Doctor Who star's 'stellar' new crime drama will be your next obsession
You know that feeling when a show clicks in the first ten minutes? That's Cooper and Fry. Two familiar faces, a windswept Peak District backdrop, and a case that refuses to sit still.
Fans are already calling it the best detective duo in years. And honestly, you can see why.
Key points
- Channel 5's Cooper and Fry pairs Mandip Gill (movies and tv series) and Robert James-Collier (movies and tv series) as a mismatched detective team.
- Set in the Peak District's fictional town of Edendale, the four-part drama blends crime-solving with local folklore and prickly personal chemistry.
- Viewers are hooked; critics are mostly positive, with a few holdouts who aren't convinced yet.
Based on Stephen Booth (movies and tv series)'s book series, the show drops us into Edendale, where Ben Cooper (movies and tv series) knows every lane and legend, and Diane Fry - newly arrived from Leeds - trusts facts over fireside tales. They're chalk and cheese. Which, of course, is the fun of it.
The first case? A run of strange deaths that feel wrong from the start. The hills keep their secrets, and people keep theirs too. We watch Cooper listen a beat longer than most, while Fry barrels through the noise for answers. It works.
Viewers felt it immediately. "This is brilliant!!!! Loving the dynamic between Cooper and Fry!!!! So many twists and turns in this first episode! Stellar cast!!!!" wrote one fan on X. Another called it an "excellent new detective series," while a third summed it up like this: "New police partners, inauspicious meeting, troubled mysterious pasts, several red herrings, not calling for back up and the least likely perpetrator wot done it. All the boxes ticked. Pretty enjoyable actually."
Critics are leaning in, too. i hailed Gill and James-Collier as "TV's best detective duo in years," the kind of pairing you want to watch bicker their way to the truth. The Killing Times liked the balance of grit and rural life, noting it "might just be a goer" if the show keeps its touch. But The Times wasn't fully sold yet, warning Vera fans they may need to keep looking, at least for now. Fair - it's early days. Here's the thing, though: the chemistry is already doing a lot of heavy lifting. Their review is here.
What makes it land? Texture. The Peak District isn't just scenery; it's pressure. Narrow roads. Quiet pubs that go quieter when outsiders ask questions. Old stories that sound ridiculous until they don't. Fry hates that stuff. Cooper doesn't. And that friction gives the show its heartbeat.
Maybe it's just timing, but this arrives as audiences are hungry for character-led mysteries with a bit of soul. Four episodes help - tight, focused, no filler. If the series keeps threading personal backstory into weekly puzzles without getting too neat, you've got something that sticks.
Want to sample it now? The first episode is available to stream on Channel 5's platform, with new episodes airing Tuesdays at 9pm. If you're chasing a new UK mystery that feels lived-in from the start, clear an hour. You'll know by the end of episode one if this duo's your thing.
And if you're covering TV for a living, keep an eye on the chatter. If word of mouth holds - the "hunkered down and thoroughly enjoyed it" kind - Cooper and Fry could be Channel 5's next steady performer.
Cooper and Fry stars Mandip Gill as DI Diane Fry and Robert James-Collier as DS Ben Cooper. Based on the novels by Stephen Booth. Four episodes.
