Blackshore, an Irish detective drama that started airing on BBC Four at the weekend, has jumped right into the current "Most Popular" chart on BBC iPlayer. The six-part series centres around DS Fia Lucey - played by Lisa Dwan, who you may recognise from the BBC's Bloodlands (which she starred in alongside James Nesbitt) and Top Boy - as she investigates a local mystery.
The BBC synopsis for episode one reads: "With her career threatened, DS Fia Lucey is sent back to her hometown of Blackwater, where she is forced to face the demons of her past while investigating a missing person case."
Blackshore first premiered back in early 2024 in Ireland on RTÉ, and the rest of the crime drama's cast includes Rory Keenan (Somewhere Boy), Stanley Townsend (Kaos), Orla Charlton (Ellis), Clara Fitzgerald (The Vanishing Triangle), and Barry McGovern (The Tudors).
Digital Spy's review praised the show for its "pockets of action" and "compelling, meaty plot points", also pointing to the calibre of the cast's chemistry.
We also noted the way in which Blackshore gathers momentum, "encouraging question after question as more mysteries unfold", but we also argued that the overall pacing let it down a bit.
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"Dwan and co-star Rory Keenan make the perfect double act," we said, adding that "their friction" and "mistrust of one another" added a layer of interest.
Meanwhile, Decider stated in its review: "Blackshore is an entertaining-enough small-town mystery procedural, with an intense performance by Lisa Dwan."
Irish Times called it "silly and watchable", adding that, "for all its flaws", it's "one of the better thrillers RTÉ has put on screen recently".
Viewers across IMDb seem to have a lot of love for the series too, with one calling it "gripping from beginning to end" and highlighting that it boasts "plenty of cliffhangers".
"A very effective whodunnit, you're made to wait to learn the truth," one said, while another added that it's "really watchable and easy to get in to".
Blackshore is currently airing weekly in the UK on BBC Four, and all six episodes are streaming now on BBC iPlayer.
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TV Editor, Digital Spy Laura has been watching television for over 30 years and professionally writing about entertainment for almost 10 of those. Previously at LOOK and now heading up the TV desk at the UK's biggest TV and movies site Digital Spy, Laura has helped steer conversations around some of the most popular shows on the box. Laura has appeared on Channel 5 News and radio to talk viewing habits and TV recommendations. As well as putting her nerd-level Buffy knowledge to good use during an IRL meet with Sarah Michelle Gellar, Laura also once had afternoon tea with One Direction, has sat around the fire pit of the Love Island villa, spoken to Sir David Attenborough about the world's oceans and even interviewed Rylan from inside the Big Brother house (housemate status, forever pending).
