Who can resist a great crime drama? From moody, troubled detectives chasing the truth to spine-tingling true crime documentaries, we’ve rounded up the best and newest crime shows you can stream free, on demand, right now.
Top Crime Dramas
For those of you who can’t get enough gritty crime dramas, we’ve got troubled detectives, twisting plots and shocking turns in abundance. Dive into our pick of the top free-to-view crime dramas, ready to watch whenever the mood hits.
The Dark
Catch up on ITVX and STV Player
When a young man is found murdered in a remote part of the Scottish Highlands, DI Monica Kennedy (Laura Donnelly) is pulled into the investigation. As suspicion grips the local community, she quickly realizes a serial killer is hiding in plain sight, and to protect the people she loves, she is forced to confront the things she has spent years running from.
Vigil (Season 2)
Stream now on BBC iPlayer
Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie return as DCI Amy Silva and DI Kirsten Longacre for another high-octane season. Investigating a fresh conspiracy that reaches into the highest corridors of power, the duo are pushed to their absolute limits as they race to unpick a web of state secrets.
The Hairdresser Mysteries
Stream now on BBC iPlayer
High-flying stylist Lily Petal (Sally Phillips) swaps fast-moving city life for a small-town salon, hoping for some peace and quiet. All is well, until her clients start dropping dead. Armed with a knack for getting people to spill their secrets in the chair, Lily turns amateur sleuth in this lighthearted cozy mystery.
Secret Service
Catch up on ITVX and STV Player
Secret Service introduces us to senior MI6 officer Kate Henderson (Gemma Arterton), who runs the Russia Desk. When she begins a covert investigation in Malta, she soon uncovers evidence that a high-ranking UK politician may be working as a Russian asset… with her trust shattered and career on the line, she must navigate political loyalty, international threat, and personal sacrifice.
Bergerac (Season 2)
Watch on U
Jim Bergerac (Damien Maloney) is back for the second season of this reimagined series! Officially off the booze and on the dating scene, this season Bergerac will be facing the most challenging case of his career, the groom found murdered in his room at the wedding reception. Things seemed tricky enough, but when he finds out the woman he’s just met knew the victim, the plot thickens!
Half Man
Catch up on BBC iPlayer
This six-part crime drama focuses on the bond between childhood friends Ruben (Richard Gadd) and Niall (Jamie Bell) over 30 years, exploring their volatile relationship from the 80s to the present day.
Gone
Stream on ITVX and STV Player
Gone is a psychological chilling mystery, taking us to a prestigious boarding school on the outskirts of Bristol where local headmaster Michael Polly (David Morrisey) becomes the prime suspect in his wife’s disappearance. After a visit from detective Annie Cassidy (Eve Myles) a game of cat and mouse begins as she chips away to try and uncover the truth.
Benidorm Is Murder
Stream now on 5
John Hannah stars as Dennis Crown, a former British detective who has traded in an action-packed life to run a bar in sunny Spain. But when a string of suspicious tourist deaths rocks the local town, Dennis is reluctantly dragged back into investigative work alongside his true-crime obsessed barmaid, Rosa. This light-hearted mystery is edge of your seat, and full of laughs too!
Monsieur Spade
Stream on U
Set in 1963, this stylish crime drama follows legendary detective Sam Spade (Clive Owen), now living a quieter life in the South of France. When a brutal crime shocks the local community, his past and his instincts pull him back into the world he thought he had left behind.
The Lady
Stream now on ITVX and STV Player
Coming to your screens from the makers of The Crown, this gripping new royal crime drama explores the real-life story of Jane Andrews (Mia McKenna-Bruce), former royal dresser to Sarah Ferguson (Natalie Dormer). Once a determined woman who climbed the social ladder with remarkable speed, her fortunes took a sharp turn after losing her prestigious role. When she later met Thomas Cressman, life finally seemed to be improving again – until their relationship ended in tragic and devastating circumstances.
Hit Point
Stream on U
Detectives Leo (Nick Blood) and Bella (Saffron Hocking) are tasked with investigating a £10 million robbery, leading them into London's criminal underworld. As they get more intertwined, their professional and personal partnership finds itself under strain.
Queen’s of Mystery
Watch on U
This comedy crime drama follows three crime writing sisters and their detective niece as they solve a variety of murders in the picturesque English village of Wildermarsh.
Starring Julie Graham, Martin Trenaman and Juliet Stevenson.
The Undeclared War (Season 2)
Stream on Channel 4
Simon Pegg and Hannah Khalique-Brown return as the GCHQ Malware Department faces a brand-new threat following the aftermath of a Russian cyberattack. When the team uncovers evidence of a mole operating inside intelligence headquarters alongside a dangerous secondary adversary, high-stakes political intrigue and personal betrayals push the analysts to their absolute limits.
Ludwig
Stream now on BBC iPlayer
This cryptic comedy-drama sees puzzle-maker John ‘Ludwig’ Taylor (David Mitchell), a comfortable recluse, exit his comfort zone when his twin brother, a DCI goes missing. Under pressure from his sister-in-law (Anna Maxwell Martin), he impersonates his brother at work in order to discover what happened to him!
Ellis
Stream on 5
Fresh from success, DCI Ellis (Sharon D. Clarke) and DC Harper (Andrew Gower) are once again called back to rural north England after a series of more failing cases. With Harper now firmly at her side, Ellis faces more suspicious deaths and sinister cases!
Marlow Murder Club (Season 3)
Stream now on U
Robert Thorogood’s popular cosy crime drama is returning for it’s third season! Retired archaeologist Judith Potts (Samantha Bond), dog walker Suzie Harris (Jo Martin) and the vicar’s wife Becks Starling (Cara Horgan) are back and once again bringing their unconventional crime solving methods to string of high profile murders, but this time it appears their investigations might hit a little bit closer to home!
We update this list all the time to bring you the latest crime dramas and documentary releases, so bookmark this page and keep checking back to see what fresh telly comes up!