Criminal Record on Apple TV Plus sees former Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi and The Good Wife star Cush Jumbo play two cops involved in a tug-of-war over a high-profile murder case from the past.
Also starring Harry Potter and My Family star Zoe Wanamaker, and touching on issues of race, institutional failure and the difficulties of finding common ground in a polarised Britain, the crime drama sees the pair play cops at very different stages of their careers, yet both fighting for the same outcome.
Here’s everything you need to know about the exciting new crime series Criminal Record…
Criminal Record release date
Criminal Record launches worldwide on Wednesday January 10 2024. The first two episodes of the eight-part series will air on January 10, followed by new episodes released weekly, on Wednesdays, through until February 21 2024.
How to watch Criminal Record: stream the new Peter Capaldi crime thriller online
Is there a trailer for Criminal Record?
Yes a trailer for Criminal Record has been released by Apple TV+. Do take a look below...
Criminal Record plot and episode guide
Criminal Record sees an anonymous phone call drag two brilliant detectives into a confrontation over an old murder case in London. Detective Sergeant June Lenker (Cush Jumbo) is a talented cop at the start of career, but she must pit her wits against DCI Daniel Hegarty (Peter Capaldi), a well-connected man determined to protect his legacy.
Razor-sharp detective sergeant June Lenker is assigned to look into an anonymous call to emergency services, which could shed new light on an old murder case. But when June questions the officer who investigated at the time, Daniel Hegarty (Peter Capaldi), she hits a brick wall.
Hegarty is now a highly regarded, well-connected DCI in Hackney, and is reluctant to discuss Errol Mathis (Tom Moutchi), the man he helped put behind bars 11 years ago. Is Hegarty simply protecting his legacy, or is he hiding something more sinister?
As June begins to suspect that Errol could be innocent, she’s not afraid to dig deeper, even if it means shaking up the establishment...
* Click on the links below for an episode guide (with spoilers). We'll be updating with more episodes soon!
Criminal Record episode 1 recap: rivalry, retribution and murder
Criminal Record episode 2 recap: murders, arson... and a lucky survivor
Criminal Record cast — Peter Capaldi interview on playing Detective Chief Inspector Daniel Hegarty
Peter Capaldi plays DCI Daniel Hegarty in Criminal Record. "Hegarty is a tough, but very successful, DCI in east London," says Peter, 65, who played the 12th Time Lord. ‘He’s near retirement, and has been around the block and seen a lot of bad things. He has a very clear view on how the business of being a police officer should be conducted. But then June comes into his life, digging into his past and into his integrity. Hegarty has a strangely powerful moral stance, and he sees that in June as well,’ Capaldi explains. ‘Maybe he admires her tenacity and her intelligence. But ultimately, if she gets in his way, she will be making a mistake.’
* Scottish actor Peter Capaldi is best known for playing the 12th Doctor in Doctor Who and for his role as Malcom Tucker in the BBC's political comedy series The Thick of It. Peter has also starred in The Devil’s Hour, the Paddington movies, The Crow Road, The Suicide Squad, The Musketeers, Skins and Torchwood. He's the uncle of music star Lewis Capaldi.
Cush Jumbo as Detective Sergeant June Lenker
Cush Jumbo plays DS June Lenker in Criminal Record. "June is a pretty normal woman when we meet her,’ says Jumbo, 38. ‘She’s a mum, who’s in a not-so-great relationship, and she feels like she’s failing at everything at the same time. But when she meets Hegarty, her senses tell her something’s not right and she’s driven by the need for truth to the point of it becoming dangerous for her.
"June quickly begins to believe that Hegarty represents everything that is wrong with modern policing. He is out of touch, morally slippery and has lived in a world where he can wield his hierarchical power whenever anybody tries to hold him to account. June is of the new world, the one that demands more of its institutions, and she wants to be a part of the solution not the problem."
* Cush Jumbo has also played Lucca Quinn in The Good Fight and The Good Wife and has also starred in Stay Close, Getting On and The Beast Must Die. She’s also been in Vera, Deadwater Fell and Trying.
Who else is starring in Criminal Record?
Criminal Record has a large cast of British talent. Harry Potter star Zoe Wanamaker is also starring in the drama series, alongside Cathy Tyson (Mona Lisa), Tom Moutchi (Famalam), Charlie Creed-Miles (King Arthur), Dionne Brown (Queenie), Shaun Dooley (The Woman in Black) Stephen Campbell-Moore (The Bank Job) and Rasaq Kukoyi (Andor). Maisie Ayres and Aysha Kala round out the cast.
Who's who — the main characters in Criminal Record
The main characters (and actors) in Criminal Record are...
DCI Daniel Hegarty
(Peter Capaldi)
The well-respected, seasoned detective is on edge when he’s forced to revisit a murder case from his past just as he’s nearing retirement. What is he hiding?
DS June Lenker
(Cush Jumbo)
June is keen to impress after transferring from the domestic violence unit, but quickly makes an enemy in Hegarty when she quizzes him on an old murder case.
Leo Hanratty
(Stephen Campbell Moore)
He’s unsure how to best support his partner and be a good step-father when June’s investigation forces the couple to confront their differences.
DS Tony Gilfoyle
(Charlie Creed-Miles)
Tony is a mysterious loner who relies on his longtime, loyal friend Hegarty. But what exactly is his involvement in Errol Mathis’s conviction?
DS Kim Cardwell
(Shaun Dooley)
The well-meaning but blundering detective works alongside June on a new case. But can he be trusted when he’s part of Hegarty’s inner circle?
Maureen
(Zoë Wanamaker)
June’s loving, anxious mother has her own painful memories of dealing with the police and worries about the dangers and consequences of her daughter’s job.
Doris Mathis
(Cathy Tyson)
Doris has fought tirelessly to clear her son Errol’s name and finds new hope when she discovers someone has come forward with information.
Behind the scenes and more on Criminal Record
Criminal Record is written by BAFTA Award nominee Paul Rutman (Vera, Indian Summers) and is produced for Apple TV+ by Tod Productions and STV Studios, and executive produced by BAFTA Scotland Award winner Elaine Collins (Shetland, Vera), Rutman, Capaldi and Jumbo. The series is directed by BAFTA Award winner Jim Loach (Save Me Too, Oranges and Sunshine) and Shaun James Grant (The Devil’s Hour).
After working together on ITV crime drama Vera, executive-producer Elaine Collins and writer Paul Rutman were looking to develop a project together that would unite Collins’ husband, Peter Capaldi, with former Vera star Cush Jumbo.
"I’d been knocking around an idea about people confessing and then later retracting, and had watched many documentaries on the subject,’ says Elaine Collins, 65, who also produced Shetland. "Simultaneously, I was looking to create a show for Peter and Cush, as I obviously know them both really well. I knew they’d bring a certain intelligence to these characters, who challenge the viewer as well as each other."
Elaine Collins also hopes the drama will make viewers reflect on certain issues. "It’s great to do a twisty, hooky thriller, but I like it when there’s something else in there that makes me think," she says. "We wanted to explore the nuance of racism and misogyny, and the gaslighting that goes on around it, rather than the polemic of it."
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