Crime drama as good as Line of Duty is 'the best series' fans have seen in years. As the second season of the crime thriller dropped, fans continue to rave about it online, giving it an impressive 92% Rotten Tomatoes rating.
A New Crime Drama Sensation
TV fans have plenty to look forward to with this crime drama having gained high ratings, up there with the likes of British favourites Line of Duty and Broadchurch. Similarly to Broadchurch, the show focuses on two detectives who are constantly at each other's throats due to their stark contrast in personalities.
Criminal Record is a British crime drama series created by Paul Rutman, with Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo playing two detectives. Capaldi is DCI Daniel Hegarty, the seasoned veteran, while Jumbo plays the newbie in her career, DS June Lenker. Their career gap has them both constantly clashing while they work on a murder case, until an anonymous phone call draws them to the answers they've been looking for. The caller made a claim that her abusive boyfriend killed an ex-girlfriend of his years prior, and yet another man is behind bars, serving a decades-long sentence for the crime she knows he didn't commit.
Critical Acclaim and Fan Reviews
One fan of the show wrote a glowing review on Rotten Tomatoes, where the show has an overall rating of 92%. It reads: 'Great show! The writing and story was excellent. The actors were believable with some performances high quality (Cush Jumbo). This is a great example of a show that keeps you interested the whole time with great pacing and characters - and doesn't need extra violence, sex or language. Well done.'
Meanwhile, another viewer shared: 'One of the best series I’ve seen. Impeccable acting. Amazing script. It kept me guessing. Wow!'
Season Two Delivers
Series one is made up of eight episodes, making it perfect for a binge-watch, and launched on the streaming platform back in 2024. Meanwhile, after much anticipation, season two dropped on April 22, 2026, and fans were quick to claim it was just as good, if not better than the first. On season two, a fan wrote: 'The acting is fantastic this season. They took the show to a new level and had some interesting family themes and struggles. I really enjoy Criminal Record, they have created a dark and mysterious side to police and intelligence.'
Another added that they 'love' British crime series, and Criminal Record is 'another one' that TV fans should add to their must-watch lists.
Behind the Scenes
The writer and producer behind the show is Paul Rutman, who has made his name within British TV for the last decade, working on some of the most popular shows in recent years within the crime genre. He's best known for his work on Indian Summers, Vera, Next of Kin and The Deep and has been nominated for a series of BAFTA TV awards. With Rutman at the helm, the show continues to impress viewers, with one person stating: 'One of the best series I’ve seen. Impeccable acting. Amazing script. It kept me guessing. Wow!'
All episodes of Criminal Record are now available to delve into exclusively on Apple TV.
