Recommend some British Mysteries to watch via Netflix streaming.

December 6, 2011 8:33 AM

My mom is looking for a new television series to watch via Netflix streaming in the British mystery genre. Please recommend some for her!

Here's a sampling of some she's enjoyed recently:

Midsommer Murders
Murder in Suburbia
Blue Murder
Mapp and Lucia
The Ruth Rendell Mysteries
The Commander
The Quilty (w/ Michael Kitchen)
DNA
Suspicion
Wild Target
Mistresses

She's also a fan of the PBS Masterpiece-type stuff. What should she watch next?

posted by hwickline to media & arts (38 answers total)

They just threw the entirety of Poirot up there, I believe. Also Sherlock.
posted by griphus at 8:36 AM on December 6, 2011 [3 favorites]

Saw the pilot of the new Sherlock series recently and it looked pretty interesting. It's available on Netflix Instant.

I watched Foyle's War ages ago and loved it but it's DVD Only right now.
posted by musicismath at 8:38 AM on December 6, 2011 [3 favorites]

She might enjoy Downton Abbey.
posted by smitt at 8:39 AM on December 6, 2011 [2 favorites]

Inspector Lewis
Touch of Frost

I like Wire in the Blood,Intelligence and Luther as well but they aren't particularly PBS Masterpiecey,they do have detective types in them though.
posted by Ad hominem at 8:50 AM on December 6, 2011 [2 favorites]

I love Wire In The Blood, but it's a bit dark. Also, Waking the Dead.
posted by eunoia at 8:52 AM on December 6, 2011 [1 favorite]

Wire in the Blood
Prime Suspect
Waking the Dead
Inspector Morse
Inspector Lewis
A Touch of Frost
MI-5
Inspector Lynley
posted by shoesietart at 8:59 AM on December 6, 2011

Thanks everyone! These are great, and please keep 'em coming.
posted by hwickline at 9:04 AM on December 6, 2011

There are a few episodes of Cadfael on Instant Streaming. I haven't watched them, but they've been highly recommended by tech columnist Andy Ihnatko, for what that's worth.
posted by griseus at 9:08 AM on December 6, 2011

The Jackson Brodie series.
posted by BibiRose at 9:08 AM on December 6, 2011

And http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/zen/Zen.
posted by BibiRose at 9:09 AM on December 6, 2011

I cannot recommend Downton Abbey enough.

And A Touch of Frost will keep you watching for a long time - there's like 20 years worth on Netflix. It's a great show, and watching all the main characters age is pretty fascinating.
posted by Benny Andajetz at 9:09 AM on December 6, 2011

My mother loves "Waking the Dead"
Cracker with Robbie Coltrane as a forensic physiologist is great but I think it's disc only at the moment but might be worth keeping an eye out for it to go to streaming.
You are pretty safe just picking British crime dramas at random as the Brit's do great crime dramas.
posted by wwax at 9:28 AM on December 6, 2011

Curses! I was about to recommend the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes with Jeremy Brett from the 1980s and 90s, but I see they're no longer available for streaming. Still, I think it's worth a mention; hopefully they'll be back someday.
posted by usonian at 9:36 AM on December 6, 2011

+1 Luther, also maybe some assorted Doctor Who?
posted by tobiaswright at 9:48 AM on December 6, 2011

+1 LUTHER !
My favorite show right now !
posted by StUdIoGeEk at 10:16 AM on December 6, 2011

The Inspector Lynley Mysteries
The Mrs. Bradley Mysteries
I haven't seen Geraldine McEwan as Miss Marple but it is on instant as well as Joan Hickson's Miss Marple from the 1980s.
Also, keep an eye out for Jonathan Creek coming to Instant.
posted by jihaan at 10:16 AM on December 6, 2011

Only the occasional mystery-ish episode but I liked Bramwell, about a Victorian lady doctor.
posted by XMLicious at 10:16 AM on December 6, 2011

Prime Suspect! Hellen Mirren is fantastic.
posted by foxy_hedgehog at 10:29 AM on December 6, 2011

Not strictly mystery but very well done political thriller: House of Cards.
posted by Specklet at 10:46 AM on December 6, 2011 [1 favorite]

I think Inspector Morse has shown up on streaming (I don't have streaming anymore). There's a series of Lewis up, as well. (Last year's PBS broadcast I think, which is part of two different ITV series for some weird reason.)

Like others have said, Prime Suspect as well. I don't think it's on instant, though.

The Dick Francis Racing Stories are on instant, which I must mention as I'm a Dick Francis evangelist. They are, however, fairly hilariously terrible. (And sort of hard to follow, even having read the book.)

I'm not sure if it's on streaming, but there have been two different versions of Ian Rankin's Rebus books done. One with John Hannah and the other with some other guy. I enjoyed the John Hannah ones. There's a series where John Hannah plays a medical examiner as well, but the name escapes me.

Not mysteries, but State of Play and The Last Enemy are both good. The Last Enemy is available on hulu, if not on Netflix. I'm not sure about State of Play.

Lastly, again not quite a mysetery, but the Red Riding Trilogy adapted from David Peace's Red Riding Quartet is available on streaming and very good (but violent and a bit disturbing).
posted by hoyland at 10:49 AM on December 6, 2011

2 British mysteries I liked were Jekyll and Life on Mars. Both were available on streaming from Netflix. I thought they were very well done.
posted by JohnE at 11:04 AM on December 6, 2011

Is Foyle's War on streaming? It's a series of mysteries set during the Second World War and its aftermath.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 11:05 AM on December 6, 2011

Glorious 39 was on streaming last month; a (long movie) thriller set in pre-WWII England.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 11:11 AM on December 6, 2011

"There's a site for that." ;)

Here you go: britishmysteries.com

In addition to many already named, I highly recommend the Adam Dalgliesh specials made in the 80s based on P.D. James' novels - especially when the role is played by Roy Marsden.

Oh, and (early) Silent Witness can also be worth a try.
posted by likeso at 11:20 AM on December 6, 2011

I love Luther, but it's pretty violent compared to Midsommer Murders, Murder in Suburbia, and Ruth Rendell Mysteries (which are the ones in your list I'm familiar with). The same is true of Wire in the Blood (what I remember of it) in case that's an issue.
posted by crush-onastick at 11:38 AM on December 6, 2011

The Hour. Its spy thriller/drama, set inside the BBC at the start of the cold war.
posted by Joh at 1:21 PM on December 6, 2011

I just thoroughly enjoyed the first series of Rosemary and Thyme on netflix instant. Gardening, British ladies, and murder mysteries -- I can't think of anything more comforting in a show.
posted by emyd at 1:35 PM on December 6, 2011 [2 favorites]

My wife and I have been watching Inspector George Gently, and it's pretty good.
posted by fremen at 4:33 PM on December 6, 2011

One more which is a little "out there" compared to the others, but it's British and it's fantastic. Check out Wallander with Kenneth Branagh.
posted by fremen at 4:39 PM on December 6, 2011

Wire in the Blood can be pretty gory but it is so good. We also loved Zen and Downton Abbey.
posted by Nathanial Hörnblowér at 4:55 PM on December 6, 2011

I can't recommend Inspector Lewis enough...
posted by schyler523 at 5:43 PM on December 6, 2011

Murphy's Law is very good. Gets very dark in the later series.

Jonathan Creek and Inspector Mayo are two light and entertaining mystery/crime dramas worth checking out.
posted by SueDenim at 5:46 PM on December 6, 2011

2nd'ing the new Sherlock...
posted by Polgara at 8:46 PM on December 6, 2011

+1 on Inspector George Gently, Downton Abbey, and Jonathan Creek.

Casualty 1907 (or 1905 or 1903 something like that) is EXTREMELY good although not a mystery. It's about a hospital in the early 1900s in London. They haven't shown it here for a few years but it should be on DVD.
posted by Ms. Moonlight at 12:26 AM on December 7, 2011

Foyle's War is streaming, and free, on Amazon if you have Amazon Premium. Really great show about a detective in England during WWII. I think older and younger people alike would like it.
posted by xammerboy at 7:48 AM on December 7, 2011

I like these kinds of shows, and I also like the Canadian series "Murdoch Mysteries". It's set in late 1890's Toronto, it has sort of a Sherlock Holmesy vibe to it, but also somewhat humorous like "Midsomer Murders". The first series is on Netflix streaming, hopefully more will be coming soon. There are four seasons so far, with at least two more to come (5 has filmed but hasn't aired yet, and it was picked up by the CBC for a sixth season.)

Another one I'm liking right now is "Death in Paradise", which isn't on streaming yet, but one can hope.

I'd also recommend Inspector George Gently, the new Sherlock, and Downton Abbey, which are all on streaming now. They also just put up a whole bunch of new eps of "Midsomer Murders" in the last few days, so she might want to check back on that one.
posted by Shoeburyness at 3:06 PM on December 7, 2011

Hetty Wainthrop Investigates. Great, not very dark.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hetty_Wainthropp
posted by who squared at 10:51 PM on December 7, 2011

Trial and Retribution is superb, but intense; NOT cozy. It's streaming.
Pie in the Sky is delightful and very cozy. Not streaming tho.
posted by dpcoffin at 11:41 AM on December 12, 2011