If you’re in the Happy Valley fan club (us too), you’ve probably searched high and low for a series that’s as good. And while there aren’t many series that come anywhere close to its brilliance, The Responder is, in our opinion, the BBC’s best series since. The world-class crime drama offers a gritty, gripping and scarily realistic portrayal of life as a frontline police officer and it’s easily one of the best shows on TV.
The series, which first aired in 2022, is written by an ex-police officer (which explains how accurate it is) and introduces us to Chris Carson (played Martin Freeman), an urgent response officer whose life – and mental health – is unravelling by the minute. Having previously been demoted for perceived corruption, he hopes to get his career back on track – but it’s far easier said than done.
With two full series available to binge tonight, here’s everything you need to know about The Responder before you watch it, including the plot, cast and how to tune in.
What is The Responder about?
Written by former police officer Tony Schumacher, the series follows Chris Carson (Martin Freeman), a crisis-stricken, morally compromised response officer (he was previously demoted due to a corruption charge) as he works a series of night shifts in Liverpool. Chris is trying to keep his head above water both personally and professionally, while his new rookie partner Rachel (Adelayo Adedayo) is also looking for meaning in the job but can’t seem to find it anymore. No spoilers, but they’ll soon learn during the course of series one that if they’re going to survive, they’ll need each other more than ever.
In 2024, a second series aired, which picks up six months on. When we meet Chris again, he’s trying to be a better police officer (things didn’t exactly go well in series one thanks to his involvement with a local drug dealer), a better man, and most importantly, a better father to his daughter Tilly, all whilst still dealing with the relentless trauma of being a night response officer. But when DCI Barnes (Amaka Okafor) asks him for a favour, which means he crosses one of Liverpool’s top drug dealers, things quickly go from bad to worse.
In a BBC interview, Tony Schumacher explained where Chris’s disillusionment stems from. “The Responder is about Chris Carson, a guy who is struggling to be a better person, but who is falling apart inside his head whilst trying to deal with what’s going on in his job,” he said.
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“His marriage is over, his family is falling apart, he hasn’t got any real friends and the one friend he did have is dead. Everything is bubbling up and over in his life and yet he is expected as a copper to go out and do the job. A job he doesn’t believe in anymore.”
Martin Freeman added that despite his character’s flaws, deep down, he’s not a terrible person. “The reason I wanted to play Chris is that he is a great mixture of vulnerability and strength. I think there is something about a man of few words that is attractive,” he said.
“There's a reason why people like characters that don't have to over-explain themselves and I think Chris is one of them. What I like about this show is that we weren't judging him. You don't always like a person but that doesn't mean you write them off as a human being completely. Chris doesn't always have to be doing the right thing and that appealed to me. He’s not super cop but he is essentially a decent person. He is complicated and conflicted.”
Who’s in the cast of The Responder?
The main cast of The Responder includes:
- Martin Freeman (Sherlock) as Chris
- Adelayo Adedayo (Some Girls) as Rachel
- Emily Fairn (House of Guinness) as Casey
- Josh Finan (Waiting for the Out) as Marco
- MyAnna Buring (In the Dark) as Kate
- Warren Brown (A Taste for Murder) as Ray
- Faye McKeever (Little Boy Blue) as Jodie
- Adam Nagaitis (To Walk Invisible) as Franny
- Amaka Okafor (Bodies) as DCI Deborah “Debs” Barnes
- Bernard Hill (Titanic)as Tom
- Ian Puleston-Davies (DI Ray) as Eric
Is The Responder any good?
Yes - it’s a gritty yet surprisingly realistic portrayal of modern policing, which is largely thanks to the fact it’s written by an ex-police officer. It captures the very real toll frontline policing takes on people’s lives and mental health while delivering deeply compelling storylines. Whether you’re a Happy Valley fan or simply enjoy a sharp and brilliantly tense crime drama, we can’t recommend it enough.
How can I watch The Responder?
The Responder is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.
What other crime dramas can I watch now?
If you prefer your crime dramas on the cosier side, we'd recommend Recipes for Love and Murder. The series introduces us to crime-solving cook and agony aunt Tannie Maria (Maria Doyle Kennedy) who, by chance, discovers she has some pretty strong sleuthing skills. You can watch Recipes for Love and Murder now on U. For true crime fans, we’d suggest White House Farm. The series dramatises the story of the real-life murders of five family members at an Essex farmhouse in 1985 and it’s a gripping yet deeply moving watch. White House Farm is available to watch on ITVX.
