It goes without saying that if Stephen Graham’s name is on a cast list, we're definitely going to watch it. If, like us, you’re waiting patiently for his upcoming thriller Nocturne, we’ve delved back into his back catalogue to unearth some brilliant crime series you can watch in the meantime.
From his best performance yet in a harrowing true-crime story to a complex mystery spanning centuries and a hilarious futuristic detective drama where he stars alongside Anna Maxwell Martin, we’ve got your next binge-watch sorted. So, get comfy for our pick of seven glorious Stephen Graham crime dramas to watch now on ITV, Netflix, the BBC and more.
Little Boy Blue
Stephen Graham delivers his most powerful performance in Little Boy Blue, a heartbreaking four-part drama based on the real-life murder of 11-year-old Rhys Jones in Croxteth, Liverpool, in 2007. Graham plays Detective Superintendent Dave Kelly, who leads the painstaking murder investigation in a community gripped by fear after the innocent boy was shot dead while walking home from football practice. The fact that Graham grew up just 10 minutes from the area adds an extra layer of poignancy to his performance. Little Boy Blue is available to watch now on ITVX.
Bodies
For something more mind-bending, Netflix’s Bodies introduces us to shadowy political figure Elias Mannix (Stephen Graham). This mystery thriller transports us to London’s East End and follows four detectives across different eras – 1890, 1941, 2023 and 2053. Somehow, they’re all investigating the same case, and Mannix is central to the century-spanning conspiracy. Bodies is available to watch now on Netflix.
White House Farm
Graham plays detective again in the six-part White House Farm, another dramatisation of a real-life murder case. This time, he’s DCI Thomas ‘Taff’ Jones, the senior investigator in the murder of five family members at an Essex farmhouse in 1985. The police force initially believes Sheila (Cressida Bonas) has killed her family members before turning the gun on herself – but evidence soon implicates another family member… White House Farm is available to watch now on ITVX.
Time
Created and co-written by Jimmy McGovern (Accused, Unforgivable), Time follows the lives of inmates and prison staff in the British prison system. Stephen Graham appears in the first series as prison officer Eric McNally, who’s endangered when an inmate discovers one of his family members is in prison and begins to threaten him. Meanwhile, Sean Bean leads a parallel plot as a recently imprisoned teacher. The second series follows three different women grappling with motherhood behind bars, and series three – set to air later this year – will revolve around a young offender’s institute, with prison chaplain Marie-Louise O’Dell (Siobhan Finneran) losing faith in the system. Time is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.
Adolescence
The seismic Netflix hit that left a mark on the world tells the disturbing story of teenage boy Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper), who’s arrested for the murder of a female classmate. Rather than a traditional whodunnit, the series explores toxic masculinity and misogyny in schools as Stephen Graham’s character, Jamie’s loving father, Eddie, grapples with how his son could commit such an atrocity and hide an entirely secret existence online. Graham co-created the series and delivers an exceptionally raw performance. Adolescence is available to watch now on Netflix.
Code 404
For some much-needed light relief, comedy drama Code 404 imagines a near future where technology can bring a murdered detective back from the dead. DI John Major (Daniel Mays) is revived through an experimental AI programme after he’s killed on duty – but there’s something awry with his new robo brain. Graham plays his long-suffering partner, DI Roy Carver, who has an even bigger problem on his hands – while Major was dead, he started a relationship with his wife, Kelly (Anna Maxwell Martin). But the drama doesn’t stop there – the dysfunctional duo still have killers to catch… Code 404 is available to watch now on Sky, NOW and Prime Video.
Line Of Duty
No Stephen Graham crime drama round-up would be complete without Line Of Duty, the BBC’s epic nail-biting police drama. The series follows the anti-corruption unit AC-12, made up of investigators Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar), Detective Inspector Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) and Detective Sergeant Steve Arnott (Martin Compston), who sniff out corrupt cops. There are six series of nail-biting drama, with Stephen Graham joining the fifth series as DS John Corbett, an undercover officer embedded in an organised crime group. But, as his investigation deepens, he starts to become convinced his own boss is linked to the mysterious figure called ‘H’ – and there’s a big twist… Line Of Duty is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.
