“THE BEST BBC SERIES SINCE SHETLAND”: THE GRIPPING DETECTIVE DRAMA THAT CRIME FANS CAN BINGE IN JUST FOUR EPISODES
Some detective dramas keep you guessing until the final scene. Others pull you in by making you question how well anyone can truly know the people closest to them. BBC crime drama In the Dark does both, combining disturbing cases, buried secrets and a detective whose own personal life is becoming increasingly complicated.
First broadcast in 2017, the four-part series stars MyAnna Buring as DI Helen Weeks, a sharp-minded but troubled police officer facing an unexpected pregnancy just as she becomes embroiled in two challenging investigations. For fans of Shetland and Happy Valley, it offers an absorbing mix of police work, emotional conflict and revelations that refuse to follow an obvious path.
Written by Danny Brocklehurst, the screenwriter behind Fool Me Once and Brassic, the drama is adapted from bestselling novelist Mark Billingham’s books. Its two interconnected stories unfold across the nine months of Helen’s pregnancy, placing her under pressure professionally and personally at a time when she is already confronting major changes in her life.
With all four episodes available on BBC iPlayer, In the Dark is an appealing choice for viewers looking for a crime thriller they can finish over a few evenings.
WHAT IS IN THE DARK ABOUT?
The series centres on DI Helen Weeks, a determined detective whose latest challenges extend well beyond the police station. Just as she discovers she is pregnant, Helen finds herself caught up in a case that forces her to revisit painful memories from her childhood.
The first story begins when the husband of an estranged school friend is accused of abducting two young girls. Helen returns to her hometown to investigate, but the case quickly becomes more personal than she could have anticipated.
As she searches for the truth, she must confront the secrets surrounding her past and question whether the police have identified the right suspect. The investigation unfolds while Helen is also wrestling with the uncertainty of her pregnancy and whether the father is her partner, fellow detective DI Paul Hopkins, played by Ben Batt, or someone else following an affair.
The combination of a complicated investigation and Helen’s unresolved personal issues gives the opening two episodes a particularly emotional edge. She is trying to establish what really happened in a disturbing case while facing questions about her own future.
The second story takes a different direction, following Helen later in her pregnancy as she becomes involved in the darker side of urban Manchester.
Although she might be expected to slow down as motherhood approaches, Helen is once again drawn into dangerous territory. This time, the investigation challenges her understanding of the people around her, forcing her to reconsider relationships she thought she understood.
At the heart of both stories is a question that extends beyond the crimes themselves: how well can we ever know the people we love?
Betrayal, loss and deception run throughout the drama, but the series also leaves room for hope. Helen’s personal struggles are closely tied to the investigations, giving the mysteries an emotional dimension that goes beyond simply identifying a culprit.
THE CREATIVE FORCE BEHIND THE CRIME DRAMA
Danny Brocklehurst, who also wrote Lazarus and Fool Me Once, has explained why Helen is such a compelling character at the centre of the story.
Speaking to the BBC, he praised the character created by Mark Billingham, describing her as a bold, funny and outspoken policewoman approaching motherhood while reluctantly coming to terms with the vulnerability it brings.
For Brocklehurst, character is what makes a crime drama worth watching. He has also highlighted the question of how well people really know those closest to them as a theme that continues to fascinate him.
Helen’s own secrets and the dishonesty surrounding her life add another layer to the investigations. Rather than keeping the mystery separate from the lead detective’s personal circumstances, In the Dark allows the two to influence one another, making the consequences of each discovery feel more personal.
WHO STARS IN IN THE DARK?
MyAnna Buring leads the cast as DI Helen Weeks, bringing the central detective to life as a woman balancing difficult cases with an increasingly complicated personal life.
The supporting cast features a number of familiar faces from British television, including actors known for appearances in crime dramas and popular series.
The main cast includes:
- MyAnna Buring (Ripper Street, Downton Abbey) as DI Helen Weeks
- Ben Batt (Toxic Town) as DI Paul Hopkins
- David Leon (Vera) as DI Adam Perrin
- Ashley Walters (Adolescence) as DI Tim Cornish
- Matt King (Peep Show) as Phil Hendricks
- Clive Wood (Treasure Island) as Robert Weeks
- Emma Fryer (Home Time) as Linda Bates
- Jamie Sives (Annika) as DCI Jack Gosforth
- Fisayo Akinade (Goodbye June) as Theo
- Tim McInnerny (Blackadder) as Frank Linnell
- Pearce Quigley (Small Prophets) as Trevor Hare
- Georgia Tennant (Staged) as Jenny
- Sinead Matthews (Half Broken Things) as Paula Days
- Jessica Gunning (Baby Reindeer) as DC Sophie Carson
With a cast that brings together established British television performers, the series has plenty of familiar faces for viewers who enjoy character-driven crime stories.
IS IN THE DARK WORTH WATCHING?
For viewers who prefer detective dramas with emotional depth and mysteries that resist easy answers, In the Dark makes a strong case for adding it to the watchlist.
Helen is far from a straightforward, flawless detective. She is intelligent and determined, but her personal complications and vulnerabilities make her feel more human. Her investigations are shaped by the pressures she faces outside work, creating a story in which the detective’s own life is just as complicated as the cases she takes on.
The two-part structure also gives the series room to explore different crimes while maintaining a connection through Helen’s pregnancy and personal development. Each investigation presents its own questions, while the broader story examines trust, family, betrayal and the difficulty of knowing who people really are.
Fans of Shetland and Happy Valley may find plenty to appreciate in its combination of tense investigations and complicated characters. The drama favours suspense and personal stakes over predictable resolutions, making it a worthwhile option for anyone looking for a British crime series with more going on beneath the surface.
HOW TO WATCH IN THE DARK
All four episodes of In the Dark are available to stream on BBC iPlayer. The series can also be watched through U.
With its compact four-episode format, it offers an easy way to settle into a complete detective drama without committing to a lengthy series.
MORE DETECTIVE DRAMAS TO ADD TO YOUR WATCHLIST
If you have already worked your way through Shetland and Midsomer Murders, there are other crime series worth exploring.
My Life Is Murder
Starring Lucy Lawless, My Life Is Murder follows Alexa Crowe, a fearless former detective who turns her attention to private investigations. Alongside solving crimes, Alexa has a passion for baking bread, giving the series a lighter personal touch alongside its mysteries.
The show is available on Acorn TV through Prime Video.
Rose and Maloney
For viewers interested in investigations that examine whether justice has been served, Rose and Maloney offers another option.
Sarah Lancashire stars opposite Phil Davis as Rose Linden and Marion Maloney, investigators working for the fictional Criminal Justice Review Agency. Their work involves examining claims of miscarriages of justice, bringing them into cases where the original conclusions may need to be reconsidered.
The series is available on Prime Video.
Whether you prefer the atmospheric mysteries of Shetland, the character-driven tension of Happy Valley or investigations that question the reliability of the justice system, there is plenty of British crime drama to explore. And for anyone looking for a short series with complicated cases and a detective whose personal life is every bit as challenging as her work, In the Dark is one to consider.
