Dept. Q is a new Netflix series that won audiences over for its original atmosphere, captivating storyline, and great performances by the ensemble cast. Led by Matthew Goode, Dept. Q depicts him as Carl Morck, a cynical detective leading a brand-new department in his precinct that tackles unsolved cases. Morck gets backup in the form of the tenacious Rose Dickson (Leah Byrne) and the former Syrian policeman, Akram (Alexej Manvelov).
The show delivers a dark premise, with the detectives solving one case throughout seven episodes, but there’s a high chance of getting a second season, since there’s a bigger mystery at play, and one that nearly cost Morck his life. Seven episodes is little, and you’ve surely finished watching it over a weekend. If you want more similar vibes while waiting for season 2 confirmation, here are ten shows to watch if you love Dept. Q.
10
‘Spooks’ (2002–2011)
Created by David Wolstencroft
Spooks is to UK viewers what, for example, Criminal Minds is to US viewers—long-standing, iconic, and great in each season. Any police procedural that doubles as a spy thriller could work as a replacement here; Spooks is known as MI5 in some countries, and its original name is a jargon word for spies. Though not too similar to Dept. Q, Spooks is still vital for understanding British crime series, serving as one of the biggest and best examples of how it should be done. Fun fact: Spooks brought Matthew Macfadyen and Keeley Hawes together.
Spooks follows nearly completely different casts in each of its ten seasons, though Peter Firth as Sir Harry Pearce is the glue that binds them all together. He is the head of the counter-terrorism unit at MI5. The second most featured lead is Malcolm Wynn-Jones, an MI5 analyst portrayed by Hugh Simon. Macfadyen, Hawes, and David Oyelowo stuck around for the first three seasons, and while watching it, you’ll likely recognize a few more familiar faces. Each season has an overarching plot, though episodes tend to tackle individual cases, too; the overarching plots take a backseat, though they get a conclusion at the end of each. It’s pretty great, quintessential viewing.
9
‘Marcella’ (2016–2021)
Created by Hans Rosenfeldt and Nicola Larder
Marcella is a dark police series that’s often classified as Nordic noir. It was created by Swedish screenwriter Hans Rosenfeldt, most notably known for creating Bron, aka The Bridge, Sweden’s most popular export series. Marcella, like Dept. Q, depicts a troubled protagonist who feels the need to redeem themselves for dark events from their past; however, the lead in Marcella has a darker story than detective Carl Morck, and the circumstances of her past are pretty difficult to handle. The noir vibes are there in both shows, and Marcella is quite memorable for everything it tries to be in its three seasons.
Marcella follows the eponymous detective, Marcella Backland (Anna Friel), who leaves the Metropolitan Police force to be with her family. However, 11 years later, Marcella’s husband leaves her, and she returns to the force to work on an old case that resurfaces after killings of the same manner start again. She also suffers from regular blackouts and can’t often name her whereabouts, which leads to complications in her personal and professional life. Season one of Marcella is great, but season two is really the icing on the cake.
8
‘Sherlock’ (2010–2017)
Created by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat
The detective bored of everyone else because he’s much smarter than them and doesn’t have the patience to wait for them to wrap up the thought he had five minutes ago is definitely Sherlock, but also pretty much Dept. Q vibes. Unlike Benedict Cumberbatch‘s Sherlock, Goode’s Morck at least has a shred of emotional intelligence to allow his co-speakers to finish their thoughts and make personal conclusions without calling them stupid—a notable Sherlock quote is “Anderson, don’t talk out loud. You lower the IQ of the whole street.” Seeing a brilliant detective at work is very prominent and well-presented in Sherlock, and if you enjoyed watching Morck, you’ll surely enjoy Sherlock doing his thing.
Sherlock is, naturally, about Arthur Conan Doyle‘s biggest character, Sherlock Holmes. Set in modern times, Sherlock is portrayed by Cumberbatch as a self-described “high-functioning sociopath;” his assistant and best friend, John Watson, is portrayed by Martin Freeman, who gives Watson that much-missed war veteran vibe that Doyle’s Watson has in the novels. Sherlock was a massive hit when it first appeared; people went crazy over its clever narrative, gripping storytelling and script, and brilliant performances by Cumberbatch and Watson. In later seasons, the show goes slightly off the rails, but it can still fulfill your weekend watch after you start missing Dept. Q.
- Release Date
-
2010 – 2017-00-00
- Network
-
BBC
- Showrunner
-
Steven Moffat
- Directors
-
Steven Moffat
7
‘CB Strike’ (2017–)
Written by Ben Richards and Tom Edge
CB Strike, also known only as Strike domestically, is a long-running detective series based on the novel series titled Cormoran Strike by Robert Galbraith. Galbraith is, in fact, the pseudonym of J.K. Rowling, who used it for detective novels and adult fiction. There are seven Cormoran Strike novels, and the show follows the books in pretty much the same order. Cormoran Strike is actually the name of the story’s protagonist, played by Tom Burke in the acclaimed series that’s still going, now under HBO’s production.
Strike is a war veteran who solves unsolved cases as a private investigator, drawing a parallel with Morck in Dept. Q. Strike, like Morck, is highly intelligent, equipped with advanced knowledge from his time at the Special Investigations Branch, and very strong-willed and tenacious. His work follows him solving different crimes in each season, much like Dept. Q started with. While the latest season of Strike was review-bombed because of the controversial stances Rowling’s displayed over the years, the show is worth watching, at least for its protagonist and lead, Burke, who isn’t just a revelation in the series but has the capability to truly win over anyone.
- Release Date
-
June 1, 2018
- Network
-
BBC One
- Directors
-
Susan Tully, Michael Keillor, Charles Sturridge
- Writers
-
Tom Edge
6
‘Black Doves’ (2024–)
Created by Joe Barton
One of the biggest surprises of 2024 was the Netflix crime thriller Black Doves. Starring Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw, this unique and captivating series blends dark comedy with high-octane action, suspenseful spy thrills, and emotional drama, and it does it successfully. The show was renewed for a second season, following an explosive first that contained six episodes; if you loved Dept. Q, you’re bound to love Black Doves maybe even more.
Black Doves follows a spies-for-hire organization where Helen (Knightley) works and has been undercover for over a decade. She’s married to the State Secretary of Defense, Wallace Webb (Andrew Buchan), and her spy identity is suddenly in danger of being revealed. Her organization, Black Doves, sends her old friend and their former employee, Sam (Whishaw), to protect Helen. The two have an interesting friendship, quite loving for the circumstances it came to be in; though they’re not a romantic item in the show, the chemistry between Knightley and Whishaw is beautiful. There are plenty of memorable and enjoyable side characters, too, similarly to what Dept. Q boasts.
5
‘Unforgotten’ (2015–)
Created by Chris Lang
Unforgotten is another quintessential British crime procedural drama that’s been consistent in quality for about a decade now. This is another series people enjoy watching and recommending further, even with some heavy and difficult cases going on in it. Unforgotten has had six seasons so far, with six episodes in each; it might just make you binge-watch its entirety over the course of a few days. Unforgotten is one of the crime shows that inspired the creation of many others after, including Dept. Q. Without these intelligent and captivating police dramas hailing from the UK, we wouldn’t have the same sort of depth in the genre, that’s for sure.
Unforgotten follows a squad of London detectives solving cold cases and disappearances. The team consists of DI Sunny Khan (Sanjeev Bhaskar), who’s been a constant across all seasons, and DCIs Cassie Stuart (Nicola Walker) and Jessie James (Sinéad Keenan), interchanging after season four. The show gained widespread critical acclaim, including several BAFTA nominations and wins, and it’s on theme with Dept. Q, with the cold case crimes taking center stage.
4
‘Line of Duty’ (2012–)
Created by Jed Mercurio
The most iconic British procedural of probably all time is Line of Duty. Jed Mercurio created the show that was an instant hit, and its first season was followed by five more over the years, giving audiences a fix of their favorite TV detectives time and again. Vicky McClure, Adrian Dunbar, and Martin Compston are the main trio and the backbone of the series, though it had many superstar guests over the years. After long talks and a somewhat underwhelming series finale, Deadline confirmed the trio and Mercurio will be back for season seven, slated to film at the start of 2026.
Line of Duty follows detectives in the AC-12 Unit (Anti-Corruption Unit 12), which is a sort of internal affairs investigating department. It’s fictional in the show, but it involves “policing the police” and finding bad seeds in their midst. Each season deals with a new antagonist, though the series firmly establishes an overarching plot concerning a high-ranking string-puller only known as H. Line of Duty has such superb and tight writing that you get excited just by following a standard police interview. There are plenty of factors that make it great, although maybe not overly similar to Dept. Q. Regardless, if you loved Dept. Q, you’ll love Line of Duty, no doubt about it.
- Release Date
-
2012 – 2020
- Directors
-
David Caffrey, Douglas Mackinnon, Daniel Nettheim, Michael Keillor, John Strickland, Jed Mercurio, Sue Tully, Gareth Bryn, Jennie Darnell
- Writers
-
Jed Mercurio
3
‘Life on Mars’ (2006–2007)
Created by Matthew Graham, Tony Jordan, and Ashley Pharoah
Life on Mars is one of the most inspired British crime series ever made, and it’s filled with exceptional performances, starting with its lead, John Simm. Life on Mars also provides a cozy atmosphere and makes viewers want to binge-watch the entire series as soon as they start. Like in Dept. Q, the protagonist is a talented but brooding detective who is put into a situation outside his comfort zone. The catch with the 2006 series, though, is that the detective gets transported in time, back to 1973.
Life on Mars follows detective Sam Tyler (Simm), a Manchester-based police officer who ends up in a car accident one day. After waking up, Sam realizes he has traveled back in time to 1973, where he works the same job at the same police station and position. The show follows him solving the overarching mystery of his sudden trip to the past, but each episode shows a different case he has to work on. That differentiates Life on Mars from Dept. Q a bit, because the entire season one of the latter focuses on a single cold case. Still, for similar vibes and the unmistakable brilliance of a British crime procedural, Life on Mars is a great pick.
2
‘Slow Horses’ (2022–)
Created by Will Smith
Mick Herron wrote 13 books and novellas within the Slough House universe, having announced a fourteenth book for this year; in 2019, creator Will Smith (not the Bad Boys one) was given the green light by AppleTV to work on making it a series, and each season thus far has followed one of the books. Slow Horses is, as of now, one of the most well-made shows on TV, gaining widespread acclaim and recognition for brilliant writing and performances. Gary Oldman steals the show in each scene, whether for his character’s unparalleled spy knowledge and abilities or his absolute lack of social intelligence and awareness.
Slow Horses is wordplay on Slough House, which is administrative purgatory for disgraced and unwanted MI5 agents. These agents have either failed so hard at a task or are deemed useless by the main agency but aren’t worthy of getting fired. So, Slough House and its leader, Jackson Lamb (Oldman), take them in, and they solve different crimes in each season, though the latest two seasons have a connecting story concerning a talented young agent, River Cartwright (Jack Lowden). Similarly to Dept. Q, these agents are underdogs and underestimated because of a certain attitude or background, though Slow Horses introduces brilliant spy work and conspiracies at every step.
1
‘Broadchurch’ (2013–2017)
Created by Chris Chibnall
Many fans said that Dept. Q‘s lead character, Morck, reminded them of David Tennant‘s Alec Hardy from Broadchurch. Both are hard-headed, secretive, and highly talented detectives who just wish to step away from the pains of their pasts and private lives. Hardy is Scottish and Morck works in Scotland, so that’s another parallel, too. Both shows are great police procedurals, though Broadchurch is highly acclaimed for its gripping storylines and performances. Without using fancy words, Broadchurch really hits differently after watching it, and you’ll never forget it. Some scenes stick with you for a long time, and the show progresses into darker territory with each season.
Broadchurch follows the residents of the eponymous coastal town in the UK, who suffer a great loss in the community after the death of a child. Detectives Alec Hardy (Tennant) and his partner Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) are assigned to the case, and they have to navigate the paranoia, loss of trust, and mutual suspicion among the residents they’re investigating. They have personal problems that are depicted throughout the series, but the focus often lies on the crimes a lot more. Broadchurch is the elite of British crime shows and worth every second.