If you enjoy a crime drama as much as we do, then we’ve got a series with your name on it. Following the success of 2025’s This City is Ours and Reunion, the BBC has delivered the best TV in months in the form of Mint – a series that shows us the inner workings of a notorious crime family, through the eyes of the only daughter Shannon (Emma Laird). The BAFTA-worthy drama is now available to watch on BBC iPlayer – and it’s already our new TV obsession.
Why? Because it’s so much more than a crime drama; it’s also a love story. Shannon is naively romantic and all she dreams of is finding love, which, happily, she does. But the course of true love never did run smooth, as they say, especially when you fall for a member of a rival crime family, Arran (Ben Coyle-Larner), who's new in town.
With the series available to stream now and airing on BBC One tonight, here’s everything you need to know about Mint before you watch it, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.
What is Mint about?
Told across eight episodes, Mint centres largely around Shannon (Emma Laird), the only daughter in a notorious crime family. It’s not your average crime drama in that the real story is Shannon’s search for love, which leads her to Arran (Ben Coyle-Larner), who’s part of a rival crime family.
We also meet Shannon’s mum, Cat (Laura Fraser) and dad Dylan (Sam Riley), who have fallen out of love and are navigating the end of their marriage. Then there’s the sweary, shouty grandmother, Ollie (Lindsay Duncan), who’s the real backbone of the family.
Writer and director, Charlotte Regan, says she wanted to make the female relationships really sing in the show, with much of the narrative revolving around them. “They very much start the show having quite tense relationships with one another. I think Shannon is the character that’s so similar to her mum, so they can't help but clash,” she says.
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“Ollie is a totally different person and doesn't really like the way that Cat has brought Shannon up, or how she's not let her be a part of the world and just overprotected her, in lots of ways. So, it's very much a journey of their friendship. Cat and Ollie's friendship is one of my favourite storylines. It starts with them swearing at each other constantly, and absolutely despising each other, through to them getting drunk, and going to a social club on a night out. So, it’s my favourite friendship of the whole show.”
Arran, on the other hand, becomes something of an obsession for Shannon. Charlotte says of their relationship: “Arran becomes Shannon's real obsession. She's grown up as a princess just wanting to marry someone and settle down or has been told that is what she is capable of; all she can achieve in life. She’s very much following in her mum, Cat’s, footsteps. So as soon as she meets Arran, she knows he's different and they have this great friendship.
“But there is tension because Arran’s brother is one of the opposing forces in the area, against Dylan, so their love story is quite complicated. Shannon's view on love is slightly immature whereas Arran has a more wise outlook on it. Shannon has grown up in a tower and been sheltered from the world. Whereas Arran has just lived in it, like a normal kid would.”
Who’s in the cast of Mint?
The cast of Mint includes:
- Emma Laird (The Brutalist) as Shannon
- Ben Coyle-Larner (also known as musician Loyle Carner) as Arran
- Sam Riley (Rebecca) as Dylan
- Laura Fraser (The Missing) as Cat
- Lewis Gribben (Shetland) as Luke
- Lindsay Duncan (Sherwood) as Ollie
- Connor Newall (28 Years Later) as Liangelo
- Neil Leiper (On Falling) as Sam
Is there a trailer for Mint?
Yes, you can watch the trailer for Mint at the top of this article.
Is Mint any good?
Yes, it’s a fantastic series that avoids many of the overused crime drama tropes we've seen on screen before. It's shot beautifully, the story is clever, poignant and, at times, very funny - and the performances from Emma Laird and Ben Coyle-Larner, are particularly special. If you enjoyed shows like This City is Ours or Mix Tape, it's well worth adding the BAFTA-worthy series to your watchlist.
How can I watch Mint?
All episodes of Mint are available to watch now on BBC iPlayer. The first episode will air on BBC One tonight (20th April) at 9pm, with further episodes airing weekly.
What other crime dramas can I watch next?
If you like crime dramas rooted in real-life, it’s worth watching Four Lives. Sheridan Smith plays the mother of Anthony Walgate, one of the four young gay men murdered by Stephen Port between June 2014 and September 2015 and it’s as gut-wrenching as you’d expect. You can watch Four Lives on BBC iPlayer. For a crime drama with a humorous side, we’d recommend Code 404. The 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 but returns to duty thanks to the help of artificial intelligence. For more great crime dramas you can watch now, check out our selection of the best here.
