Comfort TV this way! 11 “top-ranked” cosy crime dramas to watch now on ITV, Netflix, the BBC and more

Autumn is in full swing and it’s bringing with it heaps of brilliant shows - but does anything beat cosying up with a guaranteed comfort watch? We think not, which is why we’ve binged our way through the top-ranked cosy crime dramas to deliver you the very best of them.

Whether you’re into puzzle-solving detectives (à la Ludwig) or a Vespa-riding nun who fights crime in Sister Boniface Mysteries, your next escapist watch awaits. So, remotes at the ready for the 11 top-ranked cosy crime dramas to watch now on ITV, Netflix, the BBC and more.

Death Valley

Ever wondered what a detective drama made by the director of Sharon Horgan's megahit comedy Motherland would look like? Here's your chance to find out. Timothy Spall stars as the "amateur" half of an unlikely crime-solving duo - his character, John Chapel, has spent years starring in the crime series Caesar – only he’s never actually solved a real crime. Fortunately, his other half" DS Janie Mallowan (Gwyneth Keyworth) has. And while their partnership is unlikely, it seems it might just be a match made in crime-solving heaven… You can watch series 1 on BBC iPlayer now.

Murder Before Evensong

This adaptation of the Reverend Richard Coles’ 10/10 novel really hits the mark. The six-part Channel 5 drama centres around Canon Daniel Clement (played by Happy Valley’s Matthew Lewis), who's Rector of Champton. Living at the Rectory alongside his widowed mother Audrey (New Tricks’ Amanda Redman) and two dachshunds. life is somewhat predictable. Until he announces a plan to install a lavatory in church, the parish suddenly becomes divided, and a body is found at the back of the church. Episode 1 is available to watch on Channel 5, with the second episode arriving on Tuesday 14th October.

Shakespeare and Hathaway

TV is packed with comically mismatched detective duos, but here’s one of our favourites! Shakespeare and Hathaway’s titular investigators are a cosy crime duo for the ages, comprised of hairdresser-turned-private-investigator Lu Shakespeare (Jo Joyner) and the prickly Frank Hathaway (Mark Benton). Set in the gorgeous Stratford-upon-Avon, the beloved series is back on our screens for a fifth instalment that recently premiered on U&Alibi, and it’ll be coming to BBC iPlayer at a later date. You can also watch series 1 to 4 on BBC iPlayer now.

Whitstable Pearl

Whitstable Pearl has been described as a “best-kept secret” - and for good reason! The drama follows local restaurateur Pearl Nolan (Kerry Godliman) who moonlights as a private detective solving coastal-based crimes. Based on the mystery novels by Julie Wassmer, the series is full of small-town secrets and reminds us of both Broadchurch and Sherlock - which can only ever be a good thing! You can watch all three series on U&Drama now.

Ludwig

What could be more enthralling than puzzles with a side of actual real-life mystery solving? John “Ludwig” Taylor is a creator of brainteasers who - when his detective twin brother James goes missing - impersonates him as a way of tracking him down. Clever, funny and warm, the series ticks a lot of our boxes (it also stars Anna Maxwell Martin as his brother’s wife). You can watch Ludwig series 1 now on BBC iPlayer (and series 2 is on the way, too!)

The Madame Blanc Mysteries

Set in the sun-soaked village of Sainte Victoire in France, this adored Sally Lindsay-led drama is pure relaxing, escapist entertainment. Sally plays Jean White, an antiques dealer turned investigator who begins investigating the strange death of her husband, before turning her sleuthing talents to other cases - and the drama has everything from delicious drama to a will-they-won’t-they romance. You can catch up on series 1 to 4 on Channel 5, or watch series 1 to 3 on Netflix.

Harry Wild

We love a mismatched detective pairing - but this isn't your average one, as the series’ namesake Harriet “Harry” Wild (played by Jane Seymour) teams up with someone who wronged her. That said, the series has so much warmth weaved in - Harry is a retired literature professor and she uses that knowledge to help her crack a variety of cases. Here’s the good news - you can watch series 1-3 on BBC iPlayer, while series 1 to 4 of Harry Wild are coming to U&Drama this October, so it’s not long until you can watch them!

Sister Boniface Mysteries

A case-cracking, crime-fighting nun? That’s the premise of Sister Boniface Mysteries - not only does the titular Sister moonlight as an investigator in her quaint local village, but she rides a Vespa, makes her own wine and solves a variety of crimes in quirky locations. The Father Brown spin-off has a uniquely comforting quality to it, and series 4 has just launched on U&Drama. You can catch all of series 1 to 4 on U - plus series 1 and 2 on BBC iPlayer - now.

High Potential

Shake off the autumn blues with High Potential - a drama that follows Morgan Gillory (Kaitlin Olson), a mum and professional cleaner at a police station who ends up consulting for the crime department after accidentally unearthing some evidence one night. Morgan’s natural aptitude for crime-solving is noticed, and she’s paired up with a seasoned detective. Together, they become an unstoppable force. Series 2 recently landed on Disney+, and you can catch up on the first series there, too.

Grantchester

Vicars, crime and brilliant characters: Grantchester has all the ingredients of the perfect binge-watch. The beloved show is one of our all-time favourites, blending village charm with some dramatic - but never too menacing! - crime. Series 1 to 4 starred James Norton as Anglican vicar-turned-investigator Reverend Sidney Chambers, before Tom Brittney and, later, Rishi Nair took on the lead clergyman roles. The long-awaited series 10 is set to arrive in the UK in 2026, but you can catch up on series 1-9 on ITVX in the meantime.

Bookish

Bookish whisks us back in time to post-war London in the 1940s - where Gabriel Book (Sherlock’s Mark Gatiss) runs a bookstore while also solving crimes. But it’s a retro whodunnit with a twist - as Book has a secret: he’s gay at a time when homosexuality is illegal. Gabriel and his ‘wife’, Trottie (Polly Walker) take in a young ex-convict in a bid to rehabilitate him, but soon it becomes clear that things are far more complicated than they first appeared. You can watch the first series of Bookish on NOW.