Crime dramas don’t get much better than Shetland… or do they? If you haven’t yet been introduced to Bloodlands, let us do the honours. The series introduces us to DCI Tom Brannick (James Nesbitt) who investigates harrowing crimes in Northern Ireland while trying to hide a dark (that's an understatement) secret from his past – and, if you ask us, it’s the best BBC series since Shetland.
Five years after it first arrived on our screens, the hit drama is now available to stream – and here’s why you should. 1. It’s produced by Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio (he’s a genius, in case you didn’t already know). 2. James Nesbitt is superb in the lead role as trouble detective Tom. And 3. If you enjoy a good twist, there’s absolutely no shortage of them in Bloodlands. In fact, there's one that may well leave you speechless.
With the series available to binge now, here’s everything you need to know about Bloodlands before you watch it, including the full plot, cast, trailer and how to tune in.
What is Bloodlands about?
The BBC series, which first aired on the BBC in 2021, uses the ripe historic territory of the Troubles as a launchpad for a contemporary story of buried secrets and paramilitary crime. Our lead character is DCI Tom Brannack (James Nesbitt), a troubled detective who investigates local kidnappings and murders in Northern Ireland while grappling with personal trauma - and secrets - of his own.
Series 1 kicks off with a car being pulled out of Strangford Lough, its owner having been kidnapped. Tom quickly connects it to an infamous cold case with huge personal significance and, driven by his hunger to settle a score with the past, he's determined to solve the case.
That means tracking down a legendary assassin known as Goliath. The legend goes that he was a serving police officer who vanished without trace 20 years ago - and among his original victims was Tom’s wife. As Tom and his partner, DS Niamh McGovern (Charlene McKenna), dig deeper into the case, they find gaps in the original Goliath investigation. it seems that someone tried to suppress the truth.
What to read next
No spoilers, but series 1 ended with quite the twist (you won’t see it coming) and, in 2022, a second series reunited us with Tom and Niamh. The second instalment finds the pair dealing with the murder of a crooked accountant, which unravels a trail of greed. As Tom and the accountant’s widow, Olivia Foyle (Victoria Smurfit) try to solve the riddle her husband left behind, Tom starts to question exactly how far he’ll go to keep his legacy intact.
Star James Nesbitt told the BBC of his character: “Tom Brannick has been a policeman for over 20 years. He started out when it was the RUC that transformed to the PSNI and would have been there when peace came to Northern Ireland with the Good Friday Agreement. He’s a decent man, someone who has known real tragedy during the Troubles. When the name ‘Goliath’ comes up, an assassin possibly in the police force, we find out that one of the victims was his wife, Emma.
“Tom is devoted to his daughter, Issy, he is very protective over her. He was a well known character because he played rugby. He’s quite familiar to me, because I knew a lot of police officers when I was younger and my family was in the police and also I played rugby at school and followed rugby a lot, so it was familiar territory.
“I think as he’s coming to the end of his career, the idea of this old case rearing its head again is terrifying to him and everyone in the force - lots of suspicions, paranoia - and there’s great danger of what this means for the peace process.”
Who’s in the cast of Bloodlands?
The cast of Bloodlands includes:
- James Nesbitt (Cold Feet) as DCI Tom Brannick
- Lorcan Cranitch as DCS Jackie Twomey
- Charlene McKenna as DS Niamh McGovern
- Chris Walley as DC Billy “Birdy” Bird
- Lola Petticrew as Izzy Brannick
- Michael Smiley as Justin “Dinger” Bell
- Ian McElhinney as Adam Corry
- Susan Lynch as DCI Heather Pentland
- Lisa Dwan as Tori Matthews
- Kathy Kiera Clarke as Claire Keenan
- Peter Ballance as Patrick Keenan
- Cara Kelly as Siobhan Harkin
- Caolan Byrne as Ben McFarland
- Valerie Lilley as Linda Corry
- Victoria Smurfit as Olivia Foyle (series 2)
- Diarmaid Murtagh as Robert Dardis (series 2)
- Jonjo O'Neill as Ryan Savage
Is there a trailer for Bloodlands?
Yes, you can watch the trailer for Bloodlands below.
Is Bloodlands any good?
Yes – as you might expect from a Jed Mercurio drama, it’s a wildly compelling, brilliantly twisty series with excellent lead performances from the likes of James Nesbitt and Charlene McKenna. The real genius of the series lies in the fact that our lead detective – Tom Brannick – isn’t your typical detective. Yes, he’s troubled, but there’s far more to him than meets the eye and, we don’t want to give anything away, but it doesn’t exactly make you particularly fond of him! While, sadly, only two series of the show were made and it was quietly axed in 2023, it does mean you can get through the whole thing in a couple of days!
How can I watch Bloodlands?
Bloodlands series 1 and 2 are available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.
What other crime dramas can I watch now?
If you fancy something a little cosier, we’d suggest The Brokenwood Mysteries. The long-running series takes us to the fictitious New Zealand town of Brokenwood where Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Shepherd (Neil Rea) and Detective Kristin Sims (Fern Sutherland) investigate everything from vineyard deaths to stag party disappearances. You can watch The Brokenwood Mysteries on U. For another Shetland-esque series, we’d suggest The Pact. Julie Hesmondhalgh stars as one of four brewery coworkers and friends who find themselves bound by a terrible secret. The Pact is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.
