With an ever-growing range of detective dramas available across all streaming platforms, it's becoming increasingly difficult to choose which ones to invest our time in. Of course, there's always the option to rewatch award-winning shows such as Sherlock, True Detective and Line of Duty, but there's no better feeling than getting completely sucked into a new drama.
Having spent what feels like eternity endlessly scrolling through lists of shows and feeling a little uninspired, the BBC's upcoming crime series has certainly piqued my interest, and I'm definitely adding this to my watchlist.
Based on the best-selling novels by Elizabeth George, Lynley follows a talented detective who forms an unlikely partnership with a maverick sergeant.
The show has all the hallmarks of a great detective drama: brilliant source material to draw on, an unconventional, chalk-and-cheese detective duo at the heart of the story, and an impressive cast. Plus, the series is produced by Playground, which is behind stellar productions including Wolf Hall, The Missing, and All Creatures Great and Small - so we know we're in safe hands.
Keep reading to find out all you need to know about the series.
© BBC / BritBoxWhat is Lynley about?
The show follows Tommy Lynley, who is described as "a brilliant police detective but an outsider in the force – simply by virtue of his aristocratic upbringing".
The synopsis continues: "He is paired with Barbara Havers, a sergeant with a maverick attitude and a working-class background. With seemingly nothing in common and against all odds, the mismatched duo of Lynley and Havers become a formidable team, bonded by their desire to see justice done.
"His brain and her spirit – his knowledge and her instincts. It is only through working side by side do they both find where they truly belong."
© BBC / BritBoxWho stars in Lynley?
Leo Suter, who is perhaps best known for playing Harald Hardrada in Vikings: Valhalla, as well as for his roles in Sanditon and Victoria, leads the cast as Lynley. He shares the screen with Sofia Barclay (Prime Target, Ted Lasso), who plays Havers.
They are joined by a standout supporting cast including Daniel Mays (Line of Duty, Magpie Murders), Niamh Walsh (Smother, The English Game), Michael Workeye (The Stolen Girl, My Lady Jane) and Joshua Sher (Vera, The Undeclared War).
© PBS/Everett/ShutterstockThe BBC's previous adaptation of the Inspector Lynley novels
The upcoming drama marks the second time Elizabeth George's novels have been adapted by the BBC. The story was first brought to the small screen in The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, which ran for six series from 2001 to 2007.
Nathaniel Parker starred in the series as upper-crust detective Lynley, who is paired with working-class DS Barbara Havers, played by Sharon Small.
The series was well-loved among fans, who launched a petition to save the show after it was axed.
© BritBox / BBCWhen does Lynley arrive on screens?
While a release date for the show has yet to be announced, we do know that Lynley will premiere on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the UK, and on BritBox in the US and Canada this autumn.
