If you’re on the hunt for a new pacy ‘whodunnit’ with a stunning backdrop, we have a great option for you. High Country is the superbly plotted detective drama that every crime fan should watch. The show has combined some of the best elements from two of our favourite watches, Maigret's atmospheric setting and Unforgotten’s twists and dedicated protagonist.
If you swap Maigret’s moody 1930s Paris for the eery Australian bushlands and add in a dogged female detective lead like Nicola Walker’s DCI Cassie Stuart, you arrive at High Country. First airing in Australia in 2024, the series introduces us to Detective Andie Whitford – a city detective transferred to the wilderness who finds herself at the centre of a chilling web of missing people.
With High Country now available in full on BBC iPlayer, here’s everything you need to know about the series before you watch it, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.
What is High Country about?
The eight-part series, first airing in 2024, introduces us to detective Andrea (Andie) Whitford (Leah Purcell), who’s transferred from the city to the remote Victorian High Country, where she’s instantly thrust into a complex mystery. Five people have vanished into the wilderness and soon she uncovers a web of murder, deceit and revenge.
But it’s not just this chilling case she has to contend with – she also has to deal with being the outsider among her new mistrustful colleagues, and resentment from her daughter Kirra (Pez Warner), who’s having difficulties settling in.
The drama kicks off with Andie driving down a winding road, where she discovers an abandoned Mercedes-Benz belonging to a character called Dr Haber. The doors are open and his personal items are inside – and we soon learn the doctor has recently killed his wife and children. Andie then discovers him naked, before he takes his own life – after delivering an eery warning to her...
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Andie soon encounters some of the town’s curious characters, including Damien Starc (Henry Nixon), who claims to be a psychic and has visions. Her gruff predecessor, Sergeant Sam Dyson (Ian McElhinney), is convinced Starc responsible for the murder of a missing female hiker, whereas Andie believes there’s a lot more to the story.
Across the eight episodes, Andie pieces together a chilling conspiracy, full of red herrings and cliffhangers – all while facing her own buried trauma. And if you’re now planning to binge the series in its entirety, we have good news – filming for the second series is currently underway and it’s expected to air later this year.
Who’s in the cast of High Country?
The cast of High Country includes:
- Leah Purcell (Wentworth) as Sergeant Andrea ‘Andie’ Whitford
- Ian McElhinney (Game Of Thrones, Derry Girls) as Retired Sergeant Sam Dyson
- Sara Wiseman (Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes) as Helen Hartley
- Aaron Pedersen (Mystery Road, Jack Irish) as Owen Cooper
- Pez Warner (Strife) as Kirra Hartley
- Sara Wiseman (A Place To Call Home) as Helen Hartley
- Aaron Pedersen (Mystery Road) as Owen Cooper
Is High Country any good?
Yes – if you’re a fan of a twisty murder mysteries, such as Unforgotten and Maigret, you’re going to be a fan of High Country. There are clear parallels between Unforgotten’s DCI Cassie Stuart (Nicola Walker) and Leah Purcell in their tenacity as strong-willed female detectives who’ll stop at nothing to get to the truth, all while facing their own family dramas. Then there’s the stunning backdrop of the atmospheric Victorian bushlands, which adds to the show’s irresistible eeriness, paired with the cliffhangers ending every episode – it’s impossible to stop watching!
How can I watch High Country?
You can watch all episodes of High Country on BBC iPlayer now.
What other detective dramas can I watch now?
If you want another twisty detective drama, an equally engrossing series is Case Histories, which follows former soldier and policeman Jackson Brodie (Jason Isaacs) as he attempts to crack a range of unconventional cases. Case Histories is available to watch now on U. If you fancy something a little cosier, we’d point you towards Anna Maxwell Martin’s brilliant performance in The Bletchley Circle, which takes us back to 1952 postwar Britain. The series follows four former Second World War codebreakers who solve murders. You can watch The Bletchley Circle now on Channel 4
