Bodyguard: 5 shows to watch now the BBC One drama has finished, from Line of Duty to Killing Eve
*Spoiler warning for Bodyguard episode six* Jed Mercurio's BBC political thriller made Sunday night TV exciting again, but there are plenty of other great series to binge on at the weekend
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Your support makes all the difference.After six nail-biting episodes, the first series of the BBC’s drama Bodyguard has come to a dramatic end.
Despite earlier hints, Sergeant David Budd (Richard Madden), Montague’s protection office turned out to be not just innocent, but brought those responsible to justice. Read our review of the finale here.
Jed Mercurio's political thriller attracted praise for making Sunday nights exciting again, but there are plenty of other series that you can sink your teeth into. Here are five picks from The Independent, for those not sure where to start.
Line of Duty
If you haven't seen Line of Duty, then you’re missing out on one of the finest police dramas the BBC has ever produced. Martin Compston stars as Detective Sergeant Steve Arnott who leads investigations into suspected corrupt police officers, along with Detective Sergeant Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure), Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar) and Detective Inspector Matthew “Dot” Cottan (Craig Parkinson).
Line of Duty shares more than a little in common with Bodyguard: the two shows come from the same writer, Jed Mercurio. Bodyguard star Keeley Hawes also appears in season two, as a detective suspected of corruption. The series was recently picked up for another two series, and the first three seasons are currently available on Netflix.
State of Play
Originally airing in 2003, this crime thriller lasted six episodes and features the same gripping twists that made Bodyguard so watchable.
The series follows three journalists (Jon Simm, Kelly Macdonald and Bill Nighy) as they investigate two seemingly linked murders; one of a teenager and one of a young researcher for an MP. The series was initially a huge hit for the BBC yet a second series was never developed as writer Paul Abbott – who went on to create the Channel 4 series Shameless – could not find the right story to tell.
Unforgotten
Another stellar crime drama, this time from ITV. Nicola Walker and Sanjeev Bhaskar make for a great leading pair as DCI Cassandra "Cassie" Stuart and DI Sunil "Sunny" Khan, respectively. Each series sees the duo and their team take on a twisted murder mystery, and all three series so far (the show has just been renewed for a fourth) have won critical acclaim.
Killing Eve
Written by Fleabag‘s Phoebe Waller-Bridge, the Sandra Oh-starring series centres on an MI5 agent who is tracking down a psychopathic killer. The two quickly become obsessed with each other, leading to some intense scenes with high-stakes and two brilliant performances from Oh (who was Emmy-nominated for the role) and co-star Jodie Comer. All eight episodes are currently available on iPlayer.
Jack Ryan
John Krasinski stars as the eponymous hero, previously played by Harrison Ford, Alec Baldwin and Ben Affleck.
Krasinski’s Amazon series sees the desk-bound CIA analyst travel across Europe and the Middle East as he tackles a rising terrorist group.
"This 'rookie out of his depth' trope is one of many Jack Ryan trades in, but they're forgivable as the series probably invented half of them and there's a comfort to the Nineties-inspired format," The Independent's critic Christopher Hooton commented.
"The Wire's Wendall Pierce plays Ryan's no-nonsense boss James Greer, and he and Krasinski show promising chemistry in this opener. While Ryan tries to make a name for himself in the CIA, Greer is trying to clear his, having recently been demoted after – you guessed it – proving too much of a damn maverick as a CIA case officer."
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