Television series

No Offence

Name: No Offence
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Crime
Released: 2015
Cast: Elaine Cassidy, Joanna Scanlan, Will Mellor, Paul Ritter, Saira Choudhry

Police procedural

A British police procedural that balances dark crime—serial killers, drug labs, extremists—with genuine warmth and humour. The focus is less on forensics than on the messy humanity of detectives who care deeply about victims and each other. Smart, unsentimental, and funny without undercutting the stakes.

TVMaze rating

3.8

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like police dramas where bleak crime sits right beside sharp, character-driven jokes, and a team of misfits you come to love more than any single case.

Skip it if you want a lean, tightly plotted thriller, since the comedy and the team's home lives often take the wheel and the central case can take a back seat.

What it asks of you: Twenty-one hour-long episodes over three series, so it is a long haul; the tone swings between gallows humour and grim reality, so stay alert.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Line of Duty2012

If you want another British crime drama with a ensemble of flawed cops, complex cases, and that same blend of procedural tension and character-driven relationships. Jed Mercurio's writing is sharp and the mystery pulls you forward.

But It gets very plot-heavy and convoluted as it goes on, and the ending divided viewers. Some find the internal affairs focus less rewarding than street-level police work.

Broadchurch2013

A small-town murder mystery with detective work at its core and genuine emotional weight. Like No Offence, it cares about how crime destroys people, not just puzzle-box solving. Gripping from the first frame.

But It's much darker and more relentlessly grim than No Offence—there's almost no humour to leaven the dread. The tone is bleak in a way some find exhausting.

Happy Valley2014

A powerhouse British crime drama centred on a fierce female sergeant hunting a predator. Like No Offence, it combines procedural detail with genuine character depth and doesn't shy away from both violence and tenderness.

But The crimes are sexual violence. It's brilliantly done but brutal to watch, and the mood is relentlessly heavy—no light relief at all.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from No Offence

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Mare of Easttown2021

Both treat police work as something that damages and changes people, not through melodrama but through the accumulation of small human moments. Both centre on women doing the job with skill and complexity.

A crime miniseries about a small-town detective haunted by past cases and present ones. Kate Winslet is extraordinary and the writing is precise—it captures the weight of police work on real people in ways that feel earned and true.

But It's slow and quiet in places. The emotional mood is elegiac; this is not uplifting. Some find five hours a long investment for a single story.

Y Gwyll2013

A Welsh-language crime drama with beautiful cinematography and moody atmosphere. The detectives feel real and worn by their work, and it has the same sense of place and community that grounds No Offence.

But The pacing is deliberate and slow. If you want rapid-fire plot momentum, this will feel glacial. It's also very grey and melancholic.

The Fall2013

A psychological cat-and-mouse between a detective and a serial killer. Like No Offence, it's interested in the people doing the work, not just the crime itself, and has strong ensemble moments alongside the thriller plot.

But The serial killer is charismatic, and some viewers felt the show romanticised him. It's also quite bleak and the pacing sags in the middle.

Vera2011

A long-running British crime procedural with a brilliant lead and episodic cases. Each episode is tightly wound and the detective work feels genuine. Similar blend of crime and character-based storytelling.

But By later seasons it relies heavily on formula and some viewers find the lead character's quirks wear thin. It's also more cosy than No Offence's edge.

River2015

A six-part crime drama about a detective haunted by unsolved cases. Stylish, inventive, and deeply human. The procedural elements serve character and emotion rather than plot gymnastics.

But It's brief, which some find unsatisfying. The experimental narrative structure and dream sequences frustrate viewers who want straightforward storytelling.

Unforgotten2015

A cold-case mystery solved across four suspects' lives. The detective work is methodical and human-scaled. Like No Offence, it finds depth in routine police work and the way crime echoes through ordinary lives.

But Nothing explodes. The satisfaction comes from patient investigation and character revelation, not action. Some find it slow-burning to the point of tedium.

The Bodyguard1992

A taut six-part thriller about a police protection officer and political conspiracy. Compelling week-to-week storytelling with strong character work and genuine twists that don't rely on stupidity.

But The final act collapses somewhat and feels rushed. Some viewers felt the ending undermined the smarter first half of the series.

The Guard2011

Both are comedies about police work that treat their characters with real affection and respect. Both find humour in the gap between people's expectations of cops and who cops actually are—capable, flawed, human, trying their best.

An Irish crime comedy about a rural cop and an American FBI agent. Funny, surprising, and genuinely touching—it finds comedy and dignity in people doing unglamorous work in small places. Like No Offence, it knows cops are people first.

But It's a film, not a series, so if you want episodic storytelling it won't scratch that itch. The accent and Irish idiom take adjustment if you're not used to them.