The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

Series Similar to The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

If you enjoyed The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, these series share similar themes, tone, and quality. Each recommendation is scored on genre overlap, tonal match, and critical acclaim.

1. New Tricks

   2004 · Drama, Comedy, Crime · ended

   Recommended for similar Crime profile, also on BBC One.

   Drama about a police unit, made up of retired detectives and a long-suffering boss, looking at unsolved crimes.

2. Ludwig

   2024 · Drama, Comedy, Crime · returning

   Recommended for similar Crime profile.

   Can accidental detective John 'Ludwig' Taylor crack the biggest puzzle of his life - finding his missing brother?

3. Inspector George Gently

   2008 · Drama, Crime · ended

   Recommended for similar Crime profile, highly rated (8), also on BBC One.

   Crime drama, set in the 1960s, about an old-school detective trying to come to terms with a time when the lines between the police and criminals have become blurred.Based on the Inspector Gently novels by Alan Hunter.

4. Case Histories

   2011 · Drama, Crime · ended

   Recommended for similar Crime profile, hidden gem, also on BBC One.

   Jackson Brodie, a former policeman turned private detective, comes to the rescue of the bereaved, even as he struggles with past and present-day personal problems.Case Histories is a British drama television series based on the Jackson Brodie detective novels by Kate Atkinson. 

5. Lewis

   2006 · Drama, Crime · ended

   Recommended for similar Crime profile, highly rated (8).

   A spin-off of the popular series Inspector Morse, a special two-hour drama picked up five years after the series ended. It is now continuing in its own series, with Lewis and Hathaway investigating in Morse's old stomping ground of Oxford.

6. River

   2015 · Drama, Crime · ended

   Recommended for similar Crime profile, also on BBC One.

   Respected police officer John River, a gifted cop with a troubled mind, struggles to come to terms with the recent loss of a close colleague, and chases a potential suspect across London - with tragic consequences. Now at odds with authorities both within and outside of the police service, River finds himself in a precarious position as he seeks to bring closure to the mother of murdered teenager Erin Fielding, who blames him for failing to keep his promise to bring her daughter back alive. Police crime drama, starring Stellan Skarsgard.

7. The Bletchley Circle

   2012 · Drama, Crime, Mystery · ended

   Recommended for similar Crime profile, highly rated (8).

   The Bletchley Circle follows the journey of four ordinary women with extraordinary skills that helped to end World War II.Set in 1952, Susan, Millie, Lucy and Jean have returned to their normal lives, modestly setting aside the part they played in producing crucial intelligence, which helped the Allies to victory and shortened the war. When Susan discovers a hidden code behind an unsolved murder she is met by skepticism from the police. She quickly realises she can only begin to crack the murders and bring the culprit to justice with her former friends.

8. Messiah

   2001 · Drama, Crime, Mystery · ended

   Recommended for similar Crime profile, highly rated (8), hidden gem, also on BBC One.

   Crime drama series following the investigations of DCI Red Metcalfe.

9. Unforgotten

   2015 · Drama, Crime · returning

   Recommended for similar Crime profile, highly rated (8).

   Unforgotten focuses on ‘cold' murder cases. Each series deals with a new case, introducing seemingly unconnected characters who are gradually revealed to have some relationship with the victim. As the murder mystery unfolds, the emotional ramifications of the crime on the lives of those affected are also explored. 

10. Waking the Dead

    2000 · Drama, Crime · ended

    Recommended for similar Crime profile, also on BBC One.

    Drama series following the members of a Cold Case investigation team as they use advanced forensic techniques to uncover the truth and bring criminals to justice.