'I wish more shows were like this': Your favourite underrated crime dramas

Metro

21-06-2025

Police procedurals, legal dramas and Scandi noir. Whatever your poison, you've probably binged one or two TV crime shows in your time.
Line of Duty, The Fall and Broadchurch are just a few of the most popular in the genre, keeping viewers gripped episode after episode with their complex conspiracies and sudden twists.
But while they're certainly deserving of the praise, sometimes the most bingeable series are those that fly under the radar, despite glowing reviews.
We asked Metro readers to share their favourite underrated crime dramas, and these are the lesser-known series they recommend adding to your watch list…
One user, called Evan_Underscore, heaped praise on Mr Inbetween, an Australian TV series that follows a criminal for hire.
'The dialogues and the situations feel so realistic that everything feels theatrical compared to it,' they wrote. 'It's also great in mixing terrible and funny in a way that they only complement each other.'
Another user, wobbsey, recommended Giri/Haji, a BBC production from 2019 that is available on Netflix.
In their glowing assessment of the series, they wrote: 'Set in Japan and the UK. Family loyalty and conflict. Yakuza mobsters. Cops. It's suspenseful and moving. Gorgeous cinematography which is something I rarely even notice!'
They added: 'The last episode is particularly stunning. Not enough people know this show, under appreciated gem.'
Meanwhile, AltruisticCableCar is clearly a fan of Scandi noir, recommending three Swedish crime dramas.
They suggested Wallander, both the original series and the British remake, though they added 'I prefer the remake'. They went on 'Also Glaskupan (The Glass Dome). Just recently watched this and whoa. Åremorden (The Åre Murders) is another one.'
Other lesser-known crime series recommended by Metro readers included Damages, starring Glenn Close, 2019 BBC series The Capture and American police procedural Major Crimes.
Looking for more TV recommendations? We also asked Metro readers about their favourite underrated TV thrillers, and these series came out top: House of Cards — No, not the Kevin Spacey series, but the original British version following a fictional Chief Whip of the Conservative Party.
— No, not the Kevin Spacey series, but the original British version following a fictional Chief Whip of the Conservative Party. Edge of Darkness — Policeman Ronald Craven attempts to solve the brutal murder of his daughter, leading him to uncover a government conspiracy.
— Policeman Ronald Craven attempts to solve the brutal murder of his daughter, leading him to uncover a government conspiracy. River — A brilliant police officer attempts to hunt down his colleague's killer, all while dealing with her estranged family, his new partner and a psychiatric evaluation.
— A brilliant police officer attempts to hunt down his colleague's killer, all while dealing with her estranged family, his new partner and a psychiatric evaluation. Stag — A black comedy following an obnoxious group of friends in the Scottish Highlands on a deer hunting weekend. Things turn sinister when they find themselves being picked off one by one.
— A black comedy following an obnoxious group of friends in the Scottish Highlands on a deer hunting weekend. Things turn sinister when they find themselves being picked off one by one. Collateral — DI Kip Glaspie investigates the murder of a pizza delivery driver, who was gunned down by a masked shooter while delivering to the ex-wife of a politician.
— DI Kip Glaspie investigates the murder of a pizza delivery driver, who was gunned down by a masked shooter while delivering to the ex-wife of a politician. The Worricker Trilogy — The three films star Bill Nighy as MI5 officer Johnny Worricker, whose life is turned upside down when his boss and best friend dies suddenly.
Read all about these underrated TV thrillers.
This dark comedy follows Ray Shoesmith (Scott Ryan), a father who's struggling to juggle his relationship, parental responsibilities, friendships and a sick brother — all while working as a criminal for hire.
Inspired by the cult film The Magician, in which a hitman hires a student to document his life, Mr Inbetween has proved extremely popular with viewers, earning a 95% Rotten Tomatoes score and a near-perfect 98% audience score.
Fans have called it 'criminally underrated', with many comparing it to smash hit series Breaking Bad.
Where to watch: Seasons one to three are available to stream on Disney Plus.
Giri/Haji's perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score speaks for itself. Cruelly axed by BBC and Netflix after just one series (despite being nominated for three Baftas), this series is a true hidden gem.
It follows a Tokyo detective (Takehiro Hira) who is searching for his missing brother in London's underworld, after he became mixed up with the Yakuza, a Japanese organised crime syndicate, and accused of murder.
If you're a fan of Netflix's Black Doves, which stormed up the streamer's most-watched chart in December last year, Giri/Haji is worth checking out, as both dramas were created by screenwriter Joe Barton.
In a review, The New Yorker called the series 'violently stylish' and a 'sexy police thriller', while the Daily Telegraph called it 'bold, bewitching and slightly bonkers'.
Where to watch: All eight episodes are available to stream on Netflix.
The BBC's Wallander stars Kenneth Branagh as a Swedish detective who investigates a series of gruesome murders.
The series, which first aired on BBC One in 2008 and is an adaptation of the mystery novels by Henning Mankell, has been hailed as 'wonderful' and 'terrific', with plenty of praise for Branagh as the lead.
Viewer Anthony Pearce wrote in a Google review: 'Having watched this series for the second time I can only say it was as wonderful and fantastically acted as I had remembered. Kenneth Branagh is undoubtedly one of our finest actors'.
And Anne Norton added: 'Wallander was terrific!!! My first Swedish crime show, and it didn't disappoint. Kenneth Branagh's acting is just outstanding'.
Last month, Variety reported that Wallander is set to return to screens in a reboot, which will see detective Kurt Wallander, now 42, struggle to get his life under control, having separated from his wife and become estranged from his daughter.
Where to watch: Series one to four are available for free on BBC iPlayer.
A much more recent release, The Glass Dome (Glaskupan in Swedish) landed on Netflix in April this year.
The six-part series follows a criminologist (Léonie Vincent) who returns to her small hometown and 'becomes wrapped up in the investigation of a missing girl and its haunting similarities to her own childhood abduction'.
Perhaps less of a hidden gem than the others on this list, it quickly climbed the ranks on Netflix to peak at number two on the streamer's weekly round-up of most-watched shows.
But, as non-English language shows can sometimes go overlooked by British viewers, The Glass Dome remains unfamiliar to some.
Don't let the language barrier put you off, though, it's been praised as 'gripping' and 'tanatalising' by critics, while viewers have called it 'haunting' and 'brilliant'.
Where to watch: Stream all six episodes on Netflix.
Another hit from Sweden, The Åre Murders is based on a popular series of books by author Viveca Sten.
The Nordic noir follows a detective who has been suspended from duty (Carla Sehn), seeking solace in the idyllic but eerie ski resort town of Åre. But she soon becomes wrapped up in investigating the mysterious disappearance of a young woman.
Netflix subscribers clearly love a Scandi drama, as this series achieved a whopping 11,000,000 views in one week when it landed in February this year.
On Rotten Tomatoes, critics praised the drama as well as its Scandinavian setting.
Common Sense Media's review read: 'This is an edge-of-your-seat crime series that spans two separate murders in one small, snowy, Swedish town.'
And Decider wrote: 'The Åre Murders features all the hallmarks of the Nordic noir genre… throw in some fantastic location shots of Sweden's mountainous north, and we're all the way in on this investigation.'
Where to watch: Stream all five episodes on Netflix.
Glenn Close stars as Patty Hewes, a brilliant but ruthless lawyer whose life is changed forever when she hires a young, ambitious protégé (Rose Byrne).
Though the series focuses on the complex relationship between the two professionals, it also charts the cases they work on — taking a three-pronged approach as a legal thriller, gripping murder mystery and an adrenaline-fueled character study.
The series has an impressive 91% average score on Rotten Tomatoes, with series three and four both receiving a 100% rating.
A review from the Los Angeles Times called Damages 'one of the best shows on television', while New York Daily News wrote 'few shows on television are written and acted with such fascinating mystery.'
Where to watch: Available for purchase on Amazon Prime Video from £2.49.
Starring Callum Turner, Ben Miles and Paapa Essiedu, this BBC crime thriller explores the 'terrifying world of deepfake technology' through the eyes of an 'ambitious young Detective Inspector' (played by Holliday Grainger).
The first season sees a soldier's past conviction of murder, which was overturned due to flawed video evidence, come back to haunt him, while season two follows a new conspiracy involving Chinese spies and a British politician.
Fans have praised it as 'stunningly good', with one anonymous user writing on Rotten Tomatoes: 'Absolutely gripping show. Moves at a great pace with great actors and a great storyline. Twists and turns and super realistic to the current world.'
Another said: 'One of the best series I've ever watched. Thought the first season was good but the 2nd takes it to the next level. Need more series like this. The ending was sublime, left me utterly speechless.'
Where to watch: Series one and two are available on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
If you're a fan of American police procedural The Closer, you might also want to check out Major Crimes, which is set in the same police department.
Captain Sharon Raydor (Mary McDonnell) leads the team in the LAPD's Major Crimes Division, and is attempting to repair burned bridges and win the trust of her colleagues while dealing with high-profile crimes and building air-tight cases. More Trending
On Google reviews, Sherel Hallford wrote of the series: 'Such an Outstanding show! Characters and actors are admirable and realistic. The storylines [are] so enjoyable. Mary McDonnell portrayed Captain Raydor so well, showing dignity, integrity, strength and intelligence.'
And Lesly S called Major Crimes 'one of my favorite shows of all time.' They added: 'This show was a classic and I wish more shows were like this.'
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Where to watch: Available for purchase on Amazon Prime Video from £2.49.
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