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Guides · If You Loved Vera

Shows Like Vera

Vera's mix of atmosphere, character, and a detective who works on instinct as much as evidence has no shortage of fans. Here are the British crime dramas worth watching after Vera, and where to stream each one in the US — including free ways to watch British television if you're not ready to subscribe to anything new.

Explore the List →

The Short Answer

  1. Shetland — Ann Cleeves' other great detective creation, set against remote island atmosphere. (BritBox)
  2. Blue Lights — Belfast rookie officers navigating a fractured city, character over procedure. (BritBox)
  3. Dalgliesh — P.D. James' poet-detective, methodical and literary in tone. (Acorn TV)
  4. Whitstable Pearl — an oyster-bar owner turned amateur sleuth in a small Kent seaside town. (Acorn TV)
  5. Karen Pirie — a young Scottish cold-case detective reopening decades-old murders. (BritBox)
  6. Unforgotten — London cold-case detectives working through long-buried secrets. (PBS Masterpiece)
  7. Grace — a Brighton detective who works cases with the same instinct-led approach. (BritBox)
  8. DCI Banks — a Yorkshire detective, procedural and character-driven in equal measure. (Acorn TV)
  9. Scott & Bailey — two Manchester detectives balancing casework and personal life. (Acorn TV)
Already sold? Watch now: Shetland · BritBox Blue Lights · BritBox Dalgliesh · Acorn TV Whitstable Pearl · Acorn TV Karen Pirie · BritBox Unforgotten · PBS Masterpiece Grace · BritBox DCI Banks · Acorn TV Scott & Bailey · Acorn TV
Jump to Shetland Blue Lights Dalgliesh Whitstable Pearl Karen Pirie Unforgotten Grace DCI Banks Scott & Bailey

Streaming availability may change — check BritBox, Acorn TV, PBS Passport, or Prime Video for current availability.

Shetland

Shetland

2013–present · BBC · BritBox

Ann Cleeves' other bestselling detective series, the closest match to Vera in tone — slow-burn, landscape-driven mysteries set against the bleak, beautiful Shetland Islands.

Blue Lights

Blue Lights

2023–present · BBC · BritBox

A Belfast-set police drama that trades detectives for rookie officers, but shares Vera's emphasis on character and community over procedure.

Dalgliesh

Dalgliesh

2021–present · Channel 5 · Acorn TV

P.D. James' poet-detective solves cases with thoughtful, methodical investigations — a good next stop for Vera's more introspective, literary side.

Whitstable Pearl

Whitstable Pearl

2021–2024 · Acorn TV · Acorn TV

A seaside-town amateur detective running a private investigation business — gentler than Vera, but with the same coastal-town texture and community-first storytelling.

This one's ended — see what to watch next.

At a Glance
Watch on Acorn TV →

Karen Pirie

Karen Pirie

2022–present · ITV · BritBox

A young Scottish cold-case detective, constantly underestimated by colleagues twice her age, sharing Vera's Northern setting and its focus on a lead people keep misjudging.

Unforgotten

Unforgotten

2015–present · ITV · PBS Masterpiece / BritBox

A cold case unit led by a detective who works through instinct and empathy as much as evidence — one of the strongest matches here for Vera's character-first approach.

Grace

Grace

2021–present · ITV · BritBox

DS Roy Grace investigates cases across Brighton with unconventional methods colleagues don't always trust, based on Peter James' bestselling novels.

DCI Banks

DCI Banks

2010–2016 · ITV · Acorn TV

A Yorkshire detective working murder cases against the same atmospheric Northern England backdrop that defines Vera, based on Peter Robinson's novels.

Scott & Bailey

Scott & Bailey

2011–2016 · ITV · Acorn TV

A Manchester detective duo balancing the job with messy personal lives, from Happy Valley creator Sally Wainwright.


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