‘Tis the season for all the things that matter in life: friends, family, and … murder?!? Crime shows never go out of style here at Digital Trends, and even though it’s Christmas, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t watch some qualities mysteries from across the pond.
The following list has three such shows to satiate your crime-solving needs. One’s a popular Netflix hit set around Christmastime this year, while the other two are more traditional British mysteries set decades in the past. All three are guaranteed to contain a dead body or two and plenty of crime. What more can one ask for this holiday season?
Need more recommendations? We also have guides for the 10 best TV shows to watch on Christmas, the best Christmas movies on Netflix, the best Christmas movies on Disney+, the best Christmas movies on Hulu, the best Christmas movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best Christmas movies on Max, and the best Christmas movies on Hallmark Channel.
Black Doves (2024)
Chances are, you’ve probably heard of Black Doves. The Keira Knightley spy series was Netflix’s most popular show last week, and it’s still grabbing viewers as we head into Christmas. There’s a reason for that — it’s cracking good, and it’s set during Christmastime in London, which is probably the most festive place to be around the holidays. (Sorry, New York City.)
The premise is intriguing: the wife of a high-powered politician in Parliament, Helen Webb (Knightley), is actually a spy for the shadowy Black Doves organization. When her lover is killed, she calls on her old friend and expert hit man, Sam Young (Ben Whishaw), to help her find out who killed him and why. As the bodies begin to pile up, both Helen and Sam are drawn into a conspiracy that’s far more wide-reaching than they thought. Will they make it out in one piece?
I won’t tell you if they do. What I will say is that Black Doves is irresistible, enough so that I advise blocking out at least three hours of your time because you will not stop watching it once you start. Two big reasons why are Knightley and Whishaw, who sell the ridiculous premise with their droll, world-weary performances. These two embody the ideal ride-or-die besties, who have each other’s backs even if they’re caught in a shootout or need to get rid of a dead body. Now that’s what I call friendship.
Black Doves is streaming on Netflix.
Grantchester (2014-present)
I’ve written about Grantchester before and I’ll write about it more in the future; it’s such a warm, appealing show that it’s hard not to. And despite serving up a dead body (and sometimes more) each week, Grantchester is an oddly wholesome show that doesn’t make you gag on its escapism. It’s tender and heartwarming, with a great found family involving a horny priest, a gruff detective, a no-nonsense housekeeper, and other hangers-on.
Of Grantchester‘s 53 episodes (and counting), check out Christmas Special. It takes place between seasons two and three, so if you’re new to the show, you’ll be a little lost. But it’s still worth it, as everyone’s favorite vicar, Sidney, and his cop partner, Georgie, must solve a case of a missing groom during the holidays. If that’s not enough, Sidney has to deal with the woman he loves having a baby. No, it’s not his, and would you believe that’s a problem rather than a relief?
It’s not hard to see where this is going: a pregnant mother without a home and a baby born on Christmas Eve. The episode doesn’t press too hard on the obvious biblical parallels, and it’s a hoot to see squeamish Leonard, Sidney’s jittery priestly pupil, try to deliver a newborn without any medical expertise whatsoever. It’s all very Grantchester, which means it’s funny and cozy, and exactly what you want this time of year.
Ordeal by Innocence (2018)
There’s no Christmas theme here; it’s just good old-fashioned murder, served up by the mother of mayhem, Agatha Christie. And this one’s a doozy: wealthy heiress (is there any other kind?) Rachel Argyll is murdered in her countryside mansion, and her family, including her husband Leo and five adopted children, are the prime suspects.
The mystery is seemingly solved when one of the kids is arrested. But when he too is found murdered before he can stand trial, suspicions deepen, and each family member is revealed to have a pretty good motive for offing the cruel and unforgiving matriarch.
Unlike most Christie mysteries, Ordeal by Innocence has no Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple to solve the case. However, like most of her adaptations, this one has a who’s who of great British character actors like Bill Nighy as the husband and Anna Chancellor as the cruel Rachel. The show serves up everything you’d want in a British mystery, with stiff upper lips and even stiffer corpses.