If you’re fed up of flicking through channels trying to find a good detective drama to watch, we’ve got news for you: ITV is where you’ll find one. More specifically, the broadcaster’s outstanding series, Scott & Bailey, starring the unsurpassable Nicola Walker. It’s gritty, it’s compelling and it is, if you ask us, the detective drama to top them all.
Here’s how the story goes: DC Rachel Bailey (Suranne Jones) and DC Janet Scott (Lesley Sharp) are two Manchester detectives in the Major Incident Team who have, well, rather a lot of murders to deal with. One of them involves a serial killer who’s remained at large for many years – and Nicola Walker’s Helen Bartlett may well have a connection to them.
With three series of Scott & Bailey available to stream tonight, here’s everything you need to know about the detective drama before you tune in, including the plot, cast and how you can find Nicola’s superb performance.
What is Scott & Bailey about?
The ITV drama, which debuted in 2011, follows two Manchester detectives in the Major Incident Team, DC Rachel Bailey (Suranne Jones) and DC Janet Scott (Lesley Sharp) who have two opposing personalities. Rachel is energetic and impulsive, while Janet is calm and a diplomatic thinker. They do, however, make a formidable team and rely on each other both on and off the job.
Over the course of five series, we follow them as they investigate everything from a staged suicide to the shooting of a 14-year-old boy and a rape-and-murder case that bears striking similarities to an infamous case from 13 years ago. Created with a former Greater Manchester Police DI, the drama has more than a hint of realism to it and it goes without saying that Suranne and Lesley make the perfect on-screen partnership.
The drama attracted a host of guest stars, including Downton Abbey’s Kevin Doyle, Tracie Bennett and Unforgotten’s Nicola Walker. You’ll find Nicola’s standout performance as Helen Bartlett, an unstable woman whose mother was murdered, in series 3. She turns up on Janet’s doorstep with information – about her father, no less – that takes the investigation in a completely different direction.
Nicola told Cultbox of the drama: “The series has an unusual feel to it and is not like any other police drama. I like seeing the personal lives being peeled back and the way [creator Sally Wainwright] plays with the comedy and the seriousness. It’s dramatically always interesting because her characters are a mess. They’re more true to life. They do heroic things but they’re not heroes.”
Explaining how she landed her role as Helen, she added: “I was sent the script and went to audition a scene where Helen has to break down and talk about her life. It was something like 9:30am in a room off Leicester Square in London where I met the director and producer. I finished the audition and was a complete weeping wreck, saying, ‘And now you’re going to throw me out on to the streets?!’ I wandered around Leicester Square thinking, ‘This is a really odd job sometimes.’”
Who’s in the cast of Scott & Bailey?
The cast of Scott & Bailey includes:
- Lesley Sharp (Red Eye) as Detective Constable Janet Scott
- Suranne Jones (Vigil) as Detective Inspector Rachel Bailey
- Amelia Bullmore (Riot Women) as Detective Chief Inspector Gill Murray
- Nicholas Gleaves (After the Flood) as Detective Sergeant Andy Roper
- Danny Miller (Emmerdale) as Detective Sergeant Rob Waddington
- Pippa Haywood (Green Wing) as Detective Superintendent Julie Dodson
- David Prosho (In the Dark) as Detective Constable Ian “Mitch” Mitchell
- Delroy Brown (Rye Lane) as Detective Constable Lee Broadhurst
- Tony Mooney (Last Tango in Halifax) as Detective Constable Pete Readyough
- Sally Lindsay (The Madame Blanc Mysteries) as Alison Bailey
- Kevin Doyle (Downton Abbey) as Geoff Hastings
- Nicola Walker (Unforgotten) as Helen Bartlett
- Tracie Bennett (Amadeus) as Sharon Bailey
Is Scott & Bailey any good?
Yes – it’s brilliant, in fact. If you’re familiar with the show already, you’ll know how watchable the partnership between Suranne Jones and Lesley Sharp is. But the real genius of the series lies in how it’s peppered with these other incredible performances from the likes of Nicola Walker. If you haven’t yet seen her BAFTA-worthy guest appearance, we can’t recommend it highly enough.
How can I watch Scott & Bailey?
The first 3 series of Scott & Bailey are available to watch on ITVX now.
What other Nicola Walker dramas can I watch now?
For starters, we’d recommend Prisoners’ Wives. The drama takes us into the lives of a group of women who each have loved ones in prison and Nicola gives a fantastic performance as DCI Jo Fontaine. You can watch Prisoners’ Wives on Prime Video. If you’re a period drama fan, we’d also suggest Mary & George. Inspired by a true story, Julianne Moore plays Mary Villiers, the woman who moulded her son to seduce King James I and improve her fortunes in the process, while Nicola is Lady Elizabeth Hatton, Mary’s adversary. Mary & George is available to watch on Sky and NOW.
