There must be a gritty TV series with realistic characters that I haven’t seen yet!!!

[TheChristmasElf]

DH is away with work, the children are all plugged into devices, my wine is poured but I have absolutely nothing to watch!!

I love gritty, atmospheric crime dramas with realistic characters that pull you in, I dislike fantasy, dystopian, period or Sci-fi plots or anything where the characters are more placed to look pretty than to pull you in…

Some things I’ve enjoyed over the last few years…

Happy Valley
Craith/Hidden
Sharp Objects
Man Hunt
The light in the Hall
The Fall
Dublin Murders
True Detective
The Red Riding Trilogy
Snow Angels
Hinterland

Help a lady out with great TV with similar plots as the above.

I've just finished watching The Morning Show on apple... really really good. Based around the #metoo movement with an amazing cast.

Another oldie but goodie from the 80's, Widows.

The English

Although that's historical so maybe not your cup of tea.

I've just watched Without Sin on ITVX, set in Nottingham with Vicky McClure and Johnny Harris (who also played Lol's horrible rapist dad in This is England), only 4 episodes but quite gritty, I enjoyed it.

I second The Killing. I've only seen the US version but I imagine the Danish version is a good idea too.

Also Time with Sean Bean.

Succession is amazing

I was just about to suggest The Bridge Sissimone, but the "proper" original one with Sofia Henlin seems to be only available by purchasing through Amazon or signing up with the streaming service Arrow. Brilliant sries though and one that really put scandi noir on the map

Have you seen Bodies?

It’s all Netflix. Dark, but absolutely brilliant.

The Wire, as gritty as you can get
Love/ Hate, it's an Irish show (not in Irish though!) So not sure where you could get it

Gomorrah (TV series rather than the film, though film good too)

it’s incredibly bleak but also absolutely compelling.

I'm really enjoying Karen Pirie. Only 3 episodes but they're each 90min long

THE WIRE I've watched it at least 5 times watching it now in fact

You have to watch the Americans - Disney+

Slightly different genre, but I'm another one who need realistic characters and an amazing script/plot and this completely fits the bill. I'm also very fussy, but this had me hooked from the first 10 minutes of the first episode.

It's set in America in the 1980s at the height of the cold war and very very loosely based on the story of a deep undercover set of Russian spies, posing as an all-American happily married couple. They have two teenagers who are at first as unaware of their parents' 'real' lives as the rest of their community. It's as much about relationships as the espionage so you have the emotional side as well as the thrills.

Has six seasons and the finale is probably one of the best I've seen.

Definitely in my all time top five series!

Also, it's very much not a dry spy thriller, it is very action-packed; the body count probably nears 100 by the end! 😆

Inspector Morse
Between the Lines
Wire in the Blood
The Fall
Prime Suspect
Silk

cracker, Scott and Bailey already mentioned by other posters

Sherlock.
Thought I’d hate it. Bloody loved it.

proper old school. Maybe on Brit Box but Wire in the Blood! I don’t own a dvd player anymore but refuse to get rid of this collection. First series I fell in love with.

Also, Hannibal with Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy?

Spiral- French. Great characters and the series cover 15 years so real character development.
Guilt 2 (1 is good but Guilt 2 is the best thing I’ve ever watched)

Mystery Road iplayer
Young montalbano iplayer
Vera itv

Slow horses on Apple TV

The Bridge - sometimes on BBC 1
Grace on ITV
Bordertown

Sometimes Channel 4 has some good things under Walter presents on the app

Oh! I thought it was a true story?
Isn't the series to be continued? I loved it 🤐

Endeavour is another if you haven't already watched it

The Responder