Before Unforgotten and Annika made Nicola Walker a familiar face in British crime television, she appeared in a gripping BBC drama that deserves far more attention. Inside Men, first broadcast in 2012, follows three ordinary security-depot employees who become involved in an ambitious multimillion-pound robbery – a decision that threatens to change their lives and relationships forever.
Across just four episodes, the series explores how financial pressure, personal frustration and the desire for a fresh start can push seemingly decent people towards criminal choices. With strong performances from Steven Mackintosh, Warren Brown, Ashley Walters and Walker, it offers a tightly focused crime story with plenty of psychological tension.
What Is Inside Men About?
Set inside a cash-counting depot, the four-part drama centres on three employees whose everyday working lives bring them into contact with far more money than they could ever hope to earn.
John Coniston (Steven Mackintosh) is the seemingly respectable manager who makes sure every penny is accounted for. Marcus (Warren Brown) works as a forklift driver, moving trolleys of cash around the depot, while Chris (Ashley Walters) is part of the security team. None has a background in serious crime, but all three eventually find themselves drawn into a plan to steal millions from their employer.
Their motivations are very different. John feels trapped in an unfulfilling life and sees the robbery as a chance to escape his routine. His marriage to Kirsty (Nicola Walker) has lost much of its spark, although her support gives him the confidence to consider taking a risk he would once have rejected.
Chris is isolated and spends much of his time caring for his alcoholic mother. His circumstances begin to change when he meets Dita (Leila Mimmack), a 17-year-old Polish immigrant who has also turned to stealing from her employers. The possibility of a better future gives both of them a reason to consider the money – but Chris’s priorities shift as their relationship develops.
Marcus, meanwhile, is still struggling with the consequences of a disastrous investment. Five years earlier, he put his money into a hairdressing salon and lost everything. Feeling that he has failed, he brings his wife Gina (Kierston Wareing) into the scheme. Together, they begin to imagine a future with greater freedom and financial security.
The plan takes an unexpected turn when John discovers that Marcus and Chris have already started stealing money from the depot. Rather than simply reporting their actions, he sees an opportunity to turn their small-scale theft into something far more ambitious.
In an interview with the BBC, Mackintosh explained that John’s frustration with his stagnant life reaches a breaking point when he confronts the two men. Instead of concentrating on recovering the money already taken, John suggests that they go after the entire fortune held at the depot.
Walters also discussed Chris’s changing outlook. Initially, he sees the robbery as a way to escape the monotony of his daily existence. But as his relationship with Dita gives him a genuine prospect of happiness, he begins questioning whether the crime is worth the consequences.
Who Stars in Inside Men?
The series brings together a strong ensemble of British television actors, with several familiar faces taking on roles at the centre of the robbery and its fallout.
The main cast includes:
- Steven Mackintosh (Luther) as John Coniston
- Nicola Walker (Marriage) as Kirsty Coniston
- Warren Brown (Luther) as Marcus
- Ashley Walters (Top Boy) as Chris
- Kierston Wareing (Fish Tank) as Gina
- Leila Mimmack (Midwinter of the Spirit) as Dita
- Paul Popplewell (Journeyman) as Tom Armstrong
- Hannah Merry as Olivia Doyle
- Ruth Gemmell (Bridgerton) as Rebecca Brewer
- Tom Mannion (Brookside) as Gordon Power
- Gregg Chillin (Leaving) as Riaz Kureshi
- Irfan Hussein (War Horse) as Kalpesh Induani
- Rebekah Staton (Raised by Wolves) as Sandra Chaplin
Walker plays a particularly important part in John’s personal story. As Kirsty, she provides a window into the consequences of his decisions beyond the workplace, showing how his growing appetite for risk affects the people closest to him.
Is Inside Men Worth Watching?
For viewers who enjoy crime dramas built around character psychology as much as the mechanics of a robbery, Inside Men offers an intriguing premise.
Its central appeal lies in the contrast between the ordinary lives of its protagonists and the extraordinary crime they decide to commit. These are not experienced criminals with carefully established reputations. They are working men dealing with debt, loneliness, frustration and the feeling that life has passed them by.
The series examines how their desire for control and a better future gradually changes their behaviour – and how difficult it becomes to return to normal once they have crossed that line.
Nicola Walker is another compelling reason to give the drama a chance, although the story is shared across its three central characters. Mackintosh, Brown and Walters also deliver performances that help ground the increasingly tense plot in believable personal struggles.
The critical response was positive overall. Inside Men holds an 88% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, while its audience score stands at 67%. Reviews have highlighted its suspenseful structure, performances and exploration of the moral choices behind the robbery.
With only four episodes, it is also a relatively short commitment for anyone looking for a compact British crime thriller.
Where Can You Watch Inside Men?
Inside Men originally aired on BBC One in February 2012, running for four episodes. It is listed on Prime Video and Apple TV, but viewing options depend on the country.
As of November 2026, Rotten Tomatoes lists the series as available with a Prime Video subscription, while UK listings show purchase options through Amazon Video and the Apple TV Store rather than a free streaming option. Check your local platform for the latest availability.
More Nicola Walker Dramas to Add to Your Watchlist
If you have already watched Unforgotten and want another mystery featuring Walker, Annika is a natural next choice. She stars as DI Annika Strandhed, who leads a specialist Marine Homicide Unit investigating unusual murders connected to Scotland’s waterways. The series is available on BBC iPlayer in the UK.
For something in a different genre, there is also Mary & George, a historical drama inspired by real events. Julianne Moore plays Mary Villiers, a woman determined to improve her family’s position by grooming her son to attract King James I. Walker appears as her formidable adversary, Lady Elizabeth Hatton.
The period drama is available through Sky and NOW in the UK, subject to current platform listings.
Whether you are drawn to Walker’s performances or simply enjoy tightly written crime stories, Inside Men is a four-episode drama worth putting on your radar.
