Already binged Motherland, Ludwig and Bleak House? Then you’ll be pleased to hear there’s more Anna Maxwell Martin brilliance to enjoy right now in the form of her crime drama of dreams, Code 404. Sky's gloriously good series revolves around Detective Inspectors DI John Major (Daniel Mays) and DI Roy Carver (Stephen Graham), the latter of whom is killed on the job and brought back to life using AI. And Anna is, as ever, outstanding as John’s wife, Kelly.
The relationship between the trio, however, isn’t quite that simple. When John returns in his new iteration, he discovers that his wife has, in fact, been having an affair with his best friend and police partner. Poor John! And over the course of three brilliant series, we see ups and downs of their relationship play out as the detective duo return to fighting crime together.
With the series now available to binge in full (tonight, if you please), here’s everything you need to know about Code 404 before you tune in, including the full plot, cast and how to watch it.
What is Code 404 about?
The six-part crime drama is set in the near future and introduces us to Detective Inspectors DI John Major (Mays) and DI Roy Carver (Graham), the top crime fighting duo in the Unit. When an undercover sting goes horribly wrong, however, John is gunned down on the job and killed. Wracked with guilt and regret about his crime-fighting partner’s untimely death, Roy turns to the only person who understands him, John’s wife, Kelly (Anna Maxwell Martin).
It turns out, however, that Roy doesn’t have to live without John after all, because John is about to get a reboot. Chosen by the police as the prototype for a new A.I. driven initiative, John is brought back from the dead. And while he’d like to believe he’s better than ever, but something isn’t quite right. Oh, and it’s not exactly ideal that Roy is now in a relationship with his Kelly.
Over the course of three series, we see personal tensions between the pair play out, as well as various “issues” with Major’s AI system. Star Daniel Mays has described the series as “a pure kind of unadulterated entertainment”. He told Radio Times, “You know, it's slapstick funny, there's great drama in it – and there's even more stunts and gadgets this time around.”
Who’s in the cast of Code 404?
The cast of Code 404 includes:
- Anna Maxwell Martin as Kelly Major
- Stephen Graham as DI Roy Carber
- Daniel Mays as DI John Major
- Rosie Cavaliero as DCS Dennett
- Amanda Payton as Dr Alison Parfit
- Steve Oram as DI Gilbert
- Emily Lloyd-Saini as DI Ryle
- Michelle Greenidge as PC Williams
- Richard Gadd as Liam Cleasby
- Tracy-Ann Oberman as Helen Chalmers
- Steve Meo as DI Paul Stokes (series 2)
- Clive Russell as Clifford Major (series 2)
- Michael Armstrong as PC Michael Michaels (series 2-3)
- Vinette Robinson as Professor Sarah McAllister (series 3)
Is there a trailer for Code 404?
Yes, you can watch the trailer for Code 404 below:
Is Code 404 any good?
Yes – it’s a brilliantly comic series that’s earned itself an army of adoring fans. The blend of detective work and AI-related hilarity makes for genuinely entertaining viewing and Anna Maxwell Martin is fantastic in it. Viewers have called it “surprisingly fun”, “a genius comedy” and “oddly hilarious”. If you likely dry humour and are tired of the usual police drama format, Code 404 is well worth a watch.
How can I watch Code 404?
Code 404 is available to watch now on Sky, NOW and Prime Video.
What other Anna Maxwell Martin dramas can I watch now?
If you haven’t yet watched Anna in A Spy Among Friends, we highly recommend you do. The Cold War spy thriller brings to life the true story of Nicholas Elliott (played by Damian Lewis) who worked for MI6 in the 1960s and discovered that his close friend and colleague Kim Philby had been secretly working as an undercover agent for the KBG. Anna Maxwell Martin plays Lily Thomas, who interrogates Elliott, suspecting him of being complicit, and the intense face-off between her and Lewis makes for spectacular viewing. You can watch A Spy Among Friends on ITVX now. We’d also recommend Anna’s film The Duke. The drama is inspired by the true story of Kempton Bunton (played by Jim Broadbent), who took Francisco Goya's painting Portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London in 1961. Anna plays the affluent – and incredibly demanding Mrs Gowling and she nails it. You can watch The Duke on BBC iPlayer. To watch more of Anna’s best performances, check out our pick of her greatest roles here.
