Top 5 UK Detective Shows From the Last Decade

If there's something Britain does well it's producing quality and iconic detective shows and crime dramas.

However, today we aren't talking Inspector Morse, Midsomer Murders, or Poirot. All good detective shows, but we've seen every episode 3 times over. No today we're talking about the best detective shows from the last decade and there's plenty to choose from! Let's jump in.

Vera

This will be the 11th season of everyone's favourite Geordie female detective, Vera, played by Brenda Blethyn. Based on the best-selling crime novels, by Ann Cleeves, Vera hit our screens a decade ago. All the way back in 2011 and it was an instant hit.

The ITV series follows Detective Vera, a straight-talking, rainhat-clad, 50-something year old woman and her plucky assistant, Aiden. A switcharoo on the classic older male detective and his beautiful young female assistant. As well as its intriguing plots and characters, Vera is also known for its stunning scenes based in North East.

A new series of Vera will be airing later this year. Unfortunately, it is split into two parts from this year to 2022 because of filming delays due to the pandemic. Therefore only 2 episodes will be aired this year. But we'll take what we can get!

Broadchurch

Of course, ITV's Broadchurch had to make this list. The series had viewers glued to the screen in 2013 as if watching the moon landing for the first time. Most didn't sit down for an episode without a little notebook and the remote on hand to rewind and pause imperative moments as if they were alongside detectives, Miller and Hardy (Olivia Coleman and David Tennant) trying to solve the murder of 11-year-old Danny Latimer.

The identity of the killer was ITV's best kept secret. After many twists and turns, they spilt the beans in the 8th and final episode of series 1. However, we'll keep that a mystery for now, in case there are still some people out there who are yet to watch the iconic show.

There were 3 seasons of Broachchurch, with the third being confirmed as the last. The 2 subsequent seasons did not have the magnetism of the first but were still both well received and pulled in over 9 million viewers each.

Strike

Strike is a BBC British TV series based on the Cormoran Strike novels by J.K.Rowling under her pseudonym, Robert Galbraith. There have been 4 seasons of the show so far since 2017 and we can't wait for more!

Cormoran is an ex-war veteran turned private detective who works out of a tiny hole in the wall in central London. Strike captures all the beauty urban London has to offer and it does this alongside Cormoran and his apprentice, Robin, solving curious cases tangled in mystery upon mystery, as well as their budding, and complicated, feelings for one another.

There has no confirmation of a 5th season of the beloved show, but eager fans are holding out hope as the 5th book in the series was released in September 2020. However, despite both lead actors, Tom Burke and Holliday Granger showing interest in taking up their roles again, the pandemic may have delayed the beloved detective duo forming back up anytime soon.

Endeavour

An ITV spin-off of the classic British detective drama, Inspector Morse, Endeavour was always sure to be a hit. The series is a pre-qual to Inspector Morse. Shaun Evans plays the young Endeavour Morse, a rookie detective constable in the 1960s and early 70s.

Endeavour Morse is often troubled by the corruption within his own force and sector as a whole. His inner turmoil over whether to leave the force is a recurring plotline through the series, however. However, his responsibility for the victims he is trying to help, and his dear DCI, Fred Thursday (Roger Allam) always bring him back down to earth.

A new series of Endeavour is set to air at a to-be-determined date in 2021.

Happy Valley

Now, Happy Valley is a bit of a wildcard on this list, with its main character, Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) being a sergeant rather than a detective. However, the BBC series is so good we simply couldn't leave it out.

Catherine Cawood is a police sergeant in North Yorkshire attempting to do her job, raise her grandson, and get over the death of her daughter 8 years later. When Catherine learns that the man responsible for the death of her daughter, Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) is out of prison, she becomes obsessed with tracing him. Unbeknownst to her, Royce is involved in the kidnapping of a local woman she is investigating.

The second season of the drama focuses on the aftermath of the first as well as new cases and a third season has been confirmed. However, a release date has not been announced yet.