5 British Detective Shows Returning to MASTERPIECE in 2023
In any given year, MASTERPIECE Mystery! can be trusted to furnish plenty of top-notch British crime drama; 2023 is no different. With a solid lineup of five fan-favorite series returning, baffling murders and shrewd detectives continue to thrive on the small screen. We offer a closer look at all five British mystery shows airing soon. Want to catch up on past seasons of these and other great shows from MASTERPIECE? You can when you watch with PBS Passport, an added member benefit. Learn about all the great MASTERPIECE shows available to be streamed now.
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Endeavour | The Final Season
This hit TV detective series portrays the early years of brooding, gifted Sergeant Endeavour Morse and has been embraced by critics from the get-go. Giving Season 9 five stars, The London Times described the ending as “classy, poignant” while The Guardian (UK) describes this ninth and final season as “a perfect end to one of the classiest vehicles in TV crime drama.”
Shaun Evans (Vigil) stars in the title role, with Roger Allam (Murder in Provence) as his streetwise superior, DCI Fred Thursday. The concluding season opens in spring 1972 with DS Morse rejoining the force after an extended leave to treat a drinking problem brought on by overwork and personal troubles.
Stream all nine seasons of Endeavour on PBS Passport. You can stream Morse & The Last Endeavour: A MASTERPIECE Mystery! Special there, too.
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Grantchester | Season 8
A vicar turned amateur sleuth paired with a grumpy cop who’s seen it all? Yes, please! There’s a warmth to this period crime drama, set in a picturesque Cambridgeshire village with central characters who’ve formed their own version of a family. “Fans will be pleased to know the show is sticking to its formula of having Geordie and Will tasked with solving mysterious cases … as well as trying to navigate some major changes in their personal lives,” says Newsweek.
Robson Green is back as DI Geordie Keating and Tom Brittney returns as Reverend Will Davenport. Season 8 finds our vicar the happiest he’s ever been, though a terrible accident will rock his world. Geordie has found new contentment in his marriage with Cathy, but announcements at work threaten their stability. As Mrs. C., Leonard, Jack, and Daniel rally around, both Will and Geordie find themselves in emotional waters while murder is always near at hand.
Grantchester Season 8 continues through Sunday, August 6 when the final two episodes air back-to-back starting at 9/8c.
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Unforgotten | Season 5
London police detectives solve deeply compelling crimes from the past in this British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award-winning show. A “cracking crime drama … the meat and two veg of television crime dramas,” says The Guardian (UK) in its five-star review. “Every one of its [seasons] so far has served up a rock-solid mystery, establishing a historical murder case and solving it within six tense, taut weeks.”
Sinéad Keenan takes the role of newcomer DCI Jessie James alongside Sanjeev Bhaskar, who’s played DI Sunil “Sunny” Khan in four previous seasons of the detective series. Season 5 opens with a stunning introduction to DCI James’s family life even as she’s preparing for day one of a new job. Determined to make a good first impression with colleagues, will Jess be in the right frame of mind to inspire the team? And how will the ghost of her much-loved predecessor DCI Cassie Stuart inevitably haunt her?
Unforgotten Season 5 premieres Sunday, September 3rd at 9/8 and promises six new episodes that will carry you to the gratifying conclusion of another absorbing cold case.
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Van der Valk | Season 3
Amsterdam’s street-smart and unapologetic detective is back. Set in the Netherland’s capital, Van der Valk follows police Commisaris Piet Van der Valk as his team navigates the historic city’s canals and alleyways to solve utterly baffling crimes with inspired detection and astute human observation. “A Dutch treat,” says The Wall Street Journal.
Marc Warren (Beecham House, The Good Wife) stars in the title role, with Maimie McCoy (Wallander) returning as his right-hand detective Lucienne Hassell and Emma Fielding (Sanditon, Les Misérables) also back as their indulgent boss Julia Dahlman. Season 3 welcomes two new recruits to help investigate the murky world of drug smuggling, supernatural rituals, and a recent murder with connections to a case Van der Valk worked at the beginning of his career.
Van der Valk Season 3 premieres at 10/9c on Sunday, September 3rd—you will not want to miss it.
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Annika Season 2
A quirky speedboat-driving detective who breaks the fourth wall to reference Norse sagas and Ibsen plays? This is not your average police procedural. DI Annika Strandhed is witty and awkward and unbelievably insightful as she leads her Glasgow Marine Homicide Unit on land and sea while also herding a rebellious teenage daughter.
Nicola Walker (Unforgotten, Last Tango in Halifax) stars as the droll title character. “Annika allows Walker to let loose a warm sense of humor that you feel comes naturally to her,” says The Times (UK). Season 2 will pick up with both DI Strandhed’s bumpy family and professional lives, which we learned in Season 1 overlap in a rather astonishing way!
Annika Season 2 returns on Sunday, October 15th at 10/9c.
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