BBC to release THREE brand new dramas that will leave you gripped
THE BBC is releasing three brand new dramas in just a matter of days as it rivals ITV’s new slate.
The broadcaster is updating its offering of programmes for viewers, which includes the new titles.
One of which is Moonflower Murders – a new gripping drama starring The Crown’s Lesley Manville and Tim McMullan.
The sequel to Magpie Murders will kick off on Saturday, November 16th on BBC One and iPlayer.
A synopsis for the series reads: “Susan has left publishing and is living in Crete with her long-time boyfriend, Andreas. But her idyll is disturbed by the shadow of a murder committed at a British country hotel eight years ago.”
Elsewhere, Rebecca Hall‘s new show The Listeners will launch on Tuesday, November 19th on the same channel.
It sees her character, a popular English teacher, begin to hear a low humming noise that nobody else around her can hear.
The unexplained noise begins to disrupt and take over her life before she realises a student can also hear it, which sees them strike up an unlikely intimate friendship.
Meanwhile, on Friday November 22nd the highly anticipated launch of Return to Paradise air.
The new Australian series is a spin-off to the smash hit Death in Paradise and set in the idyllic beachside hamlet of Dolphin Cove.
It’s set across six gripping and fiendishly clever murder mysteries, all against the backdrop of the Australian coastal landscape.
All three shows will also be available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
The dramas will rival ITV, who previously laid out their new and returning shows over the next couple of months.
Included in their list is Martin Clunes’ Out There, Playing Nice starring Happy Valley’s James Norton
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.