“Like Vera but darker”: 8 “5-star” detective dramas to watch this week on ITV, Netflix, the BBC and more

Halloween is over, and winter is rapidly approaching. Don’t worry, we’ve got the ultimate solution to keep the seasonal blues at bay – hours of brilliant television. If you’re on the lookout for your next sleuthing mission, we’ve scoured the schedules and previewed all the upcoming shows to bring you the best picks to watch this week.

From a drama that’s like Vera (but darker) to a fantastic cosy crime caper and a deliciously dark Irish drama, which is coming back for a second series this week, your next obsession awaits. So, remotes at the ready, these are the eight 5-star detective dramas to watch this week on ITV, Netflix, the BBC and more.

Ellis

There’s only one woman to call when a case has turned cold: DCI Ellis (Sharon D. Clarke). The tenacious detective is parachuted into failing investigations across northern England with her right-hand man, DS Harper (Andrew Gower). Each episode centres around a different mystery, from the death of an 18-year-old to the disappearance of a police detective. But the small communities and police forces she’s trying to help aren’t always the most welcoming. It’s like Vera, but darker. Ellis is available to watch now on Channel 5.

The Dark

When a young man’s body is discovered in the Scottish wilderness, detective Monica Kennedy (Laura Donnelly) is put on the case. However, she soon realises this is the start of a serial killer’s terrifying campaign that threatens to rip apart the close-knit community. Paranoia rises and secrets come out. Monica soon becomes caught up in a tense game of cat-and-mouse, while her own dark history creeps up on her. Can she stop the monster before he strikes again? The Dark is available to watch now on ITVX.

Death Valley

For something a lot cosier, we’re heading to mid-Wales to become acquainted with an unlikely detective duo. Retired actor John Chapel (Timothy Spall) and disarming Welsh detective sergeant Janie Mallowan (Gwyneth Keyworth) are brought together by the death of John’s neighbour. John is a national treasure known for his hit fictional detective TV show, and he now must channel his character in real life. Across two series the pair clash as they work to get to the bottom of various mysterious murders, from the death of a walker on a mountain trail to a TV runner overdosing. But will they ever learn to get on? Death Valley is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.

Harry Wild

If there was a prize for most interfering mother, Harriet ‘Harry’ Wild (Jane Seymour) would win it (but we love her for it). Harry’s a retired university professor who finds herself at a crossroads. She’s left out of sorts when she’s mugged, and reluctantly agrees to recover in the home of her son, Charlie (Kevin Ryan), a senior police detective. She starts to interfere in her son’s particularly baffling murder case and spots a pattern from a well-known play. But her son is not exactly over the moon about her newfound passion for sleuthing. It’s fantastically fun and light-hearted. Harry Wild is available to watch now on U.

Crá/Torment

Coined a ‘Gaelic noir’, it’s moody, atmospheric and is Irish (with English subtitles). The story starts in an isolated village in the northwest of Ireland, Garda Barry Roche (Alex Murphy) finds a body buried in the bog. Things take an even more sinister turn when Garda Conall Ó Súilleabháin (Dónall Ó Héalai) realises that it’s his mother, Sabine, who has been missing for 15 years. Conall is forbidden from working on the case, but young journalist Ciara-Kate (Hannah Brady) entices him into her investigation. She hosts a true-crime podcast and sets out to expose the village’s deeply buried secrets. After the success of the first series, Conall and Ciara-Kate are returning for a second series revolving around another deeply personal case. Crá is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer. Series 2 will air on Tuesday 3rd November at 9.30pm on BBC iPlayer.

Marcella

Anna Friel is brilliant as Marcella, a troubled detective with a lot of baggage. We first meet Marcella when her husband leaves her and she returns to her job on the Met’s murder squad, which she gave up a decade earlier when she had her second child. She follows a hunch about an old serial killer case, but when she starts becoming afflicted with violent blackouts, and starts questioning whether she’s connected to the crimes herself. The drama expertly keeps you guessing, but is she so innocent after all? Marcella is available to watch now on Netflix and ITVX.

The One That Got Away

Forbidden lovers, a rugged coastal backdrop and twisted crime cases – yes, please. The English-language version of the Welsh show, Cleddau, follows ex-lovers DI Ffion Lloyd (Elen Rhys) and DS Rick Sheldon (Richard Harrington), who are forced to reunite professionally. The murder of a young nurse in the fictional town of Pembroke Dock bears chilling similarities to a string of killings that gripped the town years earlier. The detectives are led to two frightening possibilities: either a copycat killer is on the loose or the wrong person was convicted. It’s dark and unpredictable. The One That Got Away is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.

Miss Scarlet And The Duke

Miss Scarlet (Kate Phillips) is a headstrong and skilled detective, but there’s one problem – she’s a woman in Victorian England. When she inherits her father’s detective agency, she needs a male partner to operate in this man’s world. Enter her childhood friend William ‘The Duke’ Wellington (Stuart Martin), a Scotland Yard detective. However, they don’t always see eye-to-eye, while the chemistry between them is undeniable. Each episode satisfyingly concludes with a new mystery. It’s charming and addictive. Miss Scarlet And The Duke is available to watch now on U.