Missing Line Of Duty? Here Are 12 Must-See Police Dramas To Check Out Next

As Line Of Duty’s millions of devotees will already know, nothing beats the thrill of a high-stakes police drama. 

After six seasons of Jed Mercurio’s BBC series following the AC-12 anti-corruption unit, fans might be feeling in need of another bingeable show to fill the gap.

And while viewers are still waiting patiently for any update about a potential return of the hit police drama starring Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar, in the meantime there are plenty of police and detective thrillers out there to sink your teeth into…

Broadchurch

Before Line Of Duty gripped TV fans, there was Broadchurch.

David Tennant and Olivia Colman star in this Bafta-winning ITV drama about the murder of an 11-year-old boy in a small Dorset community. It was an instant hit, with fans heaping praise on the show for exploring how the crime affected the local community, along with all the classic expectations of a whodunit.

Stream it on:ITVX

Slow Horses

Critics were raving about this hidden gem when the first instalments of the thriller’s third season arrived on streaming last year – even insisting that it alone was worth the Apple TV+ subscription. It’s also just been nominated for six TV Bafta awards.

Slow Horses follows the obnoxious Jackson Lamb (played by Gary Oldman) who leads a team of underperforming MI5 intelligence service agents that are sent to the Slough House “dumping ground” for being “screw ups” in their jobs.

Along with landing the rare 100 percent rating score on review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes, critics praised the show for its “believability”, “humour” and “twisty plot”.

Stream it on:Apple TV+

Bodyguard

If you’re yet to venture into Line Of Duty creator Jed Mercurio’s other work, Bodyguard could be the right place to start.

“After helping thwart a terrorist attack, a war veteran is assigned to protect a politician who was a main proponent of the very conflict he fought in,” reads the synopsis for this BBC drama. 

The six-episode political thriller stars Richard Madden, Keeley Hawes and Gina McKee. The role won Game Of Thrones star Richard his first Golden Globe in 2019.

Stream it on:Netflix

Happy Valley

Happy Valley follows Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) a police sergeant in West Yorkshire still coming to terms with a tragic loss. But just as she’s getting her life back on track, she spots Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton), who she believes is responsible for sexually assaulting her daughter before she took her own life.

The explosive kitchen finale showdown between the two characters at the end of its final season was nominated by viewers as one of the Memorable Moments at the TV Baftas.

Stream it on:BBC iPlayer

Your Honor

Bryan Cranston’s latest thriller will shock and hook you right from the outset.

The Breaking Bad star plays a judge who must confront his moral conviction when his son is involved in a hit-and-run that embroils them in the world of an organised-crime family.

Stream it on:Now

Mare of Easttown

Kate Winslet and Evan Peters deliver incredible performances in this gloomy small town Pennsylvania-set drama about a detective who investigates a local murder while trying to keep her own personal life together.

The Emmy-winning series is just seven episodes and one series, but it’s solid from beginning to end.

Stream it on:Now

The Fall

The psychological thriller follows a female detective who is drafted in from the London Metropolitan Police to catch a serial killer.

If you need convincing to watch this Northern Ireland-set crime drama besides its casting of Jamie Dornan and Gillian Anderson, the latter has said her character in The Fall was her favourite of her entire career, even over her iconic role in The X-Files.

Stream it on:BBC iPlayer

True Detective

The best thing about True Detective is that each season stands alone in both plot and characters, but are tied together in format and style.

Season one was a dark and thrilling debut starring Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey in the swampy Louisiana; season two introduced Colin Farrell, Vince Vaughn and Rachel McAdams in California; season three moved to the Ozarks with Mahershala Ali; while the latest season, Night Country, stars Jodie Foster in Alaska.

Stream it on:Now

Luther

Idris Elba stars as a homicide detective with “a knack for getting inside the minds of murderers” in Luther, the hit BBC psychological crime thriller set in London. Things get complicated for the titular character when the line between professional and personal begins to blur thanks to his friendship with psychopath and murderer Alice Morgan, played by Ruth Wilson.

Far from your typical police drama, Luther has since become one of Idris’ defining roles, even winning him a Golden Globe in 2012.

Stream it on:BBC iPlayer

Giri/Haji

You’ll spot a familiar Line Of Duty face in the shape of Kelly Macdonald in this 2019 miniseries about a detective from Tokyo who searches London for his missing brother, who’s been accused of murdering the nephew of a Yakuza member.

The White Lotus star Will Sharpe also stars in the series, alongside Justin Long, Takehiro Hira and more.

Stream it on:Netflix

Marcella

Anna Friel stars as troubled detective Marcella Backland in this ITV crime drama, with the first season exploring the 11-year-old case of a serial killer who had suddenly become active again.

The second season takes a darker turn as Marcella investigates a child killer, before she goes undercover in season three to infiltrate a criminal family in Belfast.

Stream it on:ITVX

Unforgotten

This ITV series follows London detective DCI Cassie Stuart (Nicola Walker) and DI Sunil “Sunny” Khan (Sanjeev Bhaskar) who are tasked with solving decades-old murder cases.

The first series of Unforgotten opens with the pair being called to a demolished house where a skeleton has been found in the cellar. And if you enjoy that – there are four more waiting to get you hooked.

Stream it on:ITVX