Future of hit BBC crime series revealed after 40 years on screens – including its spin-off show
THE future of a hit BBC crime series has been revealed after 40 years on screens.
Viewers have regularly tuned into BBC One to watch Crimewatch for four decades.
Now the BBC has revealed that it will be celebrating the anniversary of the show in a big way.
Michelle Ackerley and Rav Wilding are set to front a new series of the beloved show at the end of September.
Crimewatch Live will kick off on Monday 30th September as the publicly funded corporation marks 40 years of the show.
Over its history, more than 700 programmes have made it to the airwaves.
These featured more than 7000 appeals by the police so the public could help bring criminals to justice.
Every police force in the UK has been involved with the programme over the years across Crimewatch, Crimewatch Roadshow and Crimewatch Live.
The on-screen appeals and case reconstructions have remained a key element on-screen throughout the long run.
Some of the most high profile cases such as the murder of James Bulger in 1993 and the mystery of the M25 sex attacker in 2002 have featured on the programme.
Julie Shaw, Commissioning Editor for BBC Daytime teased the upcoming celebrations as she paid tribute to the history of the show.
She explained: “Crimewatch is not just another crime series, it sits at the heart of what public service broadcasting at its best can do.
“Throughout its 40-year history, the team have built unprecedented trust with the country’s police forces and the public, providing an outlet to help catch the country’s most audacious criminals.”
However, it hasn’t always been easy for the team, as one particular appeal hit very close to home for the BBC.
Crimewatch presenter Jill Dando was murdered in 1999 and the case remains unsolved to this day.
Other stars to front the series have included Nick Ross, Kirsty Young, Matthew Amroliwala, Fiona Bruce, and Jeremy Vine.
BBC crime dramas
The BBC is reopening case files on an all-star line-up of crime dramas this summer.
Here’s a refresher on the popular programmes which span six decades.
- Campion: Aired from 1989 to 1990, this detective drama series was adapted from novels by Margery Allingham and stars Peter Davison.
- Dalziel And Pascoe: A gritty detective drama series about a mismatched pair of policemen, based on the award-winning books by Reginald Hill. Aired from 1996 to 2007.
- Death In Paradise: A misanthropic detective inspector is assigned to a Caribbean island against his will. Premiered in 2011 and is still on air to this day.
- Happy Valley: Created by Sally Wainwright, this northern noir follows Sarah Lancashire as Sgt Catherine Cawood – tough, defiant and facing her traumatic past.
- Hinterland: Welsh drama starring Richard Harrington. Brooding DCI Tom Mathias uncovers secrets – and links to his troubled past amid mountainous terrain and close-knit villages. Aired from 2013 to 2016.
- Inspector Lynley Mysteries: Based on the novels of Elizabeth George, this drama series is about upper-crust DI Thomas Lynley and working class DS Barbara Havers. Aired from 2001 to 2007.
- Jonathan Creek: Starring comedian Alan Davies, this comedy-drama series follows a inventor of magic tricks who is often called in to solve puzzling murders. Aired from 1997 to 2016.
- Law & Order: Originally broadcast in 1978, this four-part drama series is about the British judicial system. Stars include Peter Dean and Derek Martin.
- Life On Mars: Beguiling science-fiction police drama following a Manchester policeman who travels back to 1973 following a car accident. Stars John Simm and Philip Glenister. Aired from 2006 to 2007.
- Line Of Duty: Created by Jed Mercurio, this drama follows the investigations of AC-12, a controversial police anticorruption unit. Stars Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar, aired from 2012 to 2021.
- Luther: Crime drama series starring Idris Elba as DCI John Luther. Aired from 2010 to 2019, with a follow-up film released in 2023.
- New Tricks: Warm-hearted drama following an eccentric group of old-fashioned detectives. Starring Dennis Waterman, Amanda Redman, Alun Armstrong and James Bolam. Aired from 2003 to 2015.
- Sherlock: Benedict Cumberbatch stars a modern day Sherlock Holmes, teaming up with Martin Freeman‘s war veteran Dr Watson to solve impossible crimes. Aired from 2010 to 2017.
- Shetland: Detective drama starring Douglas Henshall, Ashley Jensen and Alison O’Donnell, showcasing the dark side of one of the most beautiful places on earth. Premiered in 2013 and is still on air to this day.
- The Cops: Set in the fictional northern town of Stanton, this acclaimed, provocative police drama stars Katy Cavanagh, Rob Dixon and John Henshaw. Aired from 1998 to 2001.
- Waking The Dead: With a cast including Trevor Eve, Sue Johnston and Wil Johnson, this series follows a cold case team who unearths sleeping secrets, but sometimes the past is best left buried. Aired from 2000 to 2011.
- Wallander: Starring Sir Kenneth Branagh, Kurt Wallander is unable to unsee the dark crimes he’s tasked to investigate while Wallander’s job comes at a cost to his family and relationships. Aired from 2008 to 2016.
In addition to the new series, the BBC has also given the green light to Crimewatch Caught.
The spin-off will depict the inside workings of how detectives really investigate and solve a range of complex crimes.
Each instalment is set to feature new interviews with leading officers in the force alongside CCTV, forensic evidence and witness testimony.
The new series of Crimewatch will air on BBC One, BBC Scotland, BBC Wales and iPlayer in autumn.