James Nesbitt’s Twisty BBC Crime Thriller Is a Gripping Watch for Line of Duty Fans

James Nesbitt takes centre stage in Bloodlands, a dark Northern Irish police thriller built around an old mystery, buried secrets and a detective whose latest investigation becomes intensely personal.

The BBC drama ran for two seasons between 2021 and 2022, with Nesbitt playing DCI Tom Brannick, a veteran detective whose hunt for a legendary assassin forces him to confront events connected to Northern Ireland’s troubled past.

Created by Chris Brandon and executive produced by Line of Duty and Bodyguard creator Jed Mercurio, Bloodlands combines a cat-and-mouse investigation with a political backdrop rooted in the legacy of the Troubles. Nesbitt himself described it ahead of its launch as a “classic Jed Mercurio thriller,” pointing to its interwoven storylines and uncertainty over what is really happening.

A discovery in Strangford Lough reopens the past

The mystery begins when a vehicle belonging to businessman Pat Keenan is recovered from Strangford Lough. Inside is evidence suggesting a possible kidnapping, but something at the scene immediately catches Brannick’s attention.

The case appears to have links to “Goliath,” the name associated with an assassin believed to have been active during the final years of the Troubles.

For Brannick, the connection is deeply personal. Goliath was suspected of being responsible for several disappearances, including that of his wife, Emma.

The killer was also believed to have been someone working within the police, turning the investigation into something far more dangerous than an ordinary cold case.

As Brannick pursues the truth, the series gradually connects the present-day investigation with unresolved events surrounding the period leading up to the Good Friday Agreement. Radio Times noted that this political backdrop helps distinguish the drama from more conventional police thrillers.

James Nesbitt leads a strong ensemble

Nesbitt stars as Tom Brannick, adding another detective role to a television career that includes Murphy’s Law, The Missing and Stay Close.

Speaking about the character, Nesbitt explained that Brannick had served as a police officer for more than two decades, experiencing the transition from the Royal Ulster Constabulary to the Police Service of Northern Ireland and living through the arrival of peace following the Good Friday Agreement.

Charlene McKenna (Peaky Blinders) plays DS Niamh McGovern, while Lorcan Cranitch appears as DCS Jackie Twomey and Susan Lynch plays Heather Pentland.

The cast also includes Lola Petticrew as Brannick’s daughter Izzy, Michael Smiley as Dinger, Chris Walley as DC Billy “Birdy” Bird and Victoria Smurfit as Olivia Foyle.

Northern Ireland becomes a character in the story

Rather than using Northern Ireland simply as a backdrop, Bloodlands makes its locations an important part of the drama.

The series was both set and filmed there, using locations including Belfast, Strangford Lough, Queen’s University and the Mourne Mountains in County Down. The famous Samson and Goliath cranes at Belfast’s Harland & Wolff shipyard also feature prominently.

Nesbitt, who is Northern Irish, said it was important for the production to present a contemporary image of the region rather than allowing its identity to be defined entirely by its past.

At the same time, that past remains essential to the thriller. The legacy of the Troubles adds another layer to Brannick’s investigation, connecting questions of murder and police corruption with old loyalties and wounds that have never completely disappeared.

Why Line of Duty fans may want to watch

The connection with Jed Mercurio inevitably invited comparisons with Line of Duty, although Bloodlands was created and written by Chris Brandon rather than Mercurio.

There are nevertheless familiar ingredients: police corruption, organised crime, morally complicated officers, concealed motives and an investigation in which seemingly straightforward evidence can lead somewhere unexpected.

Radio Times described the opening as a slow-burning thriller that gradually feeds viewers information before delivering twists, while praising Nesbitt’s performance as the troubled Brannick and McKenna’s work as the determined Niamh McGovern.

Nesbitt also emphasised that the series was intended to be more than a mystery. Alongside the pursuit of Goliath, he highlighted its stories of family, relationships and loss, including the bond between Brannick and his daughter.

That mixture of personal drama, political history and an increasingly complicated investigation helped make Bloodlands a distinctive addition to the BBC’s catalogue of crime thrillers.

Both seasons of Bloodlands are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.