Crime thriller that divided Rotten Tomatoes claims Netflix Top 10 spot

James Nesbitt plays Danny Frater in Suspect
James Nesbitt plays Danny Frater in Suspect (Image credit: Channel 4)

Suspect, a crime thriller that divided audiences and critics, has claimed a spot in Nettflix's Top 10 list for TV shows in the UK. 

The series, originally shown on Channel 4, sees James Nesbitt star as a troubled detective on the hunt for his daughter's killer.

It has rapidly climbed Netflix's Top 10 chart, currently sitting at number five, but while it scored a respectable critic score of 67 % on Rotten Tomatoes, its audience score is 35 %. It seems to be one of those shows that people either love or hate. We'd say if you like watching James Nesbitt and are into crime dramas then this could be for you.

There's no arguing it has a great cast. Nesbitt is joined by Joely Richardson (The Tudors) as pathologist Jackie Sowden, Anne-Marie Duff (Shameless), as Danny's ex-wife Susannah, and Richard E. Grant (Withnail and I) as business mogul Harry Carr. 

James Nesbitt and Joely Richardson in Suspect

James Nesbitt and Joely Richardson in Suspect (Image credit: Channel 4)

The plot sees veteran detective Danny Frater (James Nesbitt) get a devastating shock when he's called to a hospital mortuary and discovers the young woman on the slab is his estranged daughter, Christina. The autopsy suggests suicide but Danny’s convinced Christina was murdered and goes on the hunt for her killer.

Talking about the part at the time, James said: "Danny's a very complex, difficult, sad, angry man, who we find in quite a bad state. When he sees Christina's dead body in the mortuary, it re-ignites both the copper and the father in him as he tries to unlock the truth about what happened to his daughter.

"We learn that Danny didn't fulfill his duties as a father or as a husband and he feels he let his daughter down. Danny walked away from all responsibility; to his ex-wife, to his daughter, to his job and to himself. This is his one last shot at redemption."

The eight-part series is actually based on a Danish series called Face to Face

Dr Susannah Newman chats to Detective Superintendent Richard Groves in Suspect season 2

Suspect season 2 is available on channel4.com (Image credit: Channel 4)

If you do enjoy the drama there's good news as Suspect season 2 has now been made and is available on channel4.com. Note the first series is just on Netflix. 

If you're in the US you can't watch Suspect on Netflix however it is available via BritBox or Acorn TV.

Netflix gives people a chance to rediscover previous gems, with the Keeley Hawes series Honour also recently hitting its Top 10 chart in the UK after being released on the streamer having originally been shown on ITV in 2020.

David Hollingsworth
Editor

David is the What To Watch Editor and has over 20 years of experience in television journalism. He is currently writing about the latest television and film news for What To Watch.

Before working for What To Watch, David spent many years working for TV Times magazine, interviewing some of television's most famous stars including Hollywood actor Kiefer Sutherland, singer Lionel Richie and wildlife legend Sir David Attenborough. 

David started out as a writer for TV Times before becoming the title's deputy features editor and then features editor. During his time on TV Times, David also helped run the annual TV Times Awards. David is a huge Death in Paradise fan, although he's still failed to solve a case before the show's detective! He also loves James Bond and controversially thinks that Timothy Dalton was an excellent 007.

Other than watching and writing about telly, David loves playing cricket, going to the cinema, trying to improve his tennis and chasing about after his kids!