Skip to main contentSkip to footer

Downton Abbey and Line of Duty stars team up for new Netflix crime series – and it sounds gripping

The series is adapted from Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen's book series

Matthew Goode and Michelle Dockery in Downton Abbey
Nicky Morris
TV and film writer
Share this:

Downton Abbey star Matthew Goode and Line of Duty's Kelly Macdonald are teaming up for Netflix's upcoming crime series, Department Q – and it sounds incredible. 

Based in Edinburgh, the upcoming show is an adaptation of the novels of the same name from Danish author, Jussi Adler-Olsen, and follows Carl Morck, "a former top-rated detective assigned to a new cold case whilst wracked with guilt following an attack that left his partner paralysed and another policeman dead," according to the synopsis. 

Matthew leads the cast in the role of DCI Carl Morck, who is described as "brilliant but impossible". Upon his return to work, Carl is tasked with setting up Department Q – a new cold case department, which is little more than a PR exercise.

matthew goode downton© Photo: Rex
Downton Abbey's Matthew Goode plays DCI Carl Morck

Kelly portrays Dr Rachel Irving, a "smart" therapist charged with getting officers back on the front line. 

The series features a cast of familiar faces, including Chloe Pirrie (Under The Banner of Heaven), who plays Merritt Lingard, a ruthless and ambitious prosecutor who has climbed the ranks in the Crown Office and faces the biggest case of her career. 

Alexej Manvelov (Jack Ryan) also stars in the series as Akram Salim, a former police officer who fled Syria for Europe with his family when civil war broke out and now works as Carl's assistant. 

kelly macdonald dramas© Photo: BBC
Kelly Macdonald stars in the series

Other cast members include Leah Byrne (Call The Midwife), Mark Bonnar (Guilt), Shirley Henderson (Harry Potter), Jamie Sives (Guilt) and Kate Dickie (Inside Man) as Moira.

The series comes from acclaimed showrunner Scott Frank, who is known for his writing and directing work on The Queen's Gambit. Scott also serves as a writer on the show, alongside Chandni Lakhani, Stephen Greenhorn and Colette Kane.

Chloe Pirrie
Chloe Pirrie plays Merritt Lingard

The drama is being produced by Left Bank Pictures, the same production company behind Outlander and The Crown. 

With production currently underway in Scotland, it's not yet known when the series will arrive on our screens. 

In the meantime, Netflix viewers have plenty to look forward to with some incredible new shows landing on the platform this month.

Mark Bonnar as Max© Anne Binckebanck
Mark Bonnar has also joined the cast

One Day, David Nicholls adaptation starring Ambika Mod and Leo Woodall, premieres on Thursday 8 February. The series follows Emma and Dexter, who meet on the final night of their university graduation and spend the next 20 years having many missed moments. 

WATCH: The trailer for Netflix's One Day

Meanwhile, viewers can also look forward to a new rom-com in the form of Players, which arrives on Valentine's Day. The film sees Jane the Virgin's Gina Rodriguez star as New York sportswriter Mack who spent years devising successful hook-up 'plays' with her best friend but unexpectedly falls head over heels for one of her targets.

More TV and Film

See more