Apple TV+ is known for many things. Heartfelt comedy (“Ted Lasso”), international prestige drama (“Slow Horses,” “Pachinko,” “Drops of God”), and science fiction (“Foundation,” “Silo,” “Dark Matter”). One area where the streamer still has room to flourish, at least in my opinion, is in the genre of gritty crime dramas — which, on the surface, you might not think would fit all that well with what Apple TV+ is trying to accomplish. After all, things like gun crime, drug deals, murder, cold cases — that seems like the sort of ingredients you’d be more likely to find in an HBO thriller.
In fact, though, one of the best Apple TV+ dramas that likely slipped by many subscribers plays in that very sandbox. “Criminal Record,” starring Cash Jumbo and “Doctor Who’s” Peter Capaldi, is a crime thriller set in London and features two detectives from wildly different backgrounds and even generations (a young-old dynamic is at play) who butt heads over the sort of cold case that could not only have a major impact on their respective careers — but also reopen some secrets that were buried a long time ago.
Inside Apple TV+’s gritty crime drama Criminal Record
If there’s one thing the Brits do well as far as TV goes, it’s crime. For proof, just look at a streaming service like BritBox. Put it this way: If detective dramas and police procedurals aren’t your cup of tea, then BritBox isn’t a streamer you’ll want to fork over money for. As you scroll through it’s offerings, it feels like 90 percent of it is comprised of all sorts of different crime dramas. But I’m getting distracted.
“Criminal Record,” which is coming back to Apple’s streamer for a second season and has a strong 90 percent critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, starts off with an anonymous phone call that brings the show’s pair of detectives together. One of them is an up-and-coming young woman, while the other is a veteran detective who’s much more concerned with preserving his reputation as he nears the end of his career.
“In season two,” an Apple news release explains about the yet-to-come season, “June is the senior officer on the scene when a political rally is attacked by far-right counter-protesters. The violent clash leaves a young man dead and June, consumed with guilt, is desperate to bring the unknown killer to justice. It seems as if her best hope is Daniel, now a key figure in the shadowy world of police intelligence. He may have the answers she needs, but to get his help, she will have to accept a dangerous bargain.”
“Doctor Who” fans, who especially loved Capaldi, probably won’t want to miss this drama, as he brings a commanding presence to a detective whose face always seems like it gives off an air of simmering menace. Capaldi’s performance very much anchors the series, making every scene he’s in feel unpredictable and never anything less than compelling.
