Annika: Nicola Walker’s Scottish crime drama finds a new audience on Netflix
Fans of Scottish crime dramas have another series to add to their watchlist, with Annika now available on Netflix. The Nicola Walker-led mystery drama has arrived on the streaming service with both seasons and all 12 episodes, giving the series another opportunity to reach viewers after its original run on U&Alibi and BBC One.
Walker stars as DI Annika Strandhed, the head of Glasgow’s Marine Homicide Unit, which investigates unusual murders connected to Scotland’s waterways. The cast also includes Doctor Who stars Paul McGann and Varada Sethu, alongside Jamie Sives, Katie Leung, Ukweli Roach, Kate Dickie and Silvie Furneaux.
A crime drama with a very different detective
At its heart, Annika is a police procedural, but it has a distinctly playful streak. Annika frequently turns to the audience and speaks directly to them, breaking the fourth wall as she works through each case.
She also has a habit of bringing literary, historical and cultural references into her investigations, often drawing on her Norwegian heritage along the way. The result is a detective who approaches murder cases in a way that feels markedly different from the usual television investigator.
The series balances those unconventional touches with the darker side of Annika’s work. She and her team are confronted with puzzling crimes and murders along Scotland’s rugged coastline and waterways, while Annika also has to deal with the challenges of raising her teenage daughter, Morgan.
That mixture of mystery, dry humour and character drama is a major part of what gives Annika its identity.
Two seasons, 12 episodes
The series first premiered on U&Alibi in 2021, before making its way to BBC One. Its second season followed in 2023, bringing the total to two seasons and 12 episodes.
The second run continued to follow Annika and her Marine Homicide Unit as they tackled a fresh collection of cases. Alongside the investigations, the season developed the show’s personal storylines and explored more of the complicated relationships surrounding Annika.
The second season was also well received by critics. Rotten Tomatoes currently lists an 83% approval rating from six reviews for season two.
The critical response highlighted the show’s unusual tone and Walker’s performance. The Herald Scotland praised the way Walker’s dry asides helped the series stand apart from other crime dramas, while Collider felt the second season benefited from stronger scripts.
The New York Times also singled out Walker’s performance, particularly her ability to convey the emotions beneath Annika’s self-conscious and awkward exterior.
The Times, meanwhile, pointed to the relationship between Annika and her colleague DS Michael McAndrews, played by Jamie Sives, as one of the show’s strongest elements.
A series that ended after two seasons
Despite the positive response, Annika will not be returning for a third season.
When the decision was announced, a spokesperson for UKTV said the broadcaster was proud of the show’s success on U&Alibi but confirmed that there were no current plans for a third season.
That makes the arrival of the series on Netflix particularly significant. Although there are no announced plans for more episodes, the move gives Annika another chance to find an audience beyond the viewers who followed it during its original UK broadcast.
The timing also gives new viewers a straightforward way to experience the entire story so far, with both seasons available rather than having to track down individual episodes across different services.
Netflix describes the series as following Annika and her Marine Homicide Unit as they investigate “murky crimes and mysterious murders” along the Scottish coastline.
The cast
Walker leads the series as DI Annika Strandhed, with Jamie Sives playing DS Michael McAndrews and Katie Leung as DC Blair Ferguson. Ukweli Roach plays DS Tyrone Clarke, while Kate Dickie appears as DCI Diane Oban and Silvie Furneaux plays Annika’s daughter, Morgan Strandhed.
Doctor Who connections come through Paul McGann, who plays Jake Strathearn, and Varada Sethu, who joins the cast as DC Harper Weston.
The series was created by Nick Walker and was inspired by the BBC Radio 4 drama Annika Stranded. Nicola Walker originally played the title character in that audio series as well.
Where to watch Annika
Both seasons of Annika, comprising all 12 episodes, are now streaming on Netflix. The series is also available on BBC iPlayer in the UK.
For viewers who missed the show during its original run, Netflix’s release offers a chance to catch up with Annika’s investigations from the beginning and see why the combination of Scottish crime, dark comedy and Nicola Walker’s unusual detective has developed such a following.
