Happy Valley landed at the start of a year in a blaze of glory and it was already named the drama of the year in January but sometimes brilliant shows arrive under the radar and with little fanfare. One of those is BBC cop drama Blue Lights that is earning rave reviews with viewers.
And it looks like to be recommissioned for a second series following an impressive ratings performance. Set in post-Troubles Northern Ireland, it follows three rookie police officers as they police the streets of Belfast.
Grace (played by Siân Brooke), a mother of a teenage boy, has made the decision in her 40s to leave her steady job as a social worker to join the Police Service of Northern Ireland while she is joined by rookies Annie (Katherine Devlin), who struggles with the fact that her chosen path may mean having to leave everything she’s ever known behind, and Tommy (Nathan Braniff), who is desperate to prove himself.
There are some recognisable actors like Richard Dormer, from Game of Thrones and Fortitude, and Sliding Doors actor John Lynch, but the young actors are mainly newcomers to the screen. Their battle through probation is portrayed with dark humour by the team who brought us The Salisbury Poisonings, 2020's biggest new BBC drama.
And the drama is proving to be equally well-received. Sports presenter Gabby Logan said recently on Twitter: "If you need a binge watch this weekend I’ll be recommending Blue Lights on BBC iPlayer the only good thing about finishing it last night was the feeling there could be a second series."
A Times review said it was the UK's answer to popular US cop drama The Wire, adding: "Like The Wire's David Simon, the writers Declan Lawn and Adam Patterson are former investigative journalists, and their background shines in Blue Lights’ appetite for complexity."
Another said: "It is excellent, because it deals in complicated dilemmas not simple answers. Not easy for any police drama – a real achievement for one set in Northern Ireland." One fan said: "With little fanfare, Blue Lights has turned out to be one of the best shows of the year. A must-watch!"
Another big fan said: "It was absolutely smashing from start to finish! Popped it on to see what it was like and ended up consuming the whole series in one big gulp! Compelling, tense and very hard hitting at times. I loved EVERYTHING about it! Another series (or six) please."
Blue Lights is on BBC1 at 9pm on Monday or you can watch the whole series on iPlayer.
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