Best tv shows like Between the Lines
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Between the Lines was a television police drama series created by J. C. Wilsher and produced by World Productions for the BBC. It was first shown on BBC1 between 1992 and 1994, running for three series. The show centred on the eventful life of Detective Superintendent Tony Clark, played by Neil Pearson. Clark was an ambitious member of the Complaints Investigation Bureau, an internal organisation that investigates claims of corruption inside the police in England and Wales. Along the way Clark had to overcome strong influence from his superiors and problems in his private life, most notably the break-up of his marriage following an affair with WPC Jenny Dean. Throughout the series Clark was assisted by sidekicks Harry Naylor and Mo Connell. Clark's work as a lead officer in CIB was the focus of the first two series. In the first series his boss was Deakin, a tough Irish policeman. At the end of the first series Deakin was revealed to be a corrupt officer himself. He left the force but remained a recurring character working freelance for the security services and others, sometimes in conflict with Clark and sometimes assisting him. At the start of the third series Clark, Naylor and Connell leave the police force and work in the murky world of private security, far right politics and espionage. The third series ends with the betrayal of Clark and Naylor who had been masquerading as mercenaries. The betrayal is made by Connell in league with Deakin, their former boss and nemesis. It is unclear whether Clark and Naylor have died as the show ended on a cliffhanger. Rumours of a remake did circulate for some years, but Pearson confirmed in 'Watching the Detectives' that he had wanted a 'final' ending at the time and would never return to the role.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 611
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 50 min
Plot tags: detective, tense, serious, captivating, realistic, suspenseful
Best tv shows and movies like Between the Lines (1992):
Similar in 81%
Z Cars (1962)
Plot Summary:
Z-Cars or Z Cars is a British television drama series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, Merseyside. Produced by the BBC, it debuted in January 1962 and ran until September 1978.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 370
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 50 min
Plot tags: detective, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 79%
The Last Cop (2010)
Plot Summary:
Der letzte Bulle is a German television series that was first aired in 2010. The series is about a cop from the 1980s put into a modern police department in Essen.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 969
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: Germany
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: suspenseful, humorous, semi serious, realistic, detective, sentimental
Similar in 84%
19-2 (2011)
Plot Summary:
Officer Nick Beroff, 17 years of service for Montreal's police, is not happy to be stuck with Ben Chartier, newly transferred from S.Q (provincial police), as a partner, but after the tragic event that occurs in the first scene of the pilot, he will have to come to terms with the fact that together, they are now the second patrol of station 19. As the mystery around the catalytic event that starts off the series deepens, the everyday life of the policemen doesn't lack in action, tangled in emotional baggage and dirty secrets.
IMDB Rating: 8.6
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: tense, sincere, serious, suspenseful, detective, realistic
Similar in 79%
WPC 56 (2013)
Plot Summary:
Drama following WPC Gina Dawson, the first Woman Police Constable to join Brinford Constabulary, a fictional police force in the West Midlands, in 1956. The show focuses on WPC Gina Dawson's struggle to gain acceptance in the male-dominated police station whilst having to deal with the sexist attitudes that were commonplace at the time.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Romance
Country: UK
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: captivating, serious, realistic, detective, touching, historical drama, period piece, period drama
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The Ghost Squad (2005)
Plot Summary:
The Ghost Squad was a 2005 British crime drama series produced by Company Pictures, for Channel 4. The show was created by Tom Grieves. Inspired by the real life "Ghost Squad" that existed between 1994 and 1998, secretly investigating police corruption, the premise of the series is that the squad continued to operate in secret after officially being shut down. It starred Elaine Cassidy as a police constable recruited into the squad and Jonas Armstrong as her handler. The show was cancelled after a single seven episode series.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 475
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, detective, bleak
Similar in 79%
The Badge (2015)
Plot Summary:
The only difference between a cop and a criminal is The Badge. Detective Vince McKinley and his partner Martin Goulet have to solve the biggest case of their careers: a series of evidence have been stolen from their own precinct. Through out the case, Vince discovers that the person responsible could be one of his closest friend. The Badge brings a unique view on how trust and friendship can switch to blood in an instant.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 19
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: tense, serious, realistic, suspenseful, rough
Similar in 87%
Conviction (2004)
Plot Summary:
The murder of a 12-year-old girl leaves her local community shell-shocked and intent on revenge. As the public clamour for justice, the team investigating the murder battle against a growing sense of vigilantism on their patch.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 175
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 59 min
Plot tags: psychological, sentimental, serious, suspenseful, detective, sincere, realistic
Similar in 85%
Babylon (2014)
Plot Summary:
London's police force is in need of a public image revamp. And Chief Constable Richard Miller has found just the woman to do it...American visionary from the world of new media Liz Garvey, sets out to revolutionise the force's PR department just as an outbreak of violence erupts.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 50 min
Plot tags: realistic, atmospheric, serious, captivating, detective, humorous, stylized, semi serious, fake documentary
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The Bill (1984)
Plot Summary:
The Bill is a police procedural television series that was broadcast on the ITV network from 16 October 1984 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, entitled Woodentop, which was broadcast in August 1983. In its final year on air, The Bill was broadcast once a week, usually on Tuesdays or Thursdays, in a one-hour format. The programme focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work. At the time of the series' conclusion, The Bill was the longest-running police procedural television series in the United Kingdom, and was among the longest-running of any British television series. The series was produced by Thames Television. The series name originated from "Old Bill", a slang term for the police. This was also Geoff McQueen's original title idea for the series, before he eventually decided on "The Bill". Although highly acclaimed amongst fans and critics alike, the series attracted controversy on several occasions. An episode broadcast in 2008 was criticised for featuring fictional treatment for multiple sclerosis, and another episode in the same year resulted in litigation, submitted by MP George Galloway for defamation. The series has also faced more general criticism, concerning the levels of violence it portrays, particularly prior to 2009, when it occupied a pre-watershed slot. During its time on air, The Bill won several awards, including BAFTAs, a Writers' Guild of Great Britain award and the title of "best drama" at the Inside Soap Awards in 2009, the latter being the series' fourth consecutive win. Throughout its twenty-seven-year run, the programme was always broadcast on the main ITV network. In later years, episodes of the show were repeated on ITV3 on their week of broadcast. The series has also been repeated on other digital stations, including UKTV Gold, Alibi, Watch and UKTV G2. In March 2010, executives at ITV announced that the network did not intend to recommission The Bill, and that filming on the series would cease on 14 June 2010. The last ever episode of the series was aired on 31 August 2010.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 50 min
Plot tags: captivating, serious, sincere, detective, crime drama, realistic
Similar in 77%
Informer (2018)
Plot Summary:
Raza, a young second-generation British-Pakistani man from London is coerced by Gabe, a counterterrorism officer, into informing.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: realistic, tense, serious, suspenseful, detective
Similar in 76%
Falcón (2012)
Plot Summary:
Falcón is a brilliant detective whose personal and professional life is compromised by dark secrets from the past.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 794
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: UK
Duration:
Plot tags: tense, bleak, serious, realistic, suspenseful, detective, atmospheric, gloomy, hardboiled detective, detective series
Similar in 79%
Hill Street Blues (1981)
Plot Summary:
Hill Street Blues is an American serial police drama that was first aired on NBC in 1981 and ran for 146 episodes on primetime into 1987. Chronicling the lives of the staff of a single police precinct in an unnamed American city, the show received critical acclaim and its production innovations influenced many subsequent dramatic television series produced in North America.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: realistic, suspenseful, clever, serious, detective, retro, atmospheric, neo noir, rough, gloomy
Similar in 82%
Dalziel and Pascoe (1996)
Plot Summary:
A British crime drama based on the "Dalziel and Pascoe" series of books by Reginald Hill, set in the fictional Yorkshire town of Wetherton. The unlikely duo of politically incorrect elephant-in-a-china-shop-copper Detective Superintendent Andrew Dalziel (pronounced Dee-ell) and his more sensitive and university educated sidekick Detective Sargent, later Detective Inspector, Peter Pascoe is always on hand to solve the classic murder mystery, while maintaining a down to earth wit and humour.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Crime, Mystery, Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: serious, detective, crime drama, tense, realistic, witty, suspenseful
Similar in 82%
Death of an Expert Witness (1983)
Plot Summary:
When Dr. Edwin Lorrimer, a forensic scientist working at a private laboratory is found killed, Detective Superintendent Adam Dalgliesh is sent to investigate. Dalgliesh had been in the area a few months previously investigating the murder of a young woman found in an abandoned car. There are several suspects: Lorrimer's subordinate, Clifford Bradley, who despises him; the new head of the laboratory, Maxim Howarth, who is jealous of his sister's relationship with him; a colleague, Paul Middlemass, who had a fight with Lorrimer. There is also a gruff and likely unethical policeman who was on the grounds of the laboratory at the time of the killing and a local pathologist who is raising his two young children after his wife leaves him for another man. When one of the suspects is also murdered, Dalgliesh learns a key piece of information.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 374
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 50 min
Plot tags: detective, crime drama, atmospheric, serious, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 79%
Code of a Killer (2015)
Plot Summary:
Set in 1984, Code of a Killer is a true story which tells of the discovery of DNA fingerprinting. Detective David Baker leads an investigation of the vicious murders of the two Leicestershire schoolgirls, Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth. Alec Jeffreys at the time was an ambitious scientist who uncovered a remarkable method to read each individual's unique DNA finger print. Convinced the murderer was local, Baker approached Jeffreys to utilise his newly discovered scientific technique as a way to solve the murders. The first ever DNA manhunt and blood testing of many men followed - all in the aid of catching the killer.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama, History
Country: UK
Duration: 65 min
Plot tags: captivating, tense, serious, exciting, thought provoking, disturbing, detective, crime drama, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 77%
Taggart (1983)
Plot Summary:
Taggart is a Scottish detective television programme, created by Glenn Chandler, who has written many of the episodes, and made by STV Productions for the ITV network. The series revolves around a group of detectives initially in the Maryhill CID of Strathclyde Police, though various storylines have happened in other parts of the Greater Glasgow area, and as of the most recent series the team have operated out of the fictional John Street police station across the street from the City Chambers. It is one of the UK's longest-running dramas and is the longest-running police drama after the cancellation of The Bill. The show's 100th story aired on Christmas Eve 2009 on the ITV network. In May 2011, it was reported that the ITV network had decided to axe Taggart from the network after 28 years. The series may continue to be screened in Scotland on the STV network and on overseas broadcasters.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: detective, crime drama, tense, rough, serious, captivating, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 75%
Trial & Retribution (1997)
Plot Summary:
Trial & Retribution is a feature-length ITV police procedural television drama series that began in 1997. It was devised and written by Lynda La Plante as a follow-on from her successful television series Prime Suspect. Each episode of the Trial & Retribution series is broadcast over two nights. The 2008 series 10 had 10 episodes, the longest run of the drama so far. The latest series was number 12 which aired in February 2009.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration:
Plot tags: detective, crime drama, tense, rough, bleak, serious, captivating, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 88%
The Bridge (2010)
Plot Summary:
The Bridge was a Canadian police drama commissioned by CTV and CBS starring Aaron Douglas. The name of the series is derived from the bridge which connects the wealthy Rosedale neighborhood of Toronto with one of its poorest, St. James Town. The initial order is for 11 episodes, produced by Entertainment One. After CTV ordered the pilot to series in November 2008, CTV later shared the pilot with CBS. This series premiered on CTV on March 5, 2010 and premiered on July 10, 2010 on CBS. It has been canceled in the US after three episodes due to low ratings. CTV announced on June 3, 2010 that the series will return for a second season during the 2010–2011 season. However, on January 13, 2011, star Aaron Douglas tweeted that the series has been officially canceled after only one season.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 470
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: realistic, serious, psychological, captivating, detective, rough, suspenseful
Similar in 82%
19-2 (2014)
Plot Summary:
The day-to-day life of two unwilling partners of the Montreal Police Department, Officers Nick Barron and Ben Chartier. These two beat cops patrol the urban sprawl of downtown's 19th district, in cruiser No. 2. 19-2 is about the tensions and bonds that develop between two incompatible men of very different temperaments and life experiences. Over time, Nick and Ben's mistrust and antagonism for each other give way to moments of mutual respect and a wavering chance at a true partnership.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: tense, realistic, serious, captivating, detective, suspenseful
Similar in 79%
Messiah 2: Vengeance Is Mine (2002)
Plot Summary:
When a man is buried alive, Red Metcalf must delve into a serial killer's psyche.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 954
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 180 min
Plot tags: tense, serious, captivating, suspenseful, crime drama, psychological thriller, detective, realistic
Similar in 87%
Robbery Homicide Division (2002)
Plot Summary:
Robbery Homicide Division was an American police procedural television series on CBS, created by Barry Schindel with executive producer Michael Mann. Schindel has been nominated for three Emmy Awards.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 403
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: tense, rough, serious, suspenseful, exciting, captivating, realistic
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Salamander (2012)
Plot Summary:
A police inspector investigates the robbery of 66 safe deposit boxes at a private bank in Brussels.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Belgium
Duration: 40 min
Plot tags: captivating, suspenseful, tense, serious, realistic, noir, detective
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10-8: Officers on Duty (2003)
Plot Summary:
10-8: Officers on Duty is an American police drama television series. The series aired on ABC from September 28, 2003 to January 11, 2004. The title is in reference to the ten-code for "officer in service and available for calls.".
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 280
Genere: Drama, Crime
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: exciting, rough, serious, captivating, detective, realistic
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Holby Blue (2007)
Plot Summary:
The police force at Holby South is tasked with the toughest job yet. Not only are they fighting the usual crime with drug offenders and gang members, but today they are faced with the threat of terrorism on their own soil. A Spin off from Holby City and Casualty.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 414
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, serious, psychological, emotional, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 81%
The Interceptor (2015)
Plot Summary:
A gripping eight-part series about a state-of-the-art law enforcement team whose unswerving mission is to hunt down some of Britain’s most dangerous criminals. The Interceptor delves into the adventures of a dedicated surveillance team known as the UNIT. Keeping their quarries under ultra-tight surveillance, they take us into the real world inhabited by the criminals of today. And it’s easy to recognize because it’s the same world the rest of us inhabit.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: rough, realistic, suspenseful, tense, serious
Similar in 87%
Identity (2010)
Plot Summary:
Identity is a British police procedural drama television series starring Aidan Gillen and Keeley Hawes, airing in the UK during July–August 2010. Concerning identity theft, the series was created and written by Ed Whitmore, a writer most noted for his work on the BBC's Waking The Dead and the acclaimed ITV mini-series He Kills Coppers. The remake rights have been sold to the ABC Network in America who are developing their own version of the show. ITV confirmed that the show had been cancelled on 19 October 2010, after a single series.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 717
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: tense, psychological, serious, realistic, captivating, detective, crime drama, suspenseful, stylized, gloomy
Similar in 78%
Life of Crime (2013)
Plot Summary:
A female cop becomes obsessed with tracking down the killer of a 15-year-old girl, and hunts him over the course of her 28 year career in the force.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 730
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 132 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, realistic, suspenseful, detective, period piece, rough, serious
Similar in 75%
The Body Farm (2011)
Plot Summary:
Dr Eve Lockhart is one of Britain's leading forensic pathologists and runs a state-of-the-art forensic research facility called The Body Farm with her business partner Mike Phillips. Theirs is the only facility in the country using real human body-donors to examine the complex and fascinating journey the body goes through as it decays and returns to the earth.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 842
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: UK
Duration:
Plot tags: serious, realistic, tense, captivating, detective, psychological, rough, suspenseful
Similar in 83%
Low Winter Sun (2013)
Plot Summary:
Low Winter Sun is an American television drama series developed by Chris Mundy, starring Mark Strong and Lennie James. The series premiered on August 11, 2013, on AMC, with the first season consisting of ten episodes. It is based upon the 2006 British two-part miniseries of the same name.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min
Plot tags: tense, rough, serious, suspenseful, detective, spooky, realistic, independent film
Similar in 75%
Line of Duty (2012)
Plot Summary:
Steve Arnott is a young officer who’s fallen foul of his superiors for refusing to help in the cover-up of an operation that ended in the shooting of an innocent father. He seems ideal to join AC-12, an anti-corruption police unit, just as it starts to investigate Detective Chief Inspector Tony Gates, the regional force’s Officer of the Year.
IMDB Rating: 8.7
IMDB Votes: 68000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: realistic, tense, suspenseful, serious, detective, crime drama, atmospheric, dark, sitcom, deep