A gripping crime drama set against the dramatic backdrop of Northern Ireland is gaining renewed attention from fans of Line of Duty, with the series available to stream now on BBC iPlayer.
Bloodlands, first broadcast in 2021, was created by Chris Brandon and follows DCI Tom Brannick, played by James Nesbitt, as he investigates a complex kidnapping case involving a former IRA operative. The investigation draws Brannick back into a 20-year-old cold case concerning a serial killer known to police only as “Goliath” — a perpetrator never caught, whose case was eventually abandoned. The inquiry carries deep personal weight for Brannick, whose wife is believed to have been among Goliath’s victims. As the story unfolds, viewers are led towards a discovery about the killer’s true identity that lands far closer to home than anyone could have anticipated.
The series was filmed predominantly around the picturesque rural surroundings of Strangford Lough in eastern Northern Ireland, and has drawn favourable comparisons to other acclaimed British dramas including Happy Valley and Silent Witness. It was produced through a collaboration between Hat Trick Productions and Jed Mercurio, the executive producer behind both Bodyguard and Line of Duty — a pedigree that has not gone unnoticed by fans of those shows.
Viewer reaction on Rotten Tomatoes has been largely positive. One reviewer wrote: “Complicated but well presented ‘who done it’. Makes you want to stay up late to find out what comes out in the next episode. Keep track of the characters and evidence or you will find yourself rewatching to be sure you ‘understand’ what you saw. Good challenging thriller without all the blood and gore so prevalent in most other crime shows.” Another added: “Yes, it’s grim and not always entirely logical but it is thrilling throughout and has a really good twist. I also really liked the acting as well as the connections to Irish history.”
For viewers who have exhausted Line of Duty and are searching for something with a similarly twisting, slow-burn investigation and strong central performances, Bloodlands offers an atmospheric alternative rooted in Northern Ireland’s complex history — and it’s free to watch right now on BBC iPlayer.
