7 New Mystery Series Coming to the BBC, ITV and Netflix That Could Be Your Next Crime Drama Obsession
From a fresh take on the classic detective story to Harlan Coben’s latest twist-filled adaptation, a new wave of mystery dramas is heading to British television. With familiar faces, baffling murders and secrets buried for decades, there is plenty for crime drama fans to look forward to.
Among the highlights is The Northumbria Mysteries, starring Robson Green, which brings together a former convict and a sharp-minded detective investigating a murder in the Northumberland countryside. Meanwhile, Netflix is preparing to adapt Harlan Coben’s The Woods, while the BBC has several intriguing projects in development, including a historical detective drama featuring some of the most celebrated names in crime fiction.
Sheridan Smith is also heading to the Australian outback for a new crime thriller, and the familiar faces of The Marlow Murder Club will return with another collection of unusual cases.
Here are seven upcoming mystery series worth keeping on your radar.
1. The Northumbria Mysteries – BBC
Robson Green is returning to television with a new detective drama that takes him far from the familiar surroundings of Grantchester. This time, the story unfolds in the rugged countryside of Northumberland, where an unlikely partnership could prove crucial to solving a murder.
Green plays Joe Ruby, an ex-convict trying to rebuild his life as a volunteer at a local priory. His fresh start takes an unexpected turn when a monk’s body is discovered buried in a remote part of the grounds.
The investigation falls to DI Rose, played by Liz White, an exceptionally intelligent detective educated at Oxford, and her partner, DS Raj Singh, played by Gurjeet Singh.
As Rose begins examining the circumstances surrounding the death, she realises Joe could offer something the investigation desperately needs. His criminal past gives him a different perspective on the case, potentially making him a valuable ally despite his troubled history.
The combination of a determined detective, a man seeking redemption and a murder hidden within a secluded religious community gives the series plenty of room for mystery and character-driven drama.
For viewers waiting for more of Robson Green’s familiar detective appeal, this could be a welcome new addition to the BBC’s crime drama line-up.
The Northumbria Mysteries is scheduled to air on BBC One on Friday, 23 October, at 2pm. All four episodes will also be available on BBC iPlayer from launch day.
2. The Woods – Netflix
Harlan Coben is bringing another of his suspense-filled stories to the screen, with Michelle Keegan starring in a new eight-part adaptation of his 2007 novel, The Woods.
The television version moves the story from New Jersey to Manchester, but the central mystery remains rooted in a disappearance that has haunted one family for two decades.
Tom Bateman plays Paul ‘Cope’ Copeland, a barrister and devoted single father whose life appears to have moved forward despite a devastating loss. Twenty years earlier, his sister disappeared during a summer camp in the woods, leaving his family shattered.
Now raising his 10-year-old daughter, Cami, Cope has built a life around his career and his responsibilities as a parent. But the past refuses to remain buried when a man’s body is discovered.
The man was believed to have been killed alongside Cope’s sister all those years ago. His apparent connection to the long-unsolved disappearance raises questions that could change everything Cope thought he knew about what happened.
Determined to uncover the truth, he begins pursuing answers that may expose secrets his family has spent years trying to escape.
With its combination of a decades-old mystery, a missing family member and a new discovery that threatens to reopen old wounds, The Woods has the ingredients of a gripping psychological thriller. Fans of Coben’s previous adaptations can expect a story built around shifting suspicions and revelations that gradually reshape the investigation.
The Woods is expected to arrive on Netflix in 2027.
3. The Detection Club – BBC
What happens when the people who make their living inventing murders find themselves caught up in a real-life mystery?
That is the premise behind The Detection Club, an upcoming BBC detective drama inspired by the real-life crime-writing society of the same name, which brought together some of the most influential literary figures of the 1930s.
The series features Bryony Hannah as Agatha Christie, Cara Theobold as Dorothy L. Sayers and Miles Jupp as G. K. Chesterton. All three writers became renowned for their detective fiction, creating mysteries that challenged readers to follow the clues and identify the culprit.
In the drama, their fictional worlds collide with a dangerous reality when the trio receive an elusive invitation that draws them into an actual murder investigation.
Set against a period of considerable social change, the series promises a mix of literary intrigue, historical atmosphere and the intellectual puzzles associated with classic British crime fiction.
The premise also offers an intriguing opportunity to see famous writers approach a mystery from a different perspective. Instead of constructing a fictional murder for their readers, they must confront the possibility that the clues, suspects and consequences are very real.
With Agatha Christie among its central characters, the series will naturally attract fans of traditional whodunits, particularly those who enjoy a historical setting and a mystery that unfolds through observation and deduction.
The Detection Club is coming to the BBC, although an official release date has yet to be announced.
4. Endless Night – BBC and BBC iPlayer
Agatha Christie is also behind Endless Night, a forthcoming adaptation that blends a haunting atmosphere with romance, ambition and an unsettling mystery.
Set in England in 1967, the story follows Michael Rogers, a resourceful young man who works as a chauffeur for Rudolf Santonix, an enigmatic designer whose glamorous world offers a glimpse of a life far removed from Michael’s own upbringing.
Santonix’s work introduces Michael to a world of wealth and sophistication, and he becomes fascinated by one of the designer’s latest projects: a beautiful house in the countryside.
Eventually, Michael’s dreams appear to come true when he finds himself living in the property with his partner, Ellie. The secluded home seems to offer the couple the opportunity to build the life they have always wanted.
But the promise of a peaceful existence begins to unravel as the house becomes associated with a sinister curse. Strange and disturbing events start to unfold, turning what initially resembles a romantic escape into something far more frightening.
The couple’s idyllic surroundings may conceal a threat they do not fully understand, leaving an unsettling question at the heart of the story: can they escape before it is too late?
Christie’s work is often associated with carefully constructed murder mysteries, but Endless Night offers a different flavour, combining elements of a ghost story with psychological suspense and a romance shadowed by danger.
The result could appeal to viewers who enjoy their crime dramas with a darker, more atmospheric edge.
Endless Night is coming to the BBC and BBC iPlayer. An official release date has not yet been confirmed.
5. Hercule – A New Take on Agatha Christie’s Legendary Detective
One of detective fiction’s most recognisable characters is preparing for another screen adaptation, with Edward Bluemel taking on the role of Hercule Poirot.
At 33, Bluemel is the youngest actor to portray the celebrated Belgian detective, whose meticulous methods, sharp observations and distinctive personality have made him a fixture of crime fiction for generations.
Rather than revisiting Poirot at the height of his career, the new series will explore his earlier professional years in London between the two world wars.
The story will draw on three of Agatha Christie’s most popular works, while also developing the detective’s personal and professional relationships.
Viewers will see the beginnings of Poirot’s friendship with Captain Arthur Hastings and his first encounters with James Japp of Scotland Yard. The series will also introduce a particular nemesis, adding another dimension to the detective’s early career.
This approach offers an opportunity to explore how Poirot became the formidable investigator audiences know, while returning to the intricate plotting and character dynamics that have made Christie’s stories enduring favourites.
For long-time fans, the prospect of seeing familiar characters at an earlier stage of their lives may be especially appealing. Newcomers, meanwhile, will have a chance to meet Poirot before his reputation is fully established.
With its interwar setting and adaptations of three Christie stories, Hercule is shaping up to be another notable addition to the growing collection of television mysteries inspired by classic detective fiction.
The series is coming to the BBC. A release date has yet to be announced.
6. Two Birds – ITV
Sheridan Smith is heading to the Australian outback for Two Birds, a crime thriller set in an isolated mining town where a fresh start quickly becomes more complicated than expected.
The story takes place in Dugdale, Kalgoorlie, a remote settlement surrounded by vast stretches of bushland and characterised by its distinctive red-earth landscape.
Smith plays Izzie Cornwell, a British police constable who arrives in the town following the death of her husband. Recently widowed and struggling with loneliness, Izzie hopes the move will give her an opportunity to rebuild her life.
She also wants to reconnect with her sister, who has moved to Australia, and repair her relationship with her 26-year-old daughter. But settling into a new country and finding her place in an unfamiliar community may prove more difficult than she anticipated.
Izzie’s professional life soon becomes just as complicated. She is assigned to a high-stakes murder investigation involving a notorious local crime family, drawing her into a case with potentially far-reaching consequences.
Before becoming involved in the investigation, however, Izzie experiences one final celebration. What should have been a last moment of freedom ends in disaster, leaving her caught up in a secret she is determined to keep hidden.
That secret threatens to complicate an already difficult new beginning, placing Izzie in a situation where her personal life and professional responsibilities could collide.
The remote Australian setting gives Two Birds a distinctive backdrop, while Smith’s character faces several intertwined challenges: grief, family reconciliation, a dangerous criminal investigation and a secret she cannot afford to let surface.
Two Birds is scheduled to arrive on ITV in 2027.
7. The Marlow Murder Club – BBC
The amateur detectives of The Marlow Murder Club are preparing to return, bringing another collection of peculiar deaths and puzzling investigations to the peaceful riverside town of Marlow.
The series centres on three very different women whose complementary skills have made them an effective crime-solving team.
Samantha Bond returns as Judith Potts, a master crossword solver with a sharp mind for puzzles. Cara Horgan plays Becks Starling, a vicar’s wife, while Jo Martin portrays Suzie Harris, a straightforward dog walker who is never afraid to speak her mind.
Together, the trio will tackle a fresh set of cases in their picturesque Thameside community, where appearances can be deceptive and seemingly ordinary circumstances may conceal something far more sinister.
The new run begins with the discovery of a body in the river. The case leads the women towards the Marlow Amateur Dramatics Society and a homegrown Hollywood star, introducing a mystery with connections to the local community.
But the river discovery is only the beginning of their latest investigations.
The team will also examine the sudden death of a man during his mother’s wake, as well as the case of a vineyard owner who apparently drowned in his own wine.
The unusual circumstances give the new cases the kind of eccentric detail that suits the series’ cosy-crime style. Rather than relying solely on relentless tension, The Marlow Murder Club combines traditional detective work with the personalities, relationships and quirks of a small English town.
Judith, Becks and Suzie’s contrasting approaches remain central to the appeal. Each brings a different perspective to the cases, allowing the trio to uncover details that might otherwise be overlooked.
For viewers who prefer their mysteries with an inviting setting, an engaging ensemble and a steady stream of suspects, the series offers another reason to return to Marlow.
The Marlow Murder Club will return to U next year.
A New Wave of Mystery Dramas to Look Forward To
From the windswept countryside of Northumberland to the isolated mining towns of Australia, these seven upcoming series offer a broad range of approaches to the crime genre.
The Northumbria Mysteries introduces a new partnership led by Robson Green, while The Woods promises the layered suspense associated with Harlan Coben’s fiction. Meanwhile, The Detection Club and Hercule revisit the world of classic detective stories, and Endless Night brings a more unsettling, atmospheric edge to Agatha Christie’s work.
For viewers who prefer contemporary crime investigations, Sheridan Smith’s Two Birds offers a murder mystery complicated by personal secrets. And for those who enjoy a lighter approach to detective fiction, the return of The Marlow Murder Club promises more cases for its unconventional trio.
With several releases planned for 2027 and others still awaiting official dates, there is plenty to keep mystery fans watching the schedules. Whether your preference is a traditional whodunit, a psychological thriller or a cosy village murder, this upcoming line-up has something worth keeping an eye on.