Shetland meets Unforgotten: Thorne is the “wildly compelling” detective drama to binge on ITV tonight

When it comes to detective dramas, they don’t get much better than the likes of Shetland and Unforgotten - until you find a sort of mash-up of them both. Enter Thorne, ITV’s wildly compelling detective drama, which is exactly that and stars the always brilliant David Morrissey (pictured above in Sherwood) as the titular DI Tom Thorne, who has the rather grave task of tracking down serial killers of the most disturbing kind.

Adapted from author Mark Billingham’s novels, Sleepyhead and Scaredy Cat, the series, which first aired more than a decade ago, is about as tense as detective dramas get. There are two three-part series to enjoy, each of which introduce us to a new – and equally unsettling – spate of murders. And the circumstances? Well, they’re creepy, to say the least.

With both series available to stream on ITV tonight, here’s everything you need to know about Thorne before you tune in, including the full plot, cast and how to watch it.

What is Thorne about?

The detective drama, which first aired in Sky in 2010, is an adaptation of author Mark Billingham’s novels. The first of the two three-part series, Thorne: Sleepyhead introduces us to the titular DI Tom Thorne (David Morrissey), who's investigating a mysterious serial killer. While his first three victims ended up dead, his fourth survived and must live with the consequences of the torture she endured. Having survived a stroke, which was deliberately induced by the manipulation of pressure points on the head and neck, she’s been left with Locked-in Syndrome.

Needless to say, it’s up to DI Thorne to track down the killer once and for all, but it seems the perpetrator is getting his kicks out of toying with Thorne just as much as he is from pursuing his sick fantasy. And to make things even eerier? Thorne soon realises that it was the killer's intention to leave his victims incapacitated, not dead.

The second three-part series, Thorne: Scaredy Cat sees David Morrissey reprise his role and let’s just say things aren’t getting any easier for his character. Two women are murdered simultaneously at train stations in London, the circumstances of which echo the murder of two other women, stabbed to death months before on the same day. And when Thorne discovers that he’s not up against a single serial killer, but two of them, he’s got a far bigger threat on his hands than he could have ever anticipated.

Talking to IndieWire about what attracted him to the lead role, David Morrissey said: “It was the idea of a man who was married to his job, who only comes alive when he’s working - he has no other life, really. And he recognises that that isn’t a healthy situation, but he’s slightly stuck.

“This case comes along, this girl who was deliberately put into a comatose state by a killer who wants to freeze people. That’s a terrible crime for anybody, but for Thorne it has this resonance, it becomes a personal crusade for him. That connection with the victim was something I hadn’t really seen played out before.”

Who’s in the cast of Thorne?

The main cast of the first series, Thorne: Sleepyhead, includes:

• David Morrissey as DI Tom Thorne
• Eddie Marsan as Kevin Tughan
• Aiden Gillen as Phil Hendricks
• O-T Fagbenle as Dave Holland
• Jack Shepherd as Jack Thorne
• Lorraine Ashbourne as Ruth Brigstocke

The second series, Thorne: Scaredy Cat stars the following additional cast members:

• Sandra Oh as DS Sarah Chen
• Tom Brooke as Martin Palmer
• Claire Benedict as Maeve Reynolds
• Joe Absolom as Stuart Nicklin
• Lolita Chakrabarti as Seema Khera
• Leo Gregory as Sean Bracher
• Javed Khan as DC Dev Khan
• Velibor Topic as Pavel Rasadovic
• Harry Jarvis as Young Stuart Nicklin

Is Thorne any good?

Yes - when Thorne first aired, it got a coveted Sunday night slot and quickly became a big hit with viewers. The casting is genius, with David Morrissey bringing Mark Billingham’s tough but troubled DI Thorne to life as brilliantly as you’d hope. The other thing to mention is that the production is fantastic with a film-like quality to each series. If you’re a fan of shows like Shetland or Unforgotten, it’s well worth giving Thorne a watch next.

How can I watch Thorne?

You can watch both series of Thorne now on ITVX.

What other detective dramas can I watch now?

For another series that’s up there with the likes of Shetland and Happy Valley, we’d recommend In the Dark. The drama introduces us to whip-smart yet troubled detective Helen Weeks (MyAnna Buring) who navigates complex crimes while also dealing with a surprise pregnancy. You can watch In the Dark now on BBC iPlayer. Another brilliant series is White House Farm, which stars Stephen Graham and dramatises the story of the real-life murders of five family members at an Essex farmhouse in 1985. It’s a harrowing, deeply moving story that will stay with you longer after you’ve watched it. White House Farm is available to watch now on ITVX.