If you think you’ve already seen the best crime drama on the BBC, we’re here to throw a spanner in the works. Yes, Shetland, Happy Valley and Line of Duty are great, but Kin is even better. The endlessly thrilling series introduces us to Dublin-based crime family the Kinsellas who find themselves in a world of trouble and, if you want our honest opinion, it’s the BBC’s best crime drama to date.
The series, which first aired in Ireland via RTÉ One in 2021 and was later snapped up by the BBC, is about as bingeable as a series gets thanks to its gripping storyline. When a member of the Kinsella clan - led by Frank (Aidan Gillen) - is shot and killed by the Cunningham cartel (headed up by Ciarán Hinds’ Eamon Cunningham), it spirals into all-out war – and the consequences are brutal, to say the least. Think This City is Ours but even better.
With two series available to stream on the BBC tonight (or now, if you like), here’s everything you need to know about the crime drama before you tune in, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.
What is Kin about?
The series takes us to Dublin where we meet local crime family the Kinsellas who become embroiled in a violent gangland war with an international cartel. The Kinsellas are led by Frank (Aidan Gillen) and his tight-knit family, while the Cunningham cartel is a vast global organisation, and it’s David and Goliath with the Kinsellas out-numbered, out-financed and out-gunned.
But how did they end up here? Well, the Kinsellas make their money by selling drugs supplied by crime lord Eamon Cunningham (Ciarán Hinds), which seemingly works without a hitch until one of Cunningham’s men accidentally kills Jamie, the teenage son of Jimmy Kinsella (Emmett J. Scanlan) and his wife Amanda (Clare Dunne). And while the Cunningham's aren't to be messed with, the Kinsellas want revenge.
While Eamon offers a cash payment in compensation for the death, Jamie’s family isn’t prepared to forgive and forget, particularly not his mother. The Kinsellas find themselves holed up in their Dublin stronghold while their businesses fail, and family members and associates are picked off. And while the gangland war seems almost impossible to win, they have something the cartel does not - the unbreakable bonds of blood and family.
What to read next
We follow their story across two series, each of which are equally tense and brilliantly addictive. Writer Peter McKenna told The Irish Times that he drew his research from “papers, books, spoke to journalists, police officers, photographers”, which is no doubt what makes the episodes feel as refreshingly realistic as they do.
Who’s in the cast of Kin?
The main cast of Kin includes:
- Clare Dunne (Herself) as Amanda Kinsella
- Charlie Cox (Daredevil) as Michael Kinsella
- Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones) as Frank Kinsella
- Ciarán Hinds (Midwinter Break) as Eamon Cunningham
- Sam Keeley (The Cured) as Eric "Viking" Kinsella
- Emmett J. Scanlan (Peaky Blinders) as Jimmy Kinsella
- Maria Doyle Kennedy (Outlander) as Bridget "Birdy" Goggins
- Yasmin Seky (Murder Most Puzzling) as Nikita Murphy
- Maria Doyle Kennedy (Recipes for Love and Murder) as Bridget "Birdy" Goggins
- Danielle Galligan (House of Guinness) as Milly
- Francis Magee (The Dig) as Brendan "Bren" Kinsella
Is Kin any good?
Yes - it really is one of the best crime dramas on the BBC; it’s got characters you can really get behind, an engrossing storyline and it has a certain swag about it that you don’t see in most shows these days. When it debuted on RTÉ One in 2021, it quickly became one of Ireland’s most watched shows and it’s not hard to see why. If you’re a fan of crime dramas like This City is Ours and Time, we can almost guarantee you’ll enjoy Kin.
How can I watch Kin?
Kin series one and two are available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.
What other crime dramas can I watch now?
If you’re a fan of Line of Duty, we’d recommend watching creator Jed Mercurio’s other crime drama Payback. The series introduces us to mum-of-two Lexie Noble (Morven Christie) who’s caught between a lying husband and a perilous police operation. You can watch Payback now on ITVX. For Happy Valley fans, we'd suggest The Responder. The series offers a gritty, gripping and scarily realistic portrayal of life as a frontline police officer through the eyes of Chris Carson (Martin Freeman), and it’s easily one of the best shows on TV. The Responder is available to stream now on BBC iPlayer.
