You know you’re in safe hands when Nicola Walker is on the screen. Thanks to her roles in Unforgotten, Spooks and The Split, the actress has earned her reputation as the queen of TV dramas.

Annika is another gem in her endless canon of compelling shows – and if you haven’t yet seen it, what are you waiting for?

The series follows Detective Inspector Annika Strandhed, the sharp and witty head of Glasgow’s Marine Homicide Unit, as she investigates brutal murders that wash up in the waterways of Scotland.

Set against Scotland’s dramatic coastal landscapes, the show blends atmospheric crime drama with dry humour, while breaking the fourth wall with Fleabag-style narration.

Annika is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

Apple TV+ is home to a number of criminally underrated shows that are sometimes overlooked in today’s relentless streaming wars. From Trying to Bad Monkey and Drops of Gold, there are plenty of hidden gems on offer – and Blackbird is undoubtedly one of them.

Inspired by true events, this compelling six-part miniseries stars Taron Egerton as Jimmy Keene (Taron Egerton), a charming high school football hero who is sentenced to ten years in a minimum security prison for drug offences. When the FBI notices his impressive social skills, they offer him the chance to walk free if he transfers to a prison for the criminally insane and gets a confession out of suspected serial killer Larry Hall.

Blackbird is available to stream on Apple TV.

Martin Clunes is superb as real-life London Met detective Colin Sutton in ITV’s seriously compelling crime drama. Based on Colin’s memoirs, this three-part 2019 series dramatises the real-life investigation into the murder of 22-year-old French student Amélie Delagrange, whose body was found on Twickenham Green in 2004.

Colin’s investigation linked Amélie’s killer Levi Bellfield to two previous murders: that of 13-year-old Milly Dowler in 2002 and 19-year-old Marsha McDonnell in 2003.

The acclaimed series was followed up with a second outing in 2021, which saw DCI Sutton hunt down a notorious serial rapist and burglar Delroy Grant, who left elderly people in south London living in fear for 17 years between 1992 and 2009.

Manhunt is available to stream on ITVX now.

This outstanding HBO show has earned a spot on my list of best ever crime dramas. The 2021 series, which marked actress Kate Winslet’s first television role since 2011, follows titular police detective Mare (Winslet) as she investigates a murder in her small Pennsylvania town, while her life falls apart around her.

While it received widespread critical acclaim upon its 2021 release – including Emmy Awards for Kate Winslet, Evan Peters and Julianne Nicholson – viewers have since hailed it as an “underrated gem,” possibly because it was a one-off, running for just seven episodes.

This might be about to change, however, as Kate revealed earlier this year that a second season could be in the works and likely filmed in 2027. My fingers are firmly crossed!

Mare of Easttown is available to stream on NOW and HBO Max.

No one quite does true story-inspired crime dramas like the BBC. From The Salisbury Poisonings to The Gold and Four Lives, the broadcaster has released a number of unmissable retellings of harrowing real-life stories – and Steeltown Murders is a must-watch if you haven’t yet seen it.

This hard-hitting drama, released in 2023, is based on the shocking true story of the police’s 30-year investigation into the serial killer of three young women in South Wales.

Set between 1973 and the early 2000s, the drama tells the remarkable story of how the mystery was solved almost three decades later using pioneering DNA evidence.

The series, penned by Ed Whitmore (Manhunt, Rillington Place), boasts an impressive cast led by Philip Glenister (Life on Mars) and Steffan Rhodri (Gavin & Stacey).

Steeltown Murders is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. 

Another true story-inspired series, this chilling 2021 drama tells of the shocking double murders of siblings Richard and Helen Thomas, and married couple Peter and Gwenda Dixon, which took place in Wales in the 1980s.

The killings remained unsolved for decades until 2006, when newly promoted Detective Superintendent Steve Wilkins decided to reopen both cases.

The official synopsis continues: “Employing pioneering forensic methods, Wilkins and his handpicked team found microscopic DNA and fibres that potentially linked the murders to a string of burglaries committed in the 80s and 90s.

“The perpetrator of those robberies was nearing the end of his prison sentence, but if Steve Wilkins was right, he was also a serial killer … Could Steve and his team find enough forensic evidence to charge their suspect before he was released to potentially kill again?”

Luke Evans is brilliant as DS Wilkins in this riveting three-parter, which also stars Keith Allen.

The Pembrokeshire Murders is available to stream on ITVX.