DC Diane Fry and DC Ben Cooper investigating a case in Cooper and Fry

British Crime Drama · BritBox · 2025– · Season 1

Cooper and Fry

Season 1 Streaming Season 2 Renewed Stars Robert James-Collier & Mandip Gill Peak District Stephen Booth Novels

Cooper and Fry is a crime drama series adapted from Stephen Booth's bestselling detective novels, starring Robert James-Collier (Downton Abbey) and Mandip Gill (Doctor Who) as DC Ben Cooper and DC Diane Fry, a mismatched pair of detectives working cases around the fictional Peak District town of Edendale. Cooper is a local still finding his footing in the shadow of his late father, a respected officer in the same force; Fry is a guarded newcomer who has arrived from the city under circumstances she isn't eager to explain. The series streams on BritBox in the US — see how it stacks up in British TV Hub's guide to where to watch British TV in the US.


Where to watch in the US

BritBox

Season 1 · 8 episodes · Subscription required

Watch on BritBox →
Release pattern: BritBox Premier subscribers got early access to the full season in August 2026; the standard BritBox release began September 10, 2026, with two episodes to start and one new episode weekly through October.

Streaming availability in the US can change. Check the linked service for the current season and episode selection. Checked September 2026.

📚 Love a good Derbyshire mystery? See British TV Hub's guide to Cozy Autumn Mysteries for more atmospheric British crime drama →

Looking for more detective duos? See British Detective Partnerships →


New Viewer's Guide

Where to Start

Start with Season 1, in Order

Cooper and Fry is a brand-new series, so there's no back catalog to sort through yet — just start at the beginning of Season 1. Worth knowing: the show doesn't adapt Stephen Booth's novels in their original publication order, so don't expect the episodes to match the book numbering.

New SeriesOne Season So Far
At a Glance
Watch OrderBroadcast order
Season 2Filmed, due 2027

Best Episodes, Ranked

1 · Episode 1 · 2025

Dying to Sin

The season opener throws Cooper and Fry together on a disturbing farm case that pulls at old local history and present-day prejudice, giving the two detectives an immediate, high-stakes reason to start reading each other.

Series Premiere
At a Glance
PositionEpisode 1, 2025
Best ForFirst-time viewers
Watch on BritBox →
2 · Episode 2 · 2025

Black Dog

Based on Stephen Booth's award-winning debut novel, this case — a missing-person search that uncovers a village's buried resentments — is the story that introduced Cooper and Fry to readers, and it shows in how carefully it builds their dynamic.

Source Novel: Debut
At a Glance
PositionEpisode 2, 2025
Best ForFans of the books
Watch on BritBox →
3 · Episode 3 · 2025

Blind to the Bones

A disappearance tied to a tight-knit community where everyone seems to know more than they're saying — a British TV Hub pick for how thoroughly it uses Edendale's insularity against its detectives.

Community Secrets
At a Glance
PositionEpisode 3, 2025
Best ForSlow-burn mystery fans
Watch on BritBox →
4 · Episode 4 · 2025

Dancing with the Virgins

The season closes with a case built around one of the Peak District's prehistoric stone circles, leaning into local folklore for a mystery that's as much about the landscape as the crime.

Peak District Folklore
At a Glance
PositionEpisode 4, 2025
Best ForAtmosphere-first viewers
Watch on BritBox →

Main Characters and Cast

Lead

Robert James-Collier

DC Ben Cooper — a Peak District local still working to step out from under the reputation of his late father, a well-regarded officer in the same force.

Lead Detective
At a Glance
RoleDC Ben Cooper
Known ForDownton Abbey
Lead

Mandip Gill

DC Diane Fry — a guarded transfer from Leeds whose reasons for leaving the city are one of the season's ongoing threads.

Lead Detective
At a Glance
RoleDC Diane Fry
Known ForDoctor Who
Recurring

Lorcan Cranitch

DI Paul Hitchens — Cooper and Fry's commanding officer, keeping the pair in line as their partnership finds its footing.

Detective Inspector
At a Glance
RoleDI Paul Hitchens
Recurring

Charlotte Bradley

Isobel Cooper — Ben's mother, whose presence keeps his late father's legacy close throughout the season.

Ben's Mother
At a Glance
RoleIsobel Cooper
Recurring

Niamh McCann & Barry O'Connor

Niamh McCann plays Tracy Garnett and Barry O'Connor plays DS Todd Eland, rounding out Cooper and Fry's Edendale police unit.

Edendale CID
At a Glance
RolesTracy Garnett · DS Todd Eland

What Makes the Series Special

Partnership

A Local Paired With an Outsider

Cooper's deep local roots and Fry's guarded distance give the show a classic mismatched-detective setup, but one grounded in each character's own unresolved history rather than played purely for contrast.

Mismatched Pair
At a Glance
CooperLocal, grieving father
FryOutsider, guarded past
Setting as Character

The Peak District's Isolation

Edendale is written as a place cut off from everywhere else, right down to its unreliable mobile signal — a setting the series uses to strand its characters and let old secrets surface.

Peak District
At a Glance
SettingFictional Edendale
Source Material

Eighteen Novels to Draw From

Stephen Booth's Cooper & Fry series runs to 18 books, giving the show plenty of room to grow — Season 2 is already filmed, adapting four more of the novels.

Deep Source Material
At a Glance
Novels18 total
Adapted So Far4 (Season 1)

Setting and Filming Locations

Setting & Filming

Peak District on Screen, Ireland on Location

The story is set in the fictional town of Edendale in Derbyshire's Peak District, but production actually filmed in Ireland — mainly around County Wicklow, with additional filming in County Kildare — using the area's mountains and countryside to stand in for Booth's Derbyshire setting.

Derbyshire, England (Setting)County Wicklow, Ireland (Filmed)
At a Glance
SettingPeak District, Derbyshire
Filmed InWicklow & Kildare, Ireland

Books Behind the Series

Season 1 Source

Start With Black Dog

Season 1 draws on four of Stephen Booth's Cooper & Fry novels: Black Dog, Dancing with the Virgins, Blind to the Bones, and Dying to Sin. Black Dog is the series' debut novel and the most natural starting point for readers.

Book 1 of 18
At a Glance
SeriesCooper & Fry Mysteries
Total Books18
Get the Book →

Watch the Trailer

More on the Trailers Channel →

Frequently Asked Questions

Source Material

Is Cooper and Fry based on real books?

Yes. The series adapts Stephen Booth's Cooper & Fry novels, an 18-book crime series set in Derbyshire's Peak District. Season 1 covers four of the early novels.

Quick Answer
SourceStephen Booth novels
Streaming

Where can I watch Cooper and Fry in the US?

BritBox is the exclusive US and Canada home for Cooper and Fry. Season 1 arrived for BritBox Premier subscribers in August 2026, with the standard BritBox release following in September 2026.

Quick Answer
PrimaryBritBox
Episode Count

How many episodes are in Season 1?

In the UK, Season 1 aired as four feature-length stories. For its US release, BritBox presents the same season as eight roughly 45-minute episodes.

Quick Answer
UK Format4 feature-length
US Format8 x 45 min
Status

Has Cooper and Fry been renewed for Season 2?

Yes. Season 2, an eight-episode run adapting four more Stephen Booth novels, has already filmed in the UK and is expected in 2027.

Quick Answer
StatusRenewed, filmed
Expected2027
Filming Location

Where is Cooper and Fry filmed?

The story is set in the fictional town of Edendale in Derbyshire's Peak District, but filming actually took place in Ireland, mainly around County Wicklow and County Kildare.

Quick Answer
Set InPeak District
Filmed InIreland
Reading Order

Do I need to read the novels before watching?

No. The series stands on its own, though the books offer a deeper look at Ben Cooper and Diane Fry's characters across many more cases than the show has adapted so far.

Quick Answer
Required?No

Fact-checked and streaming availability checked September 2026. Spot an error or an outdated streaming link? Let us know via the contact page.


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