“A rare and witty crime drama”: Art Detectives is the “exemplary” police series where murder meets antiques

What do you get when you cross a murder mystery with the art world? Art Detectives is what you get, the exemplary police series where murder meets antiques! The British series was a huge hit when it first aired on Acorn TV in the US and now, it's coming to the UK by means of U&Drama. Catherine Mackin, Managing Director at Acorn TV has called it “a rare and witty crime drama" - we've got a feeling we're about to be completed absorbed by it.

Starring True Blood’s Stephen Moyer, Virdee and Waterloo Road’s Nina Singh and Gavin & Stacey’s Larry Lamb, the series is set within the London Metropolitan Police’s smallest department - the (fictional, we should add) Heritage Crime Unit, headed up by art lover DCI Mick Palmer (Stephen Moyer). His only colleague is the tenacious, young detective DI Shazia Malik (Nina Singh) who's keen to learn the ropes. Together, as a mismatched but efficient team, they get to work solving brutal murders connected to the art world - think Old Master paintings, Banksy street art and medieval manuscripts.

As we wait for Art Detectives to arrive on our screens, here’s everything you need to know about the series, including the cast, plot and how to watch it.

What is Art Detectives about?

As we mentioned, the six-part series follows a Metropolitan Police unit investigating art-related crimes, including corruption, forgery and money laundering. We meet the experienced and softly-spoken DI Mick Palmer (played by Stephen Moyer) and his co-worker DI Shazia Malik (Nina Singh), who’s straight-talking yet eager to learn on the job. There’s also a budding romance between Mick and museum curator Rosa (Sarah Alexander) to enjoy.

Larry Lamb plays Mick’s absentee father Ron, who’s also (to further complicate matters) one of Britain’s most notorious forgers. The official synopsis continues: “Each episode follows Mick and Shazia as they navigate a rich and colourful world driven by greed, obsession, lust and revenge. Throughout the season, the artfully astute detectives encounter a fake Vermeer, Viking gold, a rare Chinese vase and items rescued from the Titanic.”

Stephen Moyer has shared more of a taster of what's in store. “I’m very excited to bring the slightly quirky Mick Palmer to life in this wonderfully creative detective series,” he sayss. “The writing team on Art Detectives have done a great job of cleverly weaving together intriguing storylines, notable pieces of art and a bit of history thrown in for good measure. I’m excited to lead the cast along with the lovely Nina Singh, brilliantly funny Sarah Alexander and my dear old pal Larry Lamb.”

Catherine Mackin, Managing Director at Acorn TV, added: “From the sharp dialogue to the mesmerising artwork and the edge-of-your-seat twists, this series will wow viewers from start to finish. We’re thankful to the incomparable Stephen, Nina, Sarah and Larry as well as our partners at Black Dog, Dynamic and Northern Ireland Screen for coming together on this wonderful series."

Who’s in the cast of Art Detectives?

The cast of Art Detectives includes:

• Stephen Moyer as DCI Mick Palmer
• Nina Singh as DC Shazia Malik
• Sarah Alexander as Rosa
• Larry Lamb as Ron Palmer

Is there a trailer for Art Detectives?

Yes, you can watch the trailer for Art Detectives below.

View full post on YouTube

Is Art Detectives any good?

Yes - in fact, when Art Detectives first aired on Acorn TV in the US, it became the platform’s most-watched new series premiere of all time. It’s got the camaraderie of a classic buddy cop drama, a touch of romance, and an exciting art world setting! Each episode provides a new mystery to solve, and it’s a rare opportunity to learn about art and history while watching an addictive murder mystery.

How can I watch Art Detectives?

U&Drama hasn’t yet shared release date for Art Detectives, but we do know it will be released this autumn. We’ll update you here as soon as we have an exact date. When it is released, it’ll be in six parts.

What other detective dramas can I watch now?

If unlikely detective pairings are your thing, try Smoke - a gripping drama that sees a pair of sleuths pursue two serial arsonists. You can watch it on Apple TV+ now. For a more cosy detective watch, we highly recommend Bookish, which recently arrived on UKTV and follows a 1940s bookshop owner who solves crimes on the side, but is also harbouring another secret.