Netflix fans cancel weekend plans for ‘very bingeable’ true-life British gangster thriller

If I were to ask you to picture a show about undercover agents dismantling drug cartels, your mind would likely wander to the likes of Narcos or The Wire.

So, following the release of Netflix’s Legends, which features Alan Partridge star Steve Coogan and a group of ordinary men and women tackling a heroin epidemic, you can be forgiven for feeling slightly surprised.

But after all six episodes of the Netflix thriller, created by Neil Forsyth (The Gold), dropped on the streaming platform, the unlikely series has been hailed as ‘genuinely fantastic’ by fans online.

Based on the incredible little-known true story of a highly controversial and top-secret operation in the 1990s to tackle drug smuggling across Britain’s borders, Legends unveils how an undercover customs official busted £1billion worth of class-A drugs.

Philomena star Coogan plays Don, the head of operations for HM Customs and Excise, who is in charge of recruiting and training the customs officers.

Alongside him, Tom Burke (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, The Souvenir) plays Guy, a working-class customs officer who is looking for meaning in his life before Don recruits him.

Hayley Squires (The Night Manager) plays fellow stubborn customs officer Kate, who infiltrates a drug gang in Liverpool, Tom Hughes is the ruthless Carter and Aml Ameen plays another operative called Bailey.

Meanwhile, Jasmine Blackborow (The Gentlemen) and Douglas Hodge round out the cast as Erin and Blake, while Johnny Harris (A Gentleman in Moscow) is Eddie.

Set during an era when Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government was facing mounting political pressure over the illegal drugs being trafficked in Britain, an unconventional solution was implemented.

A group of ordinary individuals, who risked everything, undertook a mission to fight the war on drugs after being selected to go undercover.

While on their mission, they were tasked with penetrating some of Britain’s most dangerous trafficking networks and dismantling them from within despite not being professionally trained operatives.

Drawing on the real-life experience of Guy Stanton, who was played by Burke in this series, the show is based on the book The Betrayer, which he wrote alongside Peter Walsh.

Professional critics adored the series, and it currently has 92% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Rebecca Nicholson wrote in her five-star review for the Financial Times that the series was ‘outstanding TV, elegant and composed,’ adding ‘it does not let its grip loosen for a second.’

Jessica Toomer from Collider was similarly enthralled, noting: ‘It might be the most watchable crime drama Netflix puts out this year.’

It’s not just critics who adore the show either. Audience members have been sharing their thoughts, including Tim J, who wrote: ‘You don’t get any better than this. Compulsive and totally immersive.’

While Jeffrey V wrote: ‘Excellent storyline, pacing and acting… very bingeable, which I did, I watched the whole season in one day… take my advice and watch it. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.’

Writing on X, one user called @whatonnetflix described the series as ‘a raw look at the heavy psychological toll of living a double life, anchored by an absolute MVP performance from Tom Burke’.

The account continued: ‘If you’re a fan of gritty British crime dramas or Breaking Bad, this is your next binge.’

Another user called Mo also said: ‘As someone who may have at one point had a tangential relationship to the Liverpool drug trade, Netflix’s latest is genuinely fantastic.

‘Regardless of your feelings on drugs, we can all appreciate a well-crafted story.’

Legends is available to stream on Netflix.

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