3 great British TV crime series you need to watch in October 2024

October is usually the time of horror. No, I’m not talking about politics, polls or elections, I’m talking about ghouls, goblins and scary movies. Everyone wants to see blood this month, so why not watch a good crime series or two instead of the gory ones? horror 3 or chilling out Smile 2?

Streaming services such as Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, BritBox and Acorn offer numerous British crime series to choose from. Here are three good series, each with a compelling plot, memorable characters and an unforgettable ending that are sure to please avid crime thriller fans around the world.

Need more recommendations? Check out the best British series on Netflix and the best British series on Hulu.

The Jetty (2024)

Pretty much every decent British crime series has these three things in common: a troubled main protagonist who has to overcome past trauma to solve a case; picturesque landscapes where the most heinous crimes are committed; and accents so thick you can run a butter knife through them. The jettya four-episode show that aired on the BBC earlier this year offers all three of those things, as well as a talented cast and a plot that keeps you guessing until the final 10 minutes.

The SandmanJenna Coleman plays detective Ember Manning, a “human lie detector” who must investigate a mysterious fire at a posh resort. When she does, she realizes that it is somehow connected to an unsolved missing person case from years ago. In order to find out who the arsonist is, she must first solve the mystery surrounding the missing person case.

With a cast that also includes the up-and-coming Archie Renaux (Alien: Romulus) and Tom Glynn-Carney (House of the Dragon), The jetty is stressful television for all the right reasons. The twin mysteries of the fire and the cold case are truly fascinating, and Coleman shines in the role of the detective who’s too smart for her own good.

The jetty keeps streaming BBC iPlayer for UK residents. US citizens can watch it with a VPN.

After the Flood (2024)

As opposed to The jetty, After the Flood is darker and deals more with crime in the city than in the countryside. Peaky Blinders Star Sophie Rundle is police officer Joanna Marshall, a woman who has a lot on her mind at the moment. She is pregnant and worried about her baby’s health. She also wants to show everyone that she has what it takes to become a detective like her father. And then there is a massive flood that threatens to sink their small town.

To make matters worse, a body is found in an underground car park. Everyone thinks it’s the flood – everyone except Joanna. Who did it and why? It’s entirely up to Joanna to figure it out, and she may not like the answers she gets.

After the Flood keeps streaming BritBox.

Before We Die (2021-2023)

It’s somewhat unusual for a crime series to feature two strong female protagonists, and this is just one of the reasons why Before we die is so special. The series, which ran for two seasons, stars Lesley Sharp as Hannah Laing, an experienced detective who is forced into retirement. In Season 1, she teams up with another detective, Billy Murdoch (Vincent Regan), to protect her son Christian from a powerful Croatian crime family.

Season 2 is about Hannah dealing with the crime family herself, particularly its dangerous matriarch Dubravka Mimica (Kazia Pelka). Both women have lost loved ones in their lives and both will do anything to keep what little they have left in their lives. Before we die is more serious than your average crime series, but its solemn tone isn’t off-putting. Laing is outstanding and Pelka makes the most of her role as the antagonist.

Before we die is streaming on PBS Masterpiece via Amazon Prime Video app.