“A first-class detective drama”: The Long Call is the “fantastic” series every whodunnit fan should watch

If you love twisty detective dramas set in spectacular locations, we've got your next binge-watch sorted. The rugged Devon coastline is the breathtaking backdrop to The Long Call, ITV's fantastic detective series that ties together a fascinating social backdrop, poignant family estrangement and riveting whodunnit – and it's so good, you might want to set aside a few hours to watch it.

Adapted from Ann Cleeves’ (Vera) much-loved novel of the same name, two deaths summon Detective Inspector Matthew Venn (Ben Aldridge) back to the oppressive evangelical community he ran away from 20 years prior. First, the death of his estranged father and second, an unidentified corpse washed ashore a beach - and it's the start of truly compelling crime story.

With the series now available to binge on ITVX, here's everything you need to know about The Long Call before you watch it, including the plot, cast and how to tune in.

What is The Long Call about?

As we mentioned, the four-part series is adapted from Ann Cleeves’ bestselling novel of the same name and introduces us to the quiet yet complex Detective Inspector Matthew Venn (Ben Aldridge). When his estranged father dies, Matthew returns to the small Christian community in Devon that he left 20 years ago with his husband, Jonathan (Declan Bennett). The drama kicks off with him stood outside the local church in Barum Brethren as the funeral takes place.

But it’s not only grief that has brought him back to the place he thought he'd left behind for good. The body of a man with an albatross tattoo across his neck has been found on the beach near his new home, and it's up to Matthew and his team to get to the bottom of who stabbed him to death. With n0 witnesses, n0 motive, and n0 forensics, can Matthew be able to solve the tricky case whilst grappling with a past that haunts him?

There's also a deeply personal thread to the series. Having hidden his sexuality from his mother as a teen, Matthew isn't just forced to re-engage with the community he left, he must also face the most painful and challenging relationship of all with his mother Dorothy (Juliet Stevenson).

As well as Matthew's professional partner, Detective Sergeant Jen Rafferty (Pearl Mackie), a determined single-mum who has relocated with her two children from London, we also meet Grace (Anita Dobson), the wife of the community's leader, Dennis Stephenson (Martin Shaw). At just 19, she ran away to Devon, to fall into Dennis's controlling clutch. Now in her 60s, she suffers from anxiety attacks, but as the story progresses, will she find her voice?

Anita Dobson told ITV: "I’ve played some very feisty characters in my time, whereas Grace is a sad, wretched woman whose life has dribbled away from her. She is so beaten down and repressed and, possibly, chronically abused – not physically, but mentally - by her husband, Dennis, that she doesn’t really know how she even feels about anything and she doesn’t know how to form proper relationships because she’s never had the opportunity to do so."

Who’s in the cast of The Long Call?

The cast of The Long Call includes:

• Ben Aldridge (Fleabag) as DI Matthew Venn
• Declan Bennett (EastEnders) as Jonathan Roberts
• Juliet Stevenson (Truly, Madly, Deeply) as Dorothy Venn
• Neil Morrissey (Men Behaving Badly) as Christopher Reasley
• Siobhán Cullen (Paula) as Caroline Reasley
• Aoife Hinds (Normal People) as Gaby Chadwell
• Martin Shaw (Inspector George Gently) as Dennis Stephenson
• Pearl Mackie (Doctor Who) as DS Jen Rafferty
• Nia Gwynne (Pride) as Ruth Shapland
• Anita Dobson (London Road) as Grace Stephenson
• Iona Anderson (Six Four) as Rosa Shapland
• Dylan Edwards (GameFace) as DC Ross Pritchard
• Sarah Gordy (The A Word) as Lucy Craddle
• Amit Shah (The Hundred-Foot Journey) as Ed Raveley
• Alan Williams (Chernobyl) as Maurice Craddle
• Alfie Price (The Long Call) as Young Matthew Venn
• Luke Ireland (Extraordinary Rendition) as Simon Walden

Is there a trailer for The Long Call?

Yes, you can watch the trailer for The Long Call here.

View full post on YouTube

Is The Long Call any good?

Yes - first off, the setting is rugged and dramatic, the perfect set-up for a thrilling mystery. Then we have the complexity of the characters and plotlines – a loving gay marriage amid a cult-like evangelical community, not to mention Aldridge’s stellar performance as he grapples with the reality of returning to a place he was shamed by. If you love a brilliant mystery entwined with emotional character plotlines - we think you'll be a fan of The Long Call.

Is there a trailer for The Long Call?

Yes, you can watch the trailer for The Long Call below.

View full post on YouTube

What other detective dramas can I watch now?

A real hidden gem is Cardinal, which is adapted from Giles Blunt’s popular novels, The John Cardinal Crime Series. We follow obsessive Detective, John Cardinal (Billy Campbell), following his return to the homicide unit after a demotion, where he grapples with his own dark secret and suspicions surrounding the motives of his new partner Detective Lise Delorme (Karine Vanasse). You can stream all four series of Cardinal on U. We'd also recommend The Tower, which kicks off when Detective Sergeant Sarah Collins' (Gemma Whelan) long-standing colleague and a 15-year-old refugee fall to their deaths from a London tower block. All four series are available to stream now on ITVX.