Law and Order – Brit Style

Discover great detective and courtroom dramas from British television. These series on DVD are available to borrow from the Lititz Public Library.

Cadfael
Although he would prefer to be a simple gardener, Brother Cadfael is a 12th century monk with investigative talents who responds to mysterious crimes happening around his community.

Foyle’s War
English Detective Chief Superintendent Chrisopher Foyle solves crimes on the home front while he reluctantly sits out World War II.

Garrow’s Law
This period courtroom series is inspired by 18th century barrister William Garrow who is credited with introducing the concept of “innocent until proven guilty” to our legal system.

Inspector George Gently
George Gently, a stubborn and incorruptible veteran cop, partners with a young, ambitious protégé to tackle cases in the North East of England during the turbulent 1960s.

Life on Mars
After a car accident, 21st-century police detective Sam Tyler wakes up in 1970s Manchester wondering if he has really traveled back in time and solving crimes using the low-tech, aggressive methods of the era.

Luther
Analytical and intuitive Inspector John Luther is a brilliant detective who becomes obsessed by the dark crimes he investigates.

Prime Suspect
Dedicated and ambitious Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison rises through the ranks solving crimes while battling sexism on the force and her own personal demons.

Rumpole of the Bailey
Legendary defense counsel Horace Rumpole is a colorful, claret-drinking and cigar-smoking “Old Bailey hack” in a series based on books by John Mortimer.

Sherlock
Featuring iconic details from the classic Arthur Conan Doyle stories, Sherlock and Dr. John Watson navigate a maze of cryptic clues and lethal killers in a funny, fast-paced adventure set in present-day London.

Blue Murder
Manchester Detective Chief Inspector Janine Lewis balances career, her four kids and life as a single parent, solving cases with persistent police work.

Last Detective
Beleaguered by life and belittled by colleagues in his small London police station, an odd-man-out known as “Dangerous” Davies cracks tough cases with old-fashioned investigative work.

Rosemary and Thyme
Rosemary Boxer, a former police officer, and Laura Thyme, once a university plant biologist, are professional gardens and amateur sleuths.

New Tricks
Career-driven Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman is reassigned to a newly created unsolved murder squad made up of veteran detectives brought back onto the force.

Midsomer Murders
Veteran Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby and his young sergeant investigate murders around the regional community of Midsomer.

Hetty Wainthropp
To make ends meet, 60-year-old housewife Hetty sets up shop as a private eye, dispensing hard-boiled justice and motherly empathy.

A Touch of Frost
Brash policeman D.I. Frost follows his personal moral compass, shows compassion for the common man and always solves the case.

Inspector Morse
In the university town of Oxford, enigmatic and romantic Morse uses his passion for justice to solve murders.

Dalziel and Pascoe
The combination of Detective Superintendent Andy Dalziel’s old-style policing and Sergeant Peter Pascoe’s university-educated modern investigative approach leads to solved murder cases.

Originally published on September 27, 2013 in the Lititz Record Express.