The end of summer might be getting closer, but you don’t need to reach for your winter wardrobe just yet. We’re keeping the sunny season well and truly alive with the perfect selection of cosy crime series to keep those seasonal blues at bay. After searching through the schedules – we’ve unearthed the very best shows you’re going to want to watch this month.
From a series so good it rivals Death In Paradise, to a period detective saga Grantchester fans will love, and an Australian drama where two siblings’ entrepreneurial endeavour lands them in a criminal underworld – there’s something for whatever mood you might be in. So, remotes at the ready – here are the seven 10-star new cosy crime dramas to watch this August on ITV, Netflix, the BBC and more.
Benidorm Is Murder
The perfect Death in Paradise replacement has landed on our shores, with Benidorm Is Murder, swapping the sun-soaked Caribbean for the much-loved Spanish Costa Blanca. The six-part series follows former detective Dennis Crown (John Hannah), who’s moved to Spain to open a bar, hoping for a quieter life in the sun. But when tourists start showing up dead, he’s reluctantly pulled back into his old crime-busting life. Helped by his barmaid Rosa (Carolina Bécquer), an aspiring actress and true-crime fanatic, he’s drawn away from pulling pints and back to solving murder cases in what’s set to be the next Death In Paradise. The first episode of Benidorm Is Murder is available to watch now on Channel 5, with subsequent episodes landing every Thursday at 9pm.
Sunny Nights
This sun-soaked eight-part series takes us to Australia where we meet the newly relocated American brother and sister Martin (Will Forte) and Vicki Marvin (D’Arcy Carden) who move to Sydney with a big entrepreneurial vision: a spray tan van. As you might expect, their million-making mission doesn’t quite go to plan. But their financial woes are the least of their problems when a blackmail scheme drags them into Sydney’s criminal underworld…Series 1 is coming to ITV1 and ITVX on Sunday 16 August.
My Life Is Murder
Our favourite unconventional investigator Alexa Crowe (Lucy Lawless) is back for another irresistible helping of murder mystery all the way in New Zealand. The former detective turned private investigator regularly cracks the cases that leave everyone else slumped. But what’s her sleuthing secret? She bakes bread to help her process and untangle all the clues. The first series kicks off in Melbourne, but in the second series, the sleuth returns to her native New Zealand. Series 5 will see her in Auckland as she faces a rather personal dilemma, and some dangerous new villains. Series 5 is coming to U&Alibi on Monday 10 August at 8pm.
Ludwig
Britain’s most renowned puzzle-solver is back – John ‘Ludwig’ Taylor (David Mitchell) will return to our screens but this time, he’s hired as an official consultant for the Cambridgeshire Police. For those who missed the first series, it follows the introverted Ludwig in the aftermath of the disappearance of his identical twin brother, the high-flying DCI James who led a major crimes team in Cambridge. Ludwig assumes the identity of his twin to solve the biggest puzzle he’s ever encountered, with the help of his brother’s wife, Lucy (Anna Maxwell Martin). While masquerading as his brother, he becomes embroiled in solving other cases for the police force. But, in this series, his brother is still missing, and now he can’t use any of the policing resources to try and track him. Series 2 will premiere on BBC One at 9pm on Thursday 20 August, with all six episodes available on BBC iPlayer on the same date.
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You’re Killing Me
Now we’re travelling across the pond to a picturesque town in New England where novelist Allie (Brooke Shields) forms an alliance with an aspiring writer and podcaster, Andi (Amalia Williamson) to track down who killed their close friend. They’re also joined by a local detective called Jack (Tom Cavanagh) who’s trying to adjust to small town life after moving in from the big city. But will they be successful in unravelling this mystery? We can’t wait to find out! You’re Killing Me will premiere on U&Drama on Friday 21 August at 8pm.
Murder In A Small Town
For a picturesque murder mystery, Murder In A Small Town follows the detective, Karl Alberg (Rossif Sutherland), who abandons the hustle and bustle of the city for what he hopes will be a quieter life in the harbour town of Gibsons, British Columbia. His hopes of peace turn out to be a short-lived fantasy – when he arrives, bodies are washing up on his shore and he realises the town is keeping a heap load of secrets. Over two series, we follow Karl putting his old skills to the test while he falls for local librarian Cassandra (Kristin Kreuk). Both series of Murder In A Small Town landed on Netflix on Saturday 1 August.
Bookish
If Grantchester is your favourite cosy crime drama, you’ll be happy to hear that Bookish, an equally exceptional period detective drama, is back for a second chapter. This drama is set in 1940s London and introduces us to crime-busting bookshop owner Gabriel Book (Sherlock’s Mark Gatiss) who’s keeping a secret: he’s gay at a time when homosexuality was illegal. To hide his sexuality, he’s in a ‘lavender marriage’ with his close friend Trottie (Polly Walker), and their bookshop turns into a sleuthing ground for a series of intriguing cases. The second run promises even more fun, with Gabriel asked to help with a mysterious case involving a medium, a murder at gentleman’s outfitters and a thieving Duchess (played by Miranda Richardson). Series 2 will premiere on Wednesday 26 August at 8pm on U&Alibi with a double-bill.
