10 gothic crime dramas to watch if you loved Dept. Q

Starring Idris Elba as DCI John Luther, we follow the troubled yet brilliant detective as he investigates homicide crimes across London. Written by Neil Cross, protagonist DCI John Luther is said to be based on a combination of Sherlock Holmes and Columbo. 

A bit like Detective Morck, Luther has a knack for getting inside the minds of murderers, and he isn’t afraid to push the boundaries of the law to solve a case – or save a life.

With five series spanning between 2010 and 2019, the cast includes Ruth Wilson, Warren Brown, Dermot Crowley, Michael Smiley, Indira Varma, Saskia Reeves, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Paul McGann and Patrick Malahide.

You can watch all five series of Luther on BBC iPlayer.  

Created by Abi Morgan, River stars Stellan Skarsgård as Detective Inspector John River, a clever but emotionally fragile police officer haunted by the murder of his partner, Jackie ‘Stevie’ Stevenson. 

While trying to overcome the visions of his murdered partner, DCI River suffers hallucinations and often speaks with the murder victims whose cases he must solve, often blurring the line between what’s real and what’s in his mind. 

Other cast members include Nicola Walker, Adeel Akhtar, Lesley Manville, Eddie Marsan and Georgina Rich. 

The TV mini series only features six episodes – the perfect amount to binge-watch on a rainy afternoon!

You can stream all six episodes of River on ITVX.

A US anthology series, each season of True Detective features a different cast and storyline, all generally revolving around two detectives solving complex and dark crimes. 

After huge critical acclaim, a fifth season of True Detective, with Issa López as the showrunner, is in development. Filming is due to commence this year, while the scheduled air date is currently 2027 – so plenty of time to catch up until then.

The first season starred starred Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson; the second season had Colin Farrell and Rachel McAdams; the third season was Mahershala Ali and Carmen Ejogo; and the fourth season, titled True Detective: Night Country, featured Jodie Foster and Kali Reis.

All seasons of True Detective are available to watch on Sky Atlantic and NOW.

Award-winning Broadchurch is a British series set in the small seaside town in Dorset. Created by Chris Chibnall, the show begins with the mysterious death of 11-year-old Danny Latimer. 

Two mismatched detectives DI Alec Hardy (David Tenant) and DS Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) work together on the investigation, which becomes a gripping whodunit that hits the close-knit community hard. 

The show spans three seasons, each following a different but interconnected case.

Jodie Whittaker, Andrew Buchan, Matthew Gravelle, Arthur Darvill, Carolyn Pickles, Jonathan Bailey, Charlotte Rampling, Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Julie Hesmondhalgh also star.

All three seasons of Broadchurch are available to watch on ITVX.

In the four-part series, created and written by Cat Jones, we see Detective Ember Manning (Jenna Coleman), who is called to investigate a fire at a holiday home in Lancashire. 

The investigation connects to a cold missing persons case, which leads Ember down a path of reflection as she examines her past relationships and identity. 

Alongside Jenna Coleman, the show features Archie Madekwe, Amelia Bullmore, Ruby Stokes, Matthew McNulty and Shannon Watson.

All episodes of The Jetty are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

Over 13 episodes, this mystery drama charts the lives of the affluent Hawthorne family, who are shocked by the revelation that their recently deceased patriarch may have been the notorious serial murderer named the “Silver Bells Killer”.

The unfolding investigation fuels suspicion and paranoia within the family, forcing them to confront the possibility that one of their own might be involved.

The cast includes: Juliet Rylance, Antony Starr, Justin Chatwin, Megan Ketch, Elliot Knight, Stephanie Leonidas, Gabriel Bateman and Virginia Madsen.

As of now, American Gothic is available to buy on Amazon Video and Apple TV+.

Based on characters from Thomas Harris’s novels, especially Red Dragon, Hannibal centres around the early relationship between FBI profiler Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and Dr Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen), a brilliant psychiatrist who’s secretly a serial killer and cannibal. 

As Will grapples with his ability to empathise with serial killers and works closer with Hannibal, the lines begin to blur between catching criminals and harbouring criminal secrets. 

Other cast members include: Caroline Dhavernas, Laurence Fishburne, Gillian Anderson, Scott Thompson and Aaron Abrams.

Hannibal is available to watch on Netflix. 

Another one based on a book – Stephen King’s 2018 novel of the same name – this miniseries begins with the investigation of an 11-year-old boy in a small town in Georgia. 

As the case unfolds and supernatural occurrences arise, detective Ralph Anderson (Ben Mendelsohn) and private investigator Holly Gibney (Cynthia Erivo) are forced to question everything they believe to be true. 

Supporting cast members Cynthia and Ben are Jason Bateman, Bill Camp, Mare Winningham, Julianne Nicholson, Paddy Considine and Yul Vázquez.

The 10-episode series is available to watch on NOW or Sky Atlantic

An ongoing British crime drama, Grace is based on Peter James’s bestselling novels. The show follows Detective Superintendent Roy Grace (John Simm), a hard-working police officer haunted by the disappearance of his wife, as he investigates complex cases in Brighton.

Each episode features Roy investigating a new case, often revealing the sinister side of the city as he tries to get closure for his wife’s fate. 

Richie Campbell, Rakie Ayola, Laura Elphinstone and Brad Morrison also star. 

All five seasons of Grace are available to watch on ITVX.

Unforgotten focuses on a team of detectives led by Nicola Walker as DCI Cassie Stuart and Sanjeev Bhaskar as DI Sunny Khan, who specialise in cold cases. 

Created by Chris Lang, each season follows a new investigation into a decades-old murder, often sparked by a newly discovered body or long-overlooked evidence.

As the case unfolds, detectives Cassie and Sunny uncover how the unsolved crime continues to impact those connected to it.

Recurring cast members include Jordan Long and Pippa Nixon, while Sinéad Keenan is introduced in season five. 

Unforgotten is available to watch on ITVX, Netflix and Disney+.