9 Best British Female Detective Shows

by Ilona Erwin | Entertainment

Gillian Anderson at the 2013 San Diego Comic Con, the same year she began starring in “The Fall,” a feminist take on the British mystery genre.

Prime Suspect and Beyond

If you love crime TV genre and British shows, you know there are plenty of dedicated, strong women characters who make up part of the crime solving teams. For those who have yet to see women take the helm, here is a short list of some of the best ones to watch.

Some I have discovered on Netflix, some on PBS, and others through Amazon. In my present addiction to British style detective series, I have found the women characters to be some of the most fascinating. There is a wide range of subject matter, and the range is from gritty to humorous, but the entertainment value is always top notch.

9 Great British Female Detective Series

1. Vera (2011–present)
2. Prime Suspect (1991–2006)
3. Broadchurch (2013–17)
4. The Fall (2013–16)
5. The Bletchley Circle (2012–14)
6. Murder in Suburbia (2004–05)
7. Happy Valley (2014–16, 2023)
8. Agatha Christie’s Marple (2004–13)
9. Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries (2012–15)

1. Vera (2011–present)

Starring: Brenda Blethyn, Jon Morrison, David Leon, Riley Jones

Not your usual heroine, DCI Vera Stanhope is a middle aged, rather disheveled career policewoman. She is something like your mum, and plays that maternal side to get to the bottom of even the most difficult cases. It doesn’t hurt at all that DS Joe Ashworth, her sergeant, is so dishy.

The show has gained an international audience, which is testimony to the staying power of a heroine who is mature, matronly, and no-nonsense holding the top billing of the competitive TV Crime drama genre.

You’ve got to love the British for giving us so many great women crime solvers of quite ordinary looks, and extraordinary brains.  buy the DVDs on Amazon:Verahas become my top favorite British detective show.

After a long run, this series has come to an end, but there are plenty of past episodes to enjoy.

2. Prime Suspect (1991–2006)

Starring: Helen Mirren, John Benfield, Tom Bell, Jack Ellis

Helen Mirren, of course, brings sex appeal and glamour to any role she plays, but this one has an edginess and grittiness that gives us the flawed hero realism of our favorite crime shows. Fighting her way up the ladder in a predominately male dominated time and career has left its marks, but her intelligence and focus gives this character a believable persona.

Helen Mirren as Detective Superintendant Jane Tennison is believable. You know she has paid her dues and has the ability to win her place in the macho world of crime and detectives. I think Prime Suspect is one of my all time top picks for great TV, especially in this genre.

Prime Suspect: Tennison

For those of us who became fans of the gritty portrayal of Jane Tennison, Prime Suspect: Tennison held a lot of promise during its six-episode run in the spring of 2017. The show was a prequel, telling us the back story of how the Mirren character became a strong leader, with Stefanie Martini playing the title role.

It was interesting as a longtime fan of Prime Suspect, but it lacked the spirit of the original. While the series did a great job reenacting the time period, the characters, including Jane, failed to connect with viewers. It was short-lived and probably only of interest to those who are curious.

3. Broadchurch (2013–17)

Starring: David Tennant, Olivia Colman, Jodie Whittaker, Andrew Buchan

You might be drawn, as I was at first, to watching a show with your favorite Dr. Who in the starring role, but this is a dark show with the focus on the development of Detective Sgt. Ellie Miller. At first passed over in what might have been her investigation, she grows into the driving force in finding the perpetrator of a child’s murder.

Not just the impact on the family, but upon an entire community is dramatically portrayed with spot-on acting and filming. The transformation of individuals, families, and town is sometimes grueling and gruesome, and sometimes redemptive and strong. It makes for a compelling story with many threads and entanglements.

This remote Dorset resort town may not have provided much opportunity for crime work, but Miller evolves as a person and as a detective within her tight knit community. The interaction between her and Detective Inspector Alec Hardy grows into a balanced respect and admiration, but not without its turns and pitfalls, all the while trying to find the truth about a most perplexing murder.

With two seasons of Broadchurch, one wishes for more Sgt. Ellie Miller and D.I. Alec Hardy crime solving exploits.

4. The Fall (2013–16)

Starring: Gillian Anderson, Jamie Dornan, Bronagh Waugh, John Lynch

Detective Superintendent Stella Gibson is a long way from Dana Scully. Tough and brittle in manner, she is drawn in clearly feminist terms. In fact, the show was named “The Most Feminist Show on Television” by Amy Sullivan of Time magazine.

With a truly creepy criminal, a set of missed cues allows him to murder and live his double life. All the while the police are trying to get their act together. Eventually Gibson gets her investigation team and plan together to close in.

Fraught with tension of harrowing scenes and missed opportunities, eventually Stella gets her man. She is not the most likable, but she is definitely effective. Be forewarned that there is plenty of “language” and sex in this show.

How Do You Like Your British Detectives?

Go ahead and answer in the comments!

• I like them all, male and female, humorous and gritty
• I like the female ones with 3D characters
• I prefer the male detectives and more action
• It’s the action and psychology, not the detective

5. The Bletchley Circle (2012–14)

Starring: Rachael Stirling, Julie Graham, Sophie Rundle, Anna Maxwell Martin

Women of different temperaments who proved to be a formidable team of decoders, later are reunited in an amateur group who use their skills in detective work. The backstory of their feelings of meaning and usefulness while working in the war effort, and their search for its replacement in their post war lives gives an added layer of plot to their efforts to catch a killer.

The story hinges strongly on the personalities and interactions of women who find strength in themselves and in each other. The struggles of women who have tasted meaningful work and are then expected to sublimate their talents and dreams into the lives of men. More a celebration of the individual women than the blatant feminist moralism that it might sound like, interest ranges from their codebreaking days to the good detective story at its heart.

I liked the period feeling that is carried throughout with costume, manner, and the general color palette. Surprising how using certain color, and filming technique instantly transports us into a time period. The women of Bletchley took on new challenges and put their talents together in San Francisco in a new series.

I am sorry to report I didn’t like it near as well as the original, but if you are fans of the first series you might overlook the comparison and enjoy this new version.

6. Murder in Suburbia (2004–05)

Starring: Caroline Catz, Lisa Faulkner, Jeremy Sheffield, Glen Davies

I always like actress Caroline Catz, who plays one of the leads, Inspector Kate Ashurst. In this one she plays the posh side of a customary formula of police partners from contrasting class backgrounds. Her partner Scribbins is working-class and saucy.

Interesting and fast moving, the criticism I would give this series is the lead actresses are a bit too frivolous and light hearted while going about their crime solving duties. It gives a feeling of smugness to the show.

But this is one of those detective series that doesn’t take itself very seriously, the very opposite of one like Prime Suspect. I’d compare it to Midsomer Murders, but more modern and urban. Lots of humor and a sense of fun are the earmarks of this set of mysteries.

7. Happy Valley (2014–16, 2023)

Starring: Sarah Lancashire, Siobhan Finneran, Shane Zaza, Charlie Murphy

Happy Valley is anything but, of course. This gritty police drama centers around policewoman Catherine Cawood as she seeks justice for her daughter, tries to pull her family together and struggles as a grandmother who must now raise her grandson.

Tough, and sometimes misunderstood, she garners respect and bulldogs it through some harrowing experiences. All the characters grab the imagination and attention of the viewer, Even Cawood’s sister, who is sometimes on and sometimes off her latest rehab is a fully fleshed out profile of a woman with both strengths and weaknesses.

The streets of the town which has seen better days, the inside workings of those whose job is to keep those streets safe, and the heartache of a strong woman who sometimes finds “keeping it together” a challenge gives this series its hook. I give this show top rating for those who love crime shows.

2023 Revival

A third and final season of Happy Valley aired in 2023, seven years after the conclusion of the second series. The six new episodes show Sergeant Cawood preparing for retirement while trying to have a relationship with her now-16-year-old grandson, Ryan.

According to the show’s executive producer, Will Johnston, “It definitely isn’t coming back—and again this is from Sally (Wainwright, the show’s creator) and Sarah (Lancashire) who completely and rightly feel that you can have too much of a good thing.”

8. Agatha Christie’s Marple (2004–13)

Starring: Geraldine McEwan, Julia McKenzie, Stephen Churchett, Greg Bennett

In this incarnation of the Marple Character, Geraldine McEwan plays a very chatty, spry Miss Marple. She is elderly, but with quite a bit of energy and lively curiosity. Agatha Christie was such a marvelous crafter of story that even though we know how the plot turns out, the power of the story and the beloved protagonists ensure great programs. We want to see the interplay of the characters and the display of human psychology.

Miss Marple

9. Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries (2012–15)

Starring: Essie Davis, Nathan Page, Hugo Johnstone-Burt, Ashleigh Cummings

From the Roaring Twenties comes a humorous, slightly risqué, leading lady. Miss Phryne Fisher hails from Australia; she isn’t British, per se, but close enough. Maybe that explains her crossover from humble beginnings to lady of wealth and leisure who has plenty of time to investigate all these mysteries while dressed to the nines!

Phryne has her own private detective career, and exemplifies the free wheeling “modern girl”, without the American speakeasies or mobsters that we often equate with those times. That makes her character represent today’s women, but allows her to retain some sense of unspoiled playfulness. Which is a part of the fiction, perhaps.

These are light, breezy episodes for the most part, although they occasionally touch on serious social issues. There is a certain amount of sexual tension between Fisher and her main contact in the police department, DI Jack Robinson. He is obviously smitten with her. Any sex in the show is alluded to, not portrayed.

Miss Fisher is a new take on TV’s rendition of female detectives, although those who love mystery fiction recognize these as grownup Nancy Drew stories, I think. Always a fun adventure in sleuthing with a bit of danger thrown in.

Related Reading

Great British Detective Shows (page coming)

I admit to watching a good deal of television. Mysteries are one of my favorite genres followed by sweeping epic and historical melodramas.

Intriguing British TV Detectives to Investigate Tonight

by Ilona Erwin | Entertainment

Good Plots, Great Dialogue, Well Done

I’m an aficionado of British detective shows. I started watching them on PBS on Masterpiece Theater, but I soon devoured as many as possible on my Netflix and Amazon accounts. If, like me, you are looking for good quality TV for entertainment and have a predilection for British shows, here is a list of those series I’ve completed (some I gladly re-watch from time to time).

What Makes British Crime TV So Great?

• For me, it is a little like a Dickens novel: the character development and the involved plots.
• Many of these shows have the added local flavor and terrific landscapes, but mostly it’s the story.
• Lacking the slickness of American crime TV, the gritty feel of the filming, and the truly interesting personalities … along with the sheer imagination of their crimes and crime solvers, makes for great television entertainment.

 

Interrelated 3: The Inspector Morse, Inspector Lewis, and Endeavour Series

Inspector Morse

I have to start with these beloved shows because I think this is where I was first hooked. Top-notch acting, the feat of holding our credulity while basing so many murders within the venue of Oxford, and the ins and outs of class society all make for a great set of shows.And due to the inter-related stories, we don’t ever have to truly say goodbye to characters. I think you will become quite attached to them as they evolve and then, ultimately, loop back.

Inspector Morse

Stars: John Thaw, Kevin Whately, Colin Dexter, James Grout A truly grouchy lead, offset by his affable partner, digs into the crimes, which are full of twists. Each episode holds us in tension and further develops the picture of the main characters and their backdrop. Morse is a snob, but not without self-awareness. He is something of an underachiever in life, but one that knows his brilliance in his work is going to get the job done better than his “betters.” Cutting corners but suffering the consequences for it, he works right up to the bitter end of his life. You sometimes wish for life to have treated him a little kinder. He worries about the situation until flashes of revelation come forward with just the piece that solves the puzzle. Lewis is his partner who grows into the fine detective we see in the next generation of the stories. Liberally interlaced with great classical music.

He transforms from an amiable bumbler to an astute and experienced detective who has worked hard for and deserves respect.

Inspector Lewis

Stars: Kevin Whately, Laurence Fox, Clare Holman, Rebecca Front Keven Whately is now mature in his life and career. His partner is a man who might have been how we might have imagined Morse in his youth. Pairing Lewis with Sergeant James Hathaway continues the contrast of everyday man with ivory tower intellect. They use their strengths to solve the crimes and buoy each other through their weaker times. It is very much a story of friendship as well as work bringing evildoers to justice.

Endeavour and Thursday

The Prequel Turned Sequel

The complicated persona of Inspector Morse inspires this look into his beginning. The mature man who shrouded his first name is portrayed in this foundation story to the earlier long-running series. A show that stands on its own, you don’t have to have seen the original “Morse,” but it creates a link that molds a more genial and intellectual look into the heart of an iconoclastic Inspector.

Endeavour Morse

Stars: Shaun Evans, Roger Allam, James Bradshaw, Anton Lesser This is my favorite of the three so far. It is newer, so one can’t binge-watch, but I like the portrayal of Morse. He is kinder and gentler, and the angst is believable. Has less of the smugness evident in the original. I believe you will really be captured by the struggles and triumphs of Endeavor, even though he never quite attains his secret love interest. Shaun Evans creates a truly believable Morse, although it is a bit of a stretch to see him become as grouchy and egotistical as the original Inspector Morse character.

The Inspector Lynley Mysteries

Stars: Nathaniel Parker, Sharon Small, Lesley Vickerage, Catherine Russell, Paul Hickey, Shaun Parkes Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley gets a bit of needling for his upper-crust origins and manner, but this is a nice change for a “copper” show. If there is any criticism of the series, it is that there are not enough episodes. The mix of actors and the filming and plots are all excellent. All the components that make British TV enjoyable:

• Interesting and engaging characters
• Intriguing plots
• Moody, romantic venue

Now coming to a close, this has been a great series, not in the least due to the match of Lynley with his complementary partner, Barbara Havers, who adds her salty, down-to-earth personality to his aristocratic one. There are seven seasons to enjoy.

The Modern Sherlock

Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Una Stubbs, Rupert Graves The fresh take makes this a “must-watch.” It has class, action, and wit going for it. You might think you know Sherlock and Watson, but I assure you you do not know them like this!

Who wouldn’t love a Sherlock who has lines like, “I’m a high-functioning sociopath!”

I am always looking forward to the shows on PBS. You might be able to catch a full episode on their website.

Luther

Stars: Idris Elba, Warren Brown, Dermot Crowley, Michael Smiley This was a dark horse (forgive me, I couldn’t resist this racially, in bad taste, play on words), but really, I didn’t expect this show to have the weirdness, and tension, along with great detective story plotting and grit that it did. I loved it and wish I had access to more episodes. I would have liked to see it go into long running, but the talk is of a movie to further carry out one of the really great detective stories and characters. This has great writing and story behind it, but wouldn’t be the brilliant show it is without the central actor Idris Elba. I watched it on Netflix.

Wallander

Stars: Kenneth Branagh, Richard McCabe, Jeany Spark, Sarah Smart Watch both this British version and the subtitled original Swedish one starring Krister Henriksson, Fredrik Gunnarsson, Mats Bergman, and Douglas Johansson. They are both the same stories and characters but with such different perspectives. I liked comparing the two for feeling but didn’t feel they were redundant in any way. Wallander is dark and brooding in temperament but with a fascinating driven determination to ferret out his quarry. Disheveled with the complicated personal life that cops always seem to have, both shows have an edited color palette that conveys the mood and the beauty of the Scandinavian countryside setting. Small bits of levity may be sprinkled in, but this is a serious detective show with plenty of building tension as the plot is unraveled. This is another series with an edge, although a quiet one.

Tip For American Viewers

At times I am unfamiliar with the accent and found that using captions helps me follow fast action and dialog better.

TV series “Midsomer Murders” uses many locations in the south Chilterns for scenes in the fictional Midsomer County. licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence.

Midsomer Murders

Stars: John Nettles, Jane Wymark, Barry Jackson, Jason Hughes There are an awful lot of murders in this seemingly bucolic English village area. But the unflappable DCI Barnaby manages to bring all to a conclusion. Flanked by his Sergeant (Ben Jones is a favorite) and complemented by his wife, who seems fairly clueless and then quite astute in turns, this is a somewhat homely drama/comedy that definitely grows on you. Watching the first incarnation of the show leaves the viewer feeling that despite evildoers, all ends up quite right in the world.

The New Midsomer Murders

Later, a switch of characters (Barnaby’s cousin, also a DCI) takes up the gauntlet of crime solving. His wife has a career, and they have a furbaby instead of a daughter. The plots take on an edgier and more modern take, as well. Good acting, dialog, and new twists and turns in each episode.

Fun Fact

The theme song is played by a weird little instrument called a theremin.

Martin Shaw as Inspector George Gently | Source: Dana Sibera on Flickr

Inspector George Gently

Stars: Martin Shaw, Lee Ingleby, Simon Hubbard, Michael Wilson-Dukes Yes, you might find the wardrobe a bit more retro than usual and the main character a little too sanctimonious, but this is an entertaining series that winds its way through the North Country while old-fashioned Gently methodically fights crime. He and his fashion-conscious partner Bacchus address social issues along with their sleuthing. A bit dated, but a good watch, anyhow.

Father Brown

Father Brown (2013 TV series)

Stars: Mark Williams, Sorcha Cusack, Nancy Carroll This is the series that began in 2013, with stories based on the writing of G.K. Chesterton. Comedic Priest with heartwarming humane compassion for people’s foibles and downfalls is driven by an insatiable curiosity to help solve all the local murders. Supported by his band of locals, he only occasionally moralizes while bringing the Inspector up to speed with his unfailing nose for facts. This is one of those shows that likes to have a bit of fun, and there is a certain lightheartedness about it. But it does have its more somber moments, and the tight-knit comradeship between the main characters is a part of the charm. Likable characters, interesting plot turns, and the beautiful English countryside and village life are all draws for this series.

Fun Fact:

There is also another series (the original) by this name that aired in 1974. It has a very different flavor for the character and the plots.

Which is your favorite of all?

Answer in the comments

• INSPECTOR MORSE
• INSPECTOR LEWIS
• ENDEAVOR
• INSPECTOR LYNLEY
• (Modern) Sherlock
• Luther
• Wallander (BBC)
• Midsomer Murders
• Inspector George Gently
• Father Brown
• DCI Banks
• Cracker
• Grantchester

DCI Banks

Stephen Tompkinson in “DCI Banks” (2010)

Stars: Stephen Tompkinson, Jack Deam, Andrea LoweOne of the more macho of the very masculine set of players that people many detective shows. His spare manner and square jaw hold the show and contrast with his partners, one of which is an uptight and somewhat OCD Caroline Catz. Like many of these shows, there is some social commentary addressing issues of today. A modern detective story well grounded in contemporary times.

Cracker

Stars: Robbie Coltrane, Geraldine Somerville, Kieran O’Brien, Barbara Flynn Here is another one I almost missed because I wasn’t drawn by the name or descriptions. Don’t you make that mistake! A combo of unique and stereotypical character flaws and brilliance make up the character of this profiler. He “cracks” cases. This show has a definite film noir vibe, cued in by the Jazzy soundtrack. One of the disheveled types, the show and its main characters quickly become favorites. Robbie Coltrane was an unusual choice for this drama because his work was mainly in comedy, but that just sharpens how surprisingly good he is in this role. Besides looking into the heads of criminals, there is a good deal of relationship inspection as Fitz (Robbie Coltrane) and his partner develop into more than friends and co-workers. Don’t let this one pass you by … the series is not as well-known as some others, but it is highly entertaining. Coltrane proves to be superb in the role.

Grantchester

Stars: James Norton, Robson Green, Morven Christie, Tessa Peake-Jones This sleuthing priest could not be more unlike “Father Brown” than if you outlined a list of characteristic antonyms. Clergyman Sidney Chambers is a priest who works in tandem with a policeman, not antagonistically. What the two clergymen do have in common is a soft spot for the frailty of man. Chambers tends to personally indulge in those frailties, himself, however. He drinks, smokes, and has some sexual adventures, mostly without apology or repentance. Sidney is eminently likable, if not particularly priestlike.

What Makes It All Tick

The Grantchester production is more polished than the Father Brown series. With less of a “fast plot” formula than a long slow look at what makes people tick. The episodes each address a crime to solve against the larger backdrop of the almost soap opera storyline of Reverend Sidney Chambers and his lost love. It manages to stay free from sappiness and explores the growing friendship of the male protagonists as well as romantic and married love. Historically set within the post-World War 2 era of the fifties. Later in the series, the emphasis for the characters takes a decided turn. It becomes more caught up with social issues, which not every viewer will appreciate.

Find New Favorites?

Did you find some interesting shows to watch? Or were you reminded of some old favorites that bear watching again? Check your local PBS or subscription service for a chance to see the fine acting and well-crafted plots of the favorites listed here. Many of the best TV in this genre is headed up by female leads. Discover some of the strong, independent British female crime busters. Stay tuned, as they say.