Outstanding

An award-winning crime drama that boasts a stellar cast including Sherdian Smith and Stephen Graham has been dubbed as ‘one of the best dramas around’

A gripping and compelling BBC crime series that has been dubbed “one of the best dramas around” is now available to watch online.

Originally airing in 2010, Accused includes 10 individual episodes spread across two series, each following a different character on trial and how they came to be accused.

The first series stars the likes of Christopher Eccleston, Mackenzie Crook, Coronation Street’s Tina O’Brien, Peter Capaldi, and Naomi Harris across six hard-hitting episodes.

It was followed by a second series in 2012, with Sean Bean, Stephen Graham, Olivia Colman, Sheridan Smith, and Anna Maxwell Martin among the stars joining the cast.

Created by Time writer Jimmy McGovern, Accused was a smash hit and bagged a BAFTA TV nomination for Best Drama Series in 2011, with Juliet Stevenson also receiving a nod for her performance in episode three.

Two years later, Olivia Coleman won Best Supporting Actress for her role in series two at the BAFTA TV Awards and also the Royal Television Society Programme Awards, while Sean Bean won Best Actor at the International Emmys.

The gripping anthology series, available to watch on ITVX, also received rave reviews from critics, earning a score of 7.9 out of 10 on IMDb. One viewer praised the show and said, “Blown away. I can’t believe it took me so long to find this series!!!

“This is what happens when top writers and some of Britain’s most impressive actors emotionally involve themselves in making great drama. What a theme! That on paper, through the courts, there is simply a charge and a decision, without the truth behind the whos, whats, whens, and whys. One of the best dramas to date!

Another agreed: “Absolutely outstanding. Can’t recommend this series highly enough. Each episode, bar one, is a separate story, and every one is outstanding, brilliantly acted, and scripted. Stellar cast under brilliant direction- you can’t go wrong. Trust me.”

A third penned: “Very well done. This is a very well-done show and at times difficult to watch because of how real it seems. The performances are incredible, as is the writing.

“You understand these characters in a way that is rare and sometimes disturbing. As I said, this is not easy viewing, but it’s certainly worthwhile.”

Watch all episodes of Accused on ITVX

An ‘outstanding’ and ‘clever’ detective series is now streaming for free and it boasts an 89% Rotten Tomatoes score

Death in Paradise fans looking for their next detective series need look no further.

New Zealand-set show, The Brokenwood Mysteries, has been likened to Midsomer Murders and it is currently on UK screens as the crime drama’s 12th season airs.

Viewers can catch up from series one on Channel 4 and U&DRAMA with new episodes airing on Mondays at 8pm on the latter channel.

The Brokenwood Mysteries sees the “seemingly quiet town of Brokenwood slowly being riddled with murders” and it is up to Detective Mike Shepherd, played by Neill Rea, to get to the bottom of the crimes.

Other characters include Detective Kristin Sims, played by Fern Sutherland, Detective Constable Sam Breen, played by Nic Sampson, Dr. Gina Kadinsky, played by Cristina Ionda, and Detective Constable Daniel Chalmers played by Jarod Rawiri.

The show was first released in 2014 and its currently airing its 12th season. The detective series has received rave reviews and boasts an impressive 89% Rotten Tomatoes score with many viewers claiming it is “better than Death in Paradise”.

One person said: “If you like a great mystery, well written with lots of twists and turns as well as colorful characters populating a simply stunning locale, I can confidently recommend you visit the quirky world of Brokenwood.”

A different viewer put: “I really enjoy this series and agree with the positive reviews I’ve read” while another show watcher added: “I was pleasantly surprised, the lead actors were excellent and supporting cast very good in my opinion.”

Another fan commented: “I have given The Broken Wood Mysteries a 9 out of 10. For me this is extremely rare, it’s not often something catches my attention and keeps it, as well as Broken Wood does.”

They added: “BUT the Broken Wood Mysteries in my humble opinion, Is That Good!. To Conclude, Wonderful Trio of exceptionally good Actors!, Delightful Script Writing (quality writing), wonderful Scenery which shows delightfully the beauty of New Zealand. ALL IN ALL, A very deserved 9 out of 10.”

Elsewhere, a different viewer wrote: “I look forward to future episodes of this refreshing NZ ‘whodunnit’, which for me rates better than Midsomer, definitely better than Death in Paradise, but perhaps not quite as good as Lewis, Frost, or the Swedish version of Wallander. Well done NZ!”

Meanwhile, another fan added: “Came across this well done series from the “you may like ” section and was pleasantly entertained.

“The show built the characters quickly and the result was a wonderful mix of personalities with a nice mix of serious and humour ,especially from Fern and Neill. The Medical Examiner is like someone everyone knows, and the banter between all the cast is the strongest part of the show.”

While a different viewer wrote: “Outstanding Kiwi police series, reminiscent of some British country police dramas. The cast work well together and over the 11 seasons we see a development in the characters. If you like country music you’ll love the soundtrack.”

The Brokenwood Mysteries series one to 11 are available to watch on Channel 4 and U&DRAMA now. Season 12 airs on Mondays at 8pm on U&DRAMA with episodes also available to watch on Channel 4.