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British Crime You Can Stream for Free (US) + 50 Years of The Good Life
Published 5 days ago • 4 min read
This year marks 50 years since the premiere of one of the UK's greatest sitcoms of all time - The Good Life (aka Good Neighbors in the US).
As it opens, Tom Good is celebrating his 40th birthday and having a bit of a mid-life crisis. He has a wife, a mediocre career in plastics, and a house in suburbia... and he's sick of the rat race. He decides to quit his job and "live off the land" in his suburban house.
To celebrate the anniversary, the UK's U&GOLD will air 'The Good Life: Inside Out', a brand-new 2-hour special celebrating the beloved sitcom. Dame Penelope Keith returns to lead the retrospective, offering a heartfelt and humorous look back at the iconic series that made Margo Leadbetter a household name. The special will include behind-the-scenes stories, rarely seen archival footage, original scripts, recreated sets, and appearances from former co-stars via archival interviews.
The only problem? While it's expected this year in the UK, we've yet to hear anything about a US streaming option. If this is something you'd like to see, we strongly recommend contacting your favorite streaming service to recommend it (and anything else you hope to see). Here's how you get in touch:
Watching: A Private Affair - This feels like the Spanish cousin of an Agatha Christie adaptation or Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries - and it offers both English dubbing and English subtitles for those who don't speak enough Spanish to understand. Set in 1940s Galicia, an upper class woman pursues a killer with the aid of her loyal butler.
Reading: Withered Hill by David Barnett - It's that time of year when folk horror becomes more appealing, and this one is definitely creepy. This dual timeline novel sees a woman with no memory trapped in the eerie, pagan-tinged Lancashire village of Withered Hill - while in London, another version of her is stalked by sinister messages drawing her toward the same place.
8 Outstanding British Crime Shows You Can Stream for Free + 2 Films
We know money's tight for a lot of people right now, and BritBox hiking prices by more than 20% isn't helping. So - here are 10 outstanding British crime dramas you can watch even if you DON'T have all the paid streaming subscriptions. All are free on at least one US-based service. Tubi, Pluto, Roku Channel, and Fawesome are all free with ads, and Amazon Prime Video is included with a Prime membership (70-80% of US households have one).
The Fall (2013–2016) – Gillian Anderson stars as DSI Stella Gibson, a London detective brought to Belfast to track a meticulous serial killer, played by Jamie Dornan.
Watch it HERE or find it on Tubi, Pluto TV, Peacock, Fawesome, BritBox, AMC+, Acorn TV, Philo, or Sundance Now
Before We Die (2021) – Lesley Sharp stars as Hannah Laing, a veteran detective who uncovers her son’s ties to a brutal crime family while investigating a colleague’s disappearance.
Watch it HERE or find it on Tubi, Pluto TV, Peacock, Roku Channel, and PBS Masterpiece.
River (2015) – Stellan Skarsgård stars as DI John River, a brilliant but troubled detective haunted by the voices of the dead, including his murdered partner, played by Nicola Walker.
Watch it HERE or find it on Tubi, Pluto TV, Peacock, or BritBox
Wolfe (2021) – Babou Ceesay stars as forensic pathologist Professor Wolfe Kinteh, leading a team that tackles unusual and grisly cases in the north of England while his chaotic personal life spirals around him.
Case Histories (2011–2013) – Jason Isaacs stars as private investigator Jackson Brodie, a former soldier and policeman in Edinburgh who takes on cases that intertwine personal tragedy with complex mysteries.
Watch it HERE or find it on Tubi, Pluto, Plex, Roku Channel, Fawesome, or Acorn TV
Rose & Maloney (2002–2005) – Sarah Lancashire stars as Rose Linden, a bold investigator for the Criminal Justice Review Agency, working alongside cautious colleague Maloney, played by Phil Davis, to reexamine miscarriages of justice.
The Bookfair Murders (2000) – Samantha Bond (Marlow Murder Club) stars as Marsha Hillier, a New York publisher drawn into the mystery of a murdered author at the Frankfurt Book Fair, aided by her journalist friend Lydia, played by Linda Kash.
Marlowe (2022) – Liam Neeson stars as private detective Philip Marlowe, hired in 1930s Los Angeles to find a missing man, only to uncover a web of secrets involving a glamorous heiress played by Diane Kruger and her wealthy mother, played by Jessica Lange.
Watch it HERE or find it free on Tubi, Pluto TV, Plex, Roku Channel, or Fawesome
The Field of Blood (2011–2013) – Jayd Johnson stars as young reporter Paddy Meehan, navigating gritty newsroom politics in 1980s Glasgow while investigating brutal crimes. The series also features David Morrissey and Peter Capaldi.
Rosemary & Thyme (2003–2007) – Felicity Kendal and Pam Ferris star as gardening sleuths Rosemary Boxer and Laura Thyme, whose landscaping work across Britain continually entangles them in murder investigations.
Watch it HERE or on Tubi, Pluto TV, Hallmark+, or Plex
A Few Canadian Selections...
Endgame (2011) – Shawn Doyle stars as Arkady Balagan, a brilliant but agoraphobic former chess champion who solves crimes from his Vancouver hotel room with the help of an unlikely team of allies.
Da Vinci’s Inquest (1998–2005) – Nicholas Campbell stars as Dominic Da Vinci, a crusading Vancouver coroner whose investigations expose social and political issues as much as individual crimes.
The Listener (2009–2014) – Craig Olejnik stars as Toby Logan, a Toronto paramedic with telepathic abilities who aids the police in solving crimes while struggling to control his gift.
British TV news for American audiences. Enjoy British TV shows like Sherlock, Bridgerton, Downton Abbey, or Midsomer Murders? Wish it was easier to know when new shows are out on each of the different streaming services? Want a way to discover older British shows you might like? Sign up and we'll keep you updated.
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