Vigil
When a crew member is found dead on the Royal Navy’s HMS Vigil nuclear submarine, DCI Amy Silva (Suranne Jones) is brought on board to investigate. The crew fob her off, telling her it was an overdose, but she suspects foul play; the crew close ranks. Meanwhile, Silva’s colleague Det. Kirsten Longacre (Rose Leslie) investigates on dry land where another death convinces them of a coordinated attack. A further discovery enlivens grave threats to Vigil and her crew. Featuring an ensemble cast of familiar faces from the UK, this series is a thrilling watch.
Am I Being Unreasonable?
Now for some comedy with a dark twist and unexpected turns. Nic (Daisy May Cooper), mum to the darling young Ollie (Lenny Rush), is harbouring a secret grief and is unhappy in her marriage. Jen (Selin Hizli), new in town, lights up Nic’s life with much-needed laughter and fun, extracting her dark secret, taking this comedy down a twisty path indeed. Written and created by friends Daisy May Cooper and Selin Hizli, who also star as Nic and Jen, this fun and frantic caper has just been including Best Scripted Comedy Series, Female Performance in a Comedy (for Daisy May Cooper) and Male Performance in a Comedy (for Lenny Rush). No spoilers, but with that ending we are very glad a second season has been announced.
COBRA
Starring Victoria Hamilton (The Crown) and Robert Carlyle (The Full Monty) as the PM, COBRA (meaning Cabinet Office Briefing Room A) is the British government’s crisis team, put together to deal with national emergencies and this time there's a solar flare striking Europe. As the crisis unfolds, the group of senior civil servants, military and intelligence personnel do their best to manage the event, while dealing with the ongoing dramas in their personal and professional lives. Season 2 of the gripping political thriller has recently landed on SBS On Demand and the team now have to deal with a cyber attack on the UK.
Mayflies
Tully (Tony Curran) and Jimmy (Martin Compston - who also stars in Vigil) form their friendship as young lads in small-town Scotland. Thirty years on from their last catch-up as teenagers, Tully calls Jimmy with news of his cancer diagnosis and asks him for help: he wants to die by assisted suicide. With scenes from their youth interspersed with present-day unfoldings, the men’s friendship is the focus here.
2-part drama Mayflies premieres exclusively in Australia at 9.30pm on SBS and , Wednesday 15 and 22 March.
The Walk-In
Based on a true story, Philomena writer Jeff Pope’s drama about “reformed neo-Nazi Matthew Collins’ efforts to infiltrate and derail one of the UK’s most threatening far-right groups… one of the best investments you can make”. As the Brexit vote looms, tensions are running high across Britain’s political landscape. Stephen Graham plays Collins – – who now heads advocacy group, Hope Not Hate. When a right-wing fanatic murders MP Jo Cox (Bryony Corrigan) in the street (), Collins springs into action to thwart extremist group National Action’s plan – to escalate a terrifying situation into a full-blown race war.
The Long Call
Inspired by Ann Cleeves’ best-selling novel, this four-part UK series is the . DI Matthew Venn (Fleabag’s Ben Aldridge) returns to North Devon with his husband Jonathan (Declan Bennett) after the death of his father. He ends up investigating the murder of a villager with DS Jen Rafferty (Pearl Mackie). Before you draw comparisons with Broadchurch, know that the complicated childhood of Venn involves a deeply religious upbringing and the rejection of his family and community as a young man as a result of his homosexuality (Juliet Stevenson plays his mother who doesn’t exactly welcome him home). This series deserves to stand alone.
D.I. Ray
The list continues with more top-shelf British crime drama – D.I. Ray, which stars the wonderful Parminder Nagra in the lead role. When police officer Rachita Ray is promoted to join a homicide investigation, she soon realises it may be more to do with her heritage than skill-set. Nevertheless, she's determined to help solve this 'culturally specific' case. Her colleagues might underestimate her, but she's had to work harder than anyone thus far. This particular case sees her wandering into the world of organised crime, and presents plenty of challenges for her to rise to.
The Responder
Martin Freeman stars in this gritty series created by Tony Schumacher, inspired by his own life as a former police officer, to bring a compelling and authentic tone. First responder Chris works the night shift in Liverpool and night after night, he's faced with crime, violence and addiction. His own mental health is suffering, and he throws himself into helping others as a way to help himself, and maintain a semblance of a healthy work and personal life. But as the crises pile on, it's tough going. Greenlit for a second season, the series has also just been including Best Drama Series, Best Leading Actor (for Martin Freeman), Best Supporting Actress (for Adelayo Adedayo) and Best Supporting Actor (Josh Finan).
This Life
This British drama from the 90s groups together five rookie lawyers in a share house, launching their careers while also enjoying their first taste of independence. Refreshingly, there is no moralising here. Drinking too much or having casual sex can happen without dire consequences. As one of its stars, , “it was real life. [I thought] ‘I have to be in this. I don’t care how. I just have to be in it.’” Creator Amy Jenkins, herself a former lawyer, vowed not to enter a courtroom, but focus on the conversations and relationships, and it’s all the better for it. The soundtrack kills, too.
Temple
In this UK remake of Norwegian series Valkyrien Mark Strong plays Daniel Milton, a successful surgeon who, along with the young and lonely Lee (Daniel Mays), runs a top-secret clinic beneath London’s Temple tube station. There, he treats those who can’t or won’t seek legitimate healthcare: criminals, illegal immigrants, misfits; their clientele becomes increasingly unpredictable. Game of Thrones’ Carice Van Houten plays Anna, a medical researcher who’s unwittingly drawn into the business. In the vein of Mary Kills People and Trust Me, the Temple centres on the good doctor (and that bass-heavy voice of his) juggling the illegal operation and a fraught personal life.
Spooks
This seminal UK spy drama ran for 10 incredible seasons and introduced us to a slew of players who would become the who’s who of British actors. Set behind the scenes of the modern British Security Service (MI5), Spooks shows what it’s like to be a spy, through the eyes of the spies themselves, balancing personal life storylines with intense and sleek action. The series became known for its shock twists, cliffhanger endings and the feeling that no character is safe (long before Game of Thrones killed off a lead character early, Spooks had already done so and in a completely brutal way).
Jump back to 2002 when in season 1 a young Matthew Macfadyen was the chief of section D, a clandestine counter-terrorism division who work round the clock to safeguard the nation.
Broadchurch
Starring the one and only Olivia Colman and David Tennant as our lead investigators, Broadchurch is set in a small beachside town with wind and cliffs aplenty and a crime that will have you trying to guess who in the town is guilty. In season 1 when the body of 11-year-old Danny Latimer is found on the sand, DI Alec Hardy and DS Ellie Miller are called to investigate in a case that will change the small Dorset community forever. This slow-burn murder mystery will hook you in and the performances from the incredible cast will make you want to watch just one more episode (and then surprise, you’ve watched them all). This series was so popular it was remade in the US with Tennant reprising his role.
MORE FROM THE GUIDE
Chasing the truth: from ancient dinosaurs to the Tassie Tiger
