethyn, Jon Morrison, Riley Jones, Kenny Doughty, Ibinabo Jack, David Leon
Synopsis: “Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope is obsessive about her work and driven by her own demons. Together with her trusted colleagues, she approaches each new case in the rolling hills of Northumberland in north-east England with professionalism and unparalleled gusto.”
Where to watch: Acorn TV (Canada), BritBox (Australia, US, Canada), ITVX (UK)
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shows like Shetland
shows like Shetland