Spring may not seem like the season to watch crime shows, but when is it not a good time to solve a good mystery or two? The good weather outside doesn’t mean you have to ignore the many wonderful tales of suspense that are available on streaming.
The British know how to spin a good crime yarn, and one of their chief exports for years has been the mystery genre. From quaint countryside murders to shocking crimes in urban settings, British mysteries stand apart and above their American counterparts.
This March, treat yourself to one, two, or three of the following underrated British crime shows that are currently streaming on Netflix, Max and BritBox.
‘Ludwig’ (2025)
Fans of Monk will get a kick out of Ludwig, a new British detective show that’s already one of the best reviewed series of the year. John “Ludwig” Taylor (David Mitchell) is a recluse who enjoys his solitude and creating his increasingly complex puzzle books.
His reclusive existence is interrupted when his twin brother, Detective Inspector James Taylor (also Mitchell), goes missing, and his concerned wife Lucy (Anna Maxwell Martin) asks him to find him. To find out what happened to his brother, Ludwig poses as James and solves other crimes while trying to solve the mystery of his brother’s disappearance.
Ludwig is played mostly for laughs as the socially inept hero has to pretend to be as sociable and charming as his brother to pull off his charade. As the prickly puzzlemaker, Mitchell is a hoot as a man who begrudgingly becomes the detective he secretly always wanted to be. He has a nice rapport with Maxwell Martin, and their sometimes testy, always funny back-and-forth exchanges are the best part of the show.
Ludwig is streaming on BritBox.
‘C.B. Strike’ (2017-Present)
J.K. Rowling is the writer of more than just Harry Potter and his wizarding pals. Using the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, the Scottish author wrote several mystery novels featuring emotionally damaged detectives Cormoran Blue Strike and his partner Robin. Most of the novels have already been adapted into several seasons of C.B. Strike, which streams in the U.S. on Max.
Among the show’s many mysteries include the suspicious suicide of a famous model, the disappearance of a controversial author, and the murder of a woman who died in the 1960s. In addition to solving crimes, Strike (Tom Burke) and Robin (Holliday Grainger) grow closer, at first as friends, and later, as something more.
Even though it’s been on for eight years, Strike only has 19 episodes to enjoy, but what it lacks in quantity, it more than makes up for in quality. Burke is probably recognizable to most U.S. viewers as “that guy from Furiosa”, but he deserves to be more famous due to his excellent work here. Smart, hostile, grumpy, and caring, his Strike could’ve been a cliche, but Burke makes him a true original and the detective you’d want to solve your murder.
C.B. Strike is streaming on Max.
‘Collateral’ (2016)
Abdullah Asif has been murdered, and no one knows who did it or why. No one really cares, really, except Detective Kip Glaspie (Carey Mulligan), who believes his death is more than just a random drive-by shooting. Her assumption turns out to be accurate as Kip’s investigation leads her to uncover a conspiracy that involves high-ranking politicians and lowly human traffickers.
Collateral is only four episodes long, but it makes the most of its shorter-than-usual runtime. With an intelligent script by playwright David Hare and a commanding lead performance by Mulligan, Collateral is a crime show that skillfully blends social commentary and suspense in an entertaining package. The show takes place largely in London, and makes great use of the city’s historic buildings and atmospheric neighborhoods.
Collateral is streaming on Netflix.
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