Fans of the BBC drama This City is Ours, who have already watched all eight episodes of season 2, are being pointed towards three other crime thrillers with a similar appeal. The Liverpool-set series has drawn praise since its return, and viewers looking for more suspenseful viewing are being directed to Top Boy, Gangs of London and Kin.
Praise for This City is Ours
The show has been hailed for its compelling characters and twists, with viewers sharing their reactions on IMDb. One review said: "This was an amazingly acted and perfectly written series with great pacing. Sean Bean is a reliable familiar face and the rest of the cast were excellent."
The same reviewer added: "James Nelson-Joyce is someone I only recognised from Time (also with Sean Bean) but he really carries the show with his gritty and believable performance. The series feels quite similar to Top Boy in some ways, but with a Liverpool setting."
Top Boy and Gangs of London
Top Boy is a British crime thriller that first aired on Channel 4 before being revived by Netflix. The five-season series follows drug dealers Dushane, played by Ashley Walters, and Sully, played by Kane Robinson, as they navigate drug dealing and gang violence in London. It has earned critical acclaim and several BAFTA nominations and awards, with themes of loyalty, friendship and hierarchy similar to This City is Ours.
One IMDb review of Top Boy said: "I have been a Top Boy fan since day 1 and thought we'd sadly seen the last of it after season 2. Then season 3 happened. S3 is hands down the best series of them all without a shadow of a doubt. If not, the greatest UK crime drama series of all time."
Gangs of London, available on Sky and Netflix, is an action crime drama based on London Studio's video game of the same name. It follows the power struggles of rival gangs and criminal organisations in London, centring on the Wallace crime family after the assassination of its head. One IMDb review described it as the "Best gang-related TV series I've seen in years", praising the fight and gun scenes as "directed and filmed superbly" and the writing as "extremely well written".
Kin on BBC iPlayer
Kin is an Irish crime drama available to stream free on BBC iPlayer, with production on a third season beginning in July 2026. The series follows a Dublin family caught up in a gangland war and stars Aidan Gillen and Ciarán Hinds as rival gang leaders Frank Kinsella and Eamon Cunningham. It became one of the most-watched series in Ireland after its release.
One IMDb review said: "Kin has to go down as one of the best series I've seen in this genre and sits alongside Top Boy for me. Character's brilliant portrayed and expertly drags you into the murky world of the extended Kinsella family and Dublin's underworld with a storyline that twists and turns."
This City is Ours is available to watch on BBC iPlayer, with episodes also airing weekly on BBC One on Sundays and Mondays.
