Conspiracy, crime, coverups. Just some of the hallmarks of TV thrillers that make them so bingeable.
From cult classics like Twin Peaks to recent favourites such as Slow Horses, TV fans have been treated to a huge variety of gripping dramas over the years, and the genre is as popular as ever.
But while well-worn series like Black Mirror and Mindhunter are worthy of praise, there’s nothing quite like discovering a hidden gem that’s been overlooked by the streamers or forgotten by modern audiences.
We asked Metro readers to share their favourite underrated TV thrillers, to find out which lesser-known series should be added to your watch list.
Metro readers have their say
Justin Lawrence-Ball praised a political thriller from 1985, writing: ‘Edge of Darkness. Not the Mel Gibson nonsense, the original 1985 TV series with Bob Peck.’
A popular choice, Sharon Joyce echoed, ‘Agree the TV series was brilliant.’
Simon Silk also suggested a political thriller. ‘House of Cards (the British version) from 1990.’
The BBC series is set after the end of Margaret Thatcher’s tenure as Prime Minister and, as Simon pointed out, ‘came out the same week Thatcher was forced from office. By pure coincidence.’
House of Cards aired on BBC One on November 18 1990, and Thatcher resigned on November 28.
Elsewhere, a user calling themselves FizzbuzzAvabanana suggested the first series of BBC One’s Messiah.
They said: ‘At the time it was way ahead of anything else, great cast, suspense etc,’ but added, ‘The rest were good but never quite lived up to the first series. Like Broadchurch, series one was a class above.’
The series follows DCI Red Metcalfe (played by Ken Scott), who investigates a series of particularly grisly murders.
Another user, Longirl, agreed: ‘What an incredible show. Some scenes are still with me 20-odd years later.’
Unfortunately, the first series of Messiah, which aired in 2001, is not available on any streaming platforms at the moment — though viewers can purchase series five on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video.
DaveBacon suggested River, a TV mini series from 2015, praising it as ‘really good.’
They added: ‘It’s a police drama with a twist, which I can’t describe without spoiling it, though it gets revealed in the first episode. It’s a really interesting one. It’s on ITVX at the moment.’
Other readers mentioned Stag, a ‘very funny’ black comedy that follows eight men on a deer hunting trip from hell.
Collateral, a four-part drama from 2018 starring Carey Mulligan, was also praised, as well as The Worricker Trilogy, which features Bill Nighy as an MI5 officer.
House of Cards
We’re sure you’ve heard of Netflix’s House of Cards, which starred Kevin Spacey and marked the beginning of the streaming service producing its own original content.
But few know that it was based on the lesser-known British series from 1990, produced by the BBC.
The series follows Francis Urquhart (Ian Richardson), the fictional Chief Whip of the Conservative Party, and his manipulative rise to power as he plots against his colleagues to become leader of the party and, ultimately, Prime Minister.
On Google reviews, several fans revealed they prefer it to the American version. Richard Saxe Coburg wrote: ‘Excellent, thrilling, a web of exciting characters and plotted deep and multilayered,’ adding, ‘The US version is pale and forgettable. THIS is the one to watch!’
Anne Suttor agreed, sharing they ‘much preferred’ it to the Netflix show, and praising the casting as ‘perfect’.
Where to watch: Series one is free to watch on UKTV, and all three series can be purchased on Apple TV from £1.89.
Edge of Darkness
Starring Bob Peck as policeman Ronald Craven, Edge of Darkness follows his efforts to unravel the brutal murder of his daughter, who is shot in front of him.
The series plays on the fears that surrounded the Cold War in the 1980s, as Ronald’s investigation leads him to uncover a government conspiracy at the Northmoor nuclear waste storage facility.
Edge of Darkness was repeated on BBC One soon after it first aired, owing to the buzz around the series, and doubled its audience to eight million viewers.
In 2010, the original director and producer, Martin Campbell and Michael Wearing, turned the series into a film starring Mel Gibson.
Where to watch: On Apple TV from £2.49 or on Prime Video for £12.99.
River
Six-part series River sees Stellan Skarsgård star as John River, a brilliant police officer who is haunted by his murdered colleague, Jackie ‘Stevie’ Stevenson (played by Nicola Walker).
While attempting to hunt down Stevie’s killer, he has to deal with her estranged family, his new partner (Adeel Akhtar) and a psychiatric evaluation as a result of his colleague’s death.
The series boasts an impressive 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics calling it ‘engrossing’, ‘dazzling’ and ‘heartbreaking’.
Where to watch: Free on ITVX.
Stag
This black comedy may not take itself as seriously as other Metro readers’ picks, but perhaps that’s what makes it underrated.
It stars Jim Howick as Ian, a last-minute addition to a stag weekend trip, alongside Reece Shearsmith, Stephen Campbell Moore, Tim Key and Amit Shah.
The obnoxious group of friends head to the Scottish Highlands on a deer hunting weekend, but things soon turn sinister when they find themselves being picked off one by one by a mysterious killer.
Recommending the series in subreddit r/horror, one Reddit user wrote: ‘The comedy is played completely straight, and the horror and gore is balanced perfectly with the humor. There’s a number of twists, a number of fake outs, and a number of wonderful deaths. And the acting is perfect’.
Where to watch: On Apple TV from £2.49 or on Prime Video for £6.99.
Collateral
Collateral is a four-part thriller set in London, with an impressive cast featuring Carey Mulligan, John Simm, Billie Piper and Nicola Walker.
Taking place over four days, it sees DI Kip Glaspie (Mulligan) investigate the murder of a pizza delivery driver, who was gunned down by a masked shooter while delivering to the ex-wife of a politician (Simm).
Glaspie refuses to believe it was a random act of violence, and soon finds herself untangling a conspiracy involving drug dealers, smugglers and spies.
With a very respectable 79% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the series has been labelled ‘gripping’ and ‘exciting’ by critics.
Where to watch: Free with a Netflix subscription.
The Worricker Trilogy
Ok, this might be a film trilogy rather than a TV thriller, but they did all air on the BBC.
The three films (Page Eight, Turks & Caicos, Salting the Battlefield) star Bill Nighy in the lead as long-serving MI5 officer Johnny Worricker.
In Page Eight, his life is turned upside down when his boss and best friend (played by Michael Gambon) dies suddenly, leaving him to deal with a top-secret file.
We cant’ say much more without spoiling the entire trilogy, but expect appearances from A-listers including Christopher Walken, Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Fiennes.
Page Eight received a near-perfect 94% Rotten Tomatoes score and a 4.1 rating on Google reviews.
Viewer Geoff Harris wrote of the trilogy: ‘What a delight, the stories intertwined, and of course Bill Nighy was on top form. With a great supporting cast, I really enjoyed the films, no doubt I will watch them again. The filming was excellent, great scenery and good storylines. Just superb.’
Where to watch: On Apple TV from £6.99.
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