"Better than Endeavour": Scrublands is the “exceptionally good” detective drama to binge tonight

If ITV's critically-acclaimed series, Endeavour, is your idea of a brilliant detective drama, we’ve got a show to tell you about that might just knock it off its throne. Scrublands is the BBC's exceptionally good detective series that puts investigative journalist Martin Scarsden (Luke Arnold) in the spotlight – and, we’ll say it, it’s even better than Endeavour.

The real genius of the series is in the mysteries, which are plucked straight from Chris Hammer’s award-winning novels. When we meet Martin in series one, he’s in the drought-stricken Australian town of Riversend where a dedicated young priest has, seemingly out of nowhere, killed five parishioners. It's been a year since the event and Martin's job is simply to write a story about it - that is, until he starts unraveling the mystery behind it.

With both series of Scrublands available to stream on the BBC tonight (or now, if you like), here’s everything you need to know about the detective drama before you watch it, including the plot, cast and how to tune in.

What is Scrublands about?

Based on the award-winning novels written by Chris Hammer, the Australian series takes us to an isolated town in rural Australia, where charismatic and dedicated young priest (Jay Ryan) calmly opens fire on his congregation, killing five parishioners. One year later, investigative journalist Martin Scarsden (Luke Arnold) arrives in Riversend to write what should be a simple story on the anniversary of the tragedy - but turns out to be quite the opposite.

When Martin's instincts kick in and he digs beneath the surface, the previously accepted narrative begins to fall apart, and he finds himself in a life and death race to uncover the truth. What unfolds is harrowing, to say the least, and will push Martin to his very limits.

In series two, Scrublands: Silver, which was released in the UK last year, Martin returns to his childhood town of Silver, where an old school friend, Jasper Speight, has been murdered and Martin’s partner, Mandy (Bella Heathcote), is the main suspect. Knowing there’s no way Mandy could have done it, he sets to work to prove her innocence - and first, he must prove that someone spiked her drink and effectively tried to set her up.

Who’s in the cast of Scrublands?

The main cast of Scrublands includes:

• Luke Arnold (Black Sails)
• Jay Ryan (Top of the Lake)
• Bella Heathcote (Relic)
• Robert Taylor (The Newsreader)
• Luke Carroll (Mystery Road: Origin)
• Debra Lawrance (Fisk)
• Toby Truslove (The Strange Calls)
• Sarah Roberts (Home and Away)
• Adam Zwar (Squinters)
• Zane Ciarma (Neighbours)
• Victoria Thaine (Nowhere Boys)
• Stacy Clausen (True Spirit)
• Genevieve Morris (No Activity)

Is there a trailer for Scrublands?

Yes, you can watch the trailer for Scrublands below.

View full post on YouTube

Is Scrublands any good?

Yes – it’s gripping, atmospheric and, in our opinion, it really does do the books justice. While it’s darker than shows like Endeavour and Shetland, it’s so brilliantly plotted that it never feels too heavy. And if you enjoy an explosive finale, you’ll especially love the first series!

How can I watch Scrublands?

You can watch Scrublands series one and two now on BBC iPlayer.

What other detective dramas can I watch now?

If you’re a fan of Broadchurch, we’d highly recommend giving the US remake, Gracepoint, a watch. It features the return of David Tennant as our lead detective and, while the plot isn’t entirely different from the original, it’s not quite as devastatingly emotional, which makes it somewhat easier to watch. You can watch Gracepoint now on Prime Video. Another brilliant series is In the Dark. The drama introduces us to clever yet troubled detective Helen Weeks (MyAnna Buring) who also happens to be dealing with a surprise pregnancy – and, in our opinion, it’s the BBC’s best series since Shetland. All four episodes of In the Dark are available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.