Shows Like Blue Lights
Blue Lights follows a group of Belfast response officers from their first days on the beat, balancing the danger of frontline policing with real warmth for the people in uniform. Here are eight British crime dramas with the same tension, grounded detail and close-knit teams, and all eight stream on BritBox in the US, just like Blue Lights.
Photo: Courtesy of BritBox
The Short Answer
All eight stream on BritBox in the US.
- Trigger Point — Vicky McClure leads the Met's bomb disposal officers in a relentlessly tense thriller.
- Sherwood — a murder in a Nottinghamshire mining village reopens old wounds from the 1984–85 strike.
- Grace — John Simm plays a driven Brighton detective in adaptations of Peter James's novels.
- Karen Pirie — a young Scottish detective reopens cold cases, based on Val McDermid's novels.
- The Bay — a family liaison officer works major cases in the seaside town of Morecambe.
- Scott & Bailey — two Manchester detectives balance murder cases with complicated lives at home.
- Luther — Idris Elba plays a brilliant, volatile London detective pursuing dangerous killers.
- Time — Jimmy McGovern's anthology follows prisoners and officers inside British prisons.
Streaming availability checked October 2026 and may change — check BritBox, Acorn TV, PBS Passport, or Prime Video for current availability.
Trigger Point
Trigger Point
Vicky McClure plays a former soldier working as a bomb disposal officer for London's Metropolitan Police, where every job could be her last. Produced by Jed Mercurio's HTM Television, it shares Blue Lights' focus on the people who run towards danger and the toll it takes on them.
Sherwood
Sherwood
James Graham's drama follows a murder investigation in a former Nottinghamshire mining village, where old divisions from the miners' strike still shape the community. Like Blue Lights, it understands that police work is tangled up with local history, politics and loyalties.
Grace
Grace
John Simm stars as Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, a driven Brighton detective still haunted by the disappearance of his wife, in adaptations of Peter James's novels. Each feature-length case gives equal weight to the investigation and the team working it.
Karen Pirie
Karen Pirie
Lauren Lyle plays a young Scottish detective who has to prove herself while reopening a long-unsolved murder, in this adaptation of Val McDermid's novels. Fans of the rookie storylines in Blue Lights will enjoy watching another young officer find her footing in a tough job.
The Bay
The Bay
Set in the Lancashire seaside town of Morecambe, The Bay follows a family liaison officer who supports victims' families while helping investigate serious crimes. Its attention to ordinary families and a local community under strain will appeal to anyone who values the human side of Blue Lights.
Scott & Bailey
Scott & Bailey
Suranne Jones and Lesley Sharp play two detectives on a Manchester Major Incident Team, balancing murder cases with messy personal lives. The friendships and tensions within the team feel as real as those in Blue Lights, and the cases are grounded in everyday police work.
Luther
Luther
Idris Elba plays DCI John Luther, a brilliant and volatile London detective who pushes himself to the edge to stop dangerous criminals. It is darker than Blue Lights, but matches its tension and its willingness to put characters in real danger.
Time
Time
Jimmy McGovern's anthology series tells a new story inside a British prison each time, beginning with Sean Bean as a teacher serving time and Stephen Graham as a prison officer. It shares Blue Lights' honest view of people working inside a hard system and the choices it forces on them.
