With darker evenings and colder weather setting in, BBC iPlayer offers a range of gripping crime dramas ideal for a weekend binge. From dark thrillers to tense family dramas, there is something to suit every taste.
Guilt
Guilt, which first aired in 2019, follows Edinburgh brothers Max and Jake, played by Mark Bonnar and Jamie Sives. Their lives take a disastrous turn after a night out when they accidentally run over and kill an elderly man, Walter, while driving home from a wedding. Uninsured and under the influence, they decide to cover up the accident rather than contact the police.
What begins as an attempt to hide a mistake becomes complicated as questions emerge about Walter's death. Across three series, the show explores how one decision can spiral beyond control, with dark humour and unexpected developments.
The Nest
The Nest is a five-part psychological thriller set in Glasgow. The 2020 drama stars Martin Compston and Sophie Rundle as Dan and Emily Docherty, a wealthy couple who have been unable to have a child after years of IVF. They meet Kaya, played by Mirren Mack, an 18-year-old who offers to become their surrogate.
The arrangement raises difficult questions as the couple realise how little they know about her. With just five episodes, it is a good option for a weekend watch.
An t-Eilean
An t-Eilean, which translates as The Island in Gaelic, is a four-part crime thriller set in Scotland's Western Isles. Detective Sergeant Kat Crichton, played by Sorcha Groundsell, is sent back to Lewis and Harris to investigate the murder of millionaire Sir Douglas Maclean's wife.
Kat, who left the islands a decade earlier, has a complicated personal history that interferes with the investigation. Featuring dialogue in both Gaelic and English, with subtitles, it offers something different for crime fans.
Time
Time, created and written by Jimmy McGovern, explores life inside the British prison system. Each of the three series tells a separate story. The first stars Sean Bean as Mark Cobden, a former teacher serving a four-year sentence, and Stephen Graham as prison officer Eric McNally. The second follows three inmates in a women's prison, including Jodie Whittaker as Orla and Bella Ramsey as Kelsey. The third is set in a young offender institution with David Tennant as prison officer Bobby Bailey.
With just three episodes per series and no connecting storyline, Time is perfect for a short binge.
This City is Ours
This City Is Ours stars Sean Bean as ageing crime boss Ronnie Phelan, whose cocaine-smuggling empire is thrown into uncertainty when he steps back. Michael Kavanagh, played by James Nelson-Joyce, considers leaving the criminal underworld after falling in love with Diana Williams, played by Hannah Onslow. Ronnie's son Jamie, played by Jack McMullen, believes he should inherit the empire, setting up a power struggle.
Season two came out last month, with eight episodes in each season.
