Criminal: UK

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Overview

Within the walls of an interrogation room, London investigators question suspects accused of grievous crimes until the truth comes to light.

Media

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Criminal | Franchise Trailer | Netflix

Cast

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Actor Avatar
Katherine Kelly
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Lee Ingleby
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Rochenda Sandall
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Shubham Saraf
Creator:
Jim Field Smith, George Kay
Fist Air Date:
2019-09-20
Episode Runtime:
43m
Production Companies:
Idiotlamp Productions
Genres:
Crime Drama
Keywords:
criminal detective interrogation mind game police psychological suspenseful thriller workplace
More Show Details

Vote Average: 7.2/10

Vote Count: 245 Votes

Show Popularity: 4.1481

Show Status: Canceled

Show Type: Scripted

Spoken Languages: English

Review

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  1. Insomniacs Reviews
    9 Based on 1 Votes
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    ⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 9/10 THE SUMMARY Welcome to the interrogation room, where the air is thin and the silence is a weapon. *Criminal: UK* (2019–2020) is a minimalist masterclass that takes place entirely within the confines of a police interview suite. Each episode is a standalone psychological duel between a rotating cast of high-profile suspects and a steady team of detectives (led by Katherine Kelly and Lee Ingleby). By April 23, 2026, it remains the definitive "bottle show" of the 900+ archive—a series that proves you don't need car chases or gunfights when you have a world-class actor sweating under a fluorescent light. THE PROS The guest stars are a total win; David Tennant’s chillingly silent performance in the pilot and Kit Harington’s defensive arrogance in Season 2 are sincere highlights. The show’s biggest win is its restraint—by stripping away the "outside world," it forces you to focus on every micro-expression, every stutter, and every drop of sweat. The "glass wall" dynamic, where we watch the investigators watching the suspect, is the business, creating a layered tension that feels like a live stage play. Katherine Kelly as DI Natalie Hobbs provides a sincere, steel-spined leadership that anchors the show, making the internal office politics just as gripping as the crimes themselves. THE CONS It is a 9/10 because it avoided the "10/10" mark by being a total Languid Burn that might be *too* claustrophobic for some viewers. It misses the perfect score because the "detective soap opera" in the observation room (the will-they-won't-they between Natalie and Tony) can occasionally feel like a head-scratcher that distracts from the high-stakes interrogation. It is total garbage that as of April 2026, Netflix still hasn't officially greenlit a Season 3, despite series regulars mentioning in early 2026 that "the plan is to do more." For some, the anthology format means you might love one episode and find the next one "wet and meh," depending on which actor is in the hot seat. THE VERDICT A 9/10. It is a genuine, intense, and intellectually stimulating drama that rewards patient viewers. I was slightly gutted when the international versions (*France*, *Spain*, *Germany*) weren't as widely embraced, but the UK iteration stands tall as a vault essential. It is total garbage if you want a traditional action-packed cop show, but if you want to see a verbal chess match played at the highest level, it’s the business. By April 23, 2026, it is the show that fans still point to as the gold standard for how to film a pandemic-safe production without losing an ounce of quality. INSOMNIAC TRIVIA * The "Set" Secret: All four versions of *Criminal* (UK, France, Spain, Germany) were filmed on the exact same set at Netflix’s production hub in Madrid. They just changed the signs on the walls and the coffee cups to match the language of the episode.* Tennant’s Silence: David Tennant’s character, Dr. Edgar Fallon, famously says "No comment" for the vast majority of his episode. He spent weeks practicing his "neutral face" to ensure he didn't give anything away to the cameras.* Real-World 2026 Connection: This April, the show has seen a 2026 "Legal Spike" due to the **Sentencing Act 2026** recently passing in the UK. Law students are currently using the show's interrogation scenes to study the "Right to Silence" and how police tactics are evolving under the new 2026 guidelines.* Sophie Okonedo’s Power: Her performance in Season 2 was so intense that the crew reportedly stayed silent for several minutes after the cameras stopped rolling, a sincere testament to the "intensity experiment" the show aimed for. THE VIBE Like a staring contest with a professional liar. It is cold, quiet, and incredibly tense. It makes you want to double-check your alibi, avoid eye contact with mirrors, and realize that in a room with four walls and a recorder, the truth is the only thing that can set you free—or bury you.

TV Show Poster

Season 1

3 Episodes

Air Date: 2019-09-20

Within the walls of an interrogation room and with time running out, London investigators go after three suspects, each accused of a grievous crime.

TV Show Poster

Season 2

4 Episodes

Air Date: 2020-09-16

Videos

Criminal | Franchise Trailer | Netflix

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Reviews for

Criminal: UK

Comment (1)

  1. Insomniacs Reviews

    ⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 9/10

    THE SUMMARY
    Welcome to the interrogation room, where the air is thin and the silence is a weapon. *Criminal: UK* (2019–2020) is a minimalist masterclass that takes place entirely within the confines of a police interview suite. Each episode is a standalone psychological duel between a rotating cast of high-profile suspects and a steady team of detectives (led by Katherine Kelly and Lee Ingleby). By April 23, 2026, it remains the definitive “bottle show” of the 900+ archive—a series that proves you don’t need car chases or gunfights when you have a world-class actor sweating under a fluorescent light.

    THE PROS
    The guest stars are a total win; David Tennant’s chillingly silent performance in the pilot and Kit Harington’s defensive arrogance in Season 2 are sincere highlights. The show’s biggest win is its restraint—by stripping away the “outside world,” it forces you to focus on every micro-expression, every stutter, and every drop of sweat. The “glass wall” dynamic, where we watch the investigators watching the suspect, is the business, creating a layered tension that feels like a live stage play. Katherine Kelly as DI Natalie Hobbs provides a sincere, steel-spined leadership that anchors the show, making the internal office politics just as gripping as the crimes themselves.

    THE CONS
    It is a 9/10 because it avoided the “10/10” mark by being a total Languid Burn that might be *too* claustrophobic for some viewers. It misses the perfect score because the “detective soap opera” in the observation room (the will-they-won’t-they between Natalie and Tony) can occasionally feel like a head-scratcher that distracts from the high-stakes interrogation. It is total garbage that as of April 2026, Netflix still hasn’t officially greenlit a Season 3, despite series regulars mentioning in early 2026 that “the plan is to do more.” For some, the anthology format means you might love one episode and find the next one “wet and meh,” depending on which actor is in the hot seat.

    THE VERDICT
    A 9/10. It is a genuine, intense, and intellectually stimulating drama that rewards patient viewers. I was slightly gutted when the international versions (*France*, *Spain*, *Germany*) weren’t as widely embraced, but the UK iteration stands tall as a vault essential. It is total garbage if you want a traditional action-packed cop show, but if you want to see a verbal chess match played at the highest level, it’s the business. By April 23, 2026, it is the show that fans still point to as the gold standard for how to film a pandemic-safe production without losing an ounce of quality.

    INSOMNIAC TRIVIA
    * The “Set” Secret: All four versions of *Criminal* (UK, France, Spain, Germany) were filmed on the exact same set at Netflix’s production hub in Madrid. They just changed the signs on the walls and the coffee cups to match the language of the episode.

    * Tennant’s Silence: David Tennant’s character, Dr. Edgar Fallon, famously says “No comment” for the vast majority of his episode. He spent weeks practicing his “neutral face” to ensure he didn’t give anything away to the cameras.

    * Real-World 2026 Connection: This April, the show has seen a 2026 “Legal Spike” due to the **Sentencing Act 2026** recently passing in the UK. Law students are currently using the show’s interrogation scenes to study the “Right to Silence” and how police tactics are evolving under the new 2026 guidelines.

    * Sophie Okonedo’s Power: Her performance in Season 2 was so intense that the crew reportedly stayed silent for several minutes after the cameras stopped rolling, a sincere testament to the “intensity experiment” the show aimed for.

    THE VIBE
    Like a staring contest with a professional liar. It is cold, quiet, and incredibly tense. It makes you want to double-check your alibi, avoid eye contact with mirrors, and realize that in a room with four walls and a recorder, the truth is the only thing that can set you free—or bury you.

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