James Nesbitt’s Bloodlands Is a Gripping Choice for Fans of Classic BBC Crime Dramas
If you enjoy BBC crime dramas packed with secrets, cold cases and detectives with complicated personal histories, Bloodlands is well worth adding to your watchlist.
The two-season thriller stars James Nesbitt as DCI Tom Brannick, a police detective whose latest investigation draws him back to a case that has haunted him for years. At the heart of the mystery is Goliath, a notorious assassin believed to have been a serving police officer in the 1990s.
Nesbitt is no stranger to the crime genre. The Northern Irish actor has led several popular BBC dramas, including Murphy’s Law, Jekyll and The Missing. Bloodlands, which ran from 2021 to 2022, gives him another compelling role as a detective forced to confront a dark chapter from his own past.
What is Bloodlands about?
The story begins when a car is recovered from Strangford Lough. Inside is a possible suicide note, but DCI Tom Brannick quickly suspects there is more to the case than first appears.
His investigation leads him back to an infamous unsolved case involving Goliath, a legendary assassin whose identity has remained a mystery.
The case is particularly personal for Brannick. Goliath is believed to have been a police officer during the 1990s, and Brannick’s wife, Emma, is among those suspected of being one of the assassin’s victims.
What follows is a tense investigation as Brannick attempts to uncover the truth about Goliath while dealing with the personal consequences of reopening a case so closely connected to his own life.
The official synopsis describes the drama as a hunt for the legendary assassin known as Goliath, setting up an explosive cat-and-mouse game in which the stakes are exceptionally high.
Who stars in Bloodlands?
James Nesbitt leads the cast as DCI Tom Brannick.
He is joined by Charlene McKenna, known for Peaky Blinders, who plays DS Niamh McGovern, and Lorcan Cranitch, from Spooks, as DCS Jackie Twomey.
The cast also includes Susan Lynch, known for Happy Valley, as Heather Pentland; Lola Petticrew, who appeared in Say Nothing, as Izzy Brannick; Michael Smiley of Spaced as Dinger; Chris Walley from The Young Offenders as DC Billy ‘Birdy’ Bird; and Victoria Smurfit, who stars in Rivals, as Olivia Foyle.
What have critics and viewers said?
Across its two seasons, Bloodlands earned a strong response from both critics and audiences.
The Guardian awarded the drama four stars, while Radio Times praised it as “an unpredictable thriller with all the hallmarks of a Jed Mercurio drama”.
Viewers have also responded enthusiastically, with the series described as “brilliant” and “high quality”.
One viewer wrote on social media: “Bloodlands on BBC iPlayer. I don’t watch much telly but thought both series were excellent.”
Another called it “Seriously gripping!” and praised it as “fabulous TV.”
How to watch Bloodlands
Both seasons of Bloodlands are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
With James Nesbitt at the centre of the story, a long-running mystery surrounding the elusive Goliath and a case that hits close to home for its lead detective, the series offers a tense crime thriller for viewers who enjoy the BBC’s darker and more character-driven dramas.