Netflix’s underrated police series is ‘Broadchurch meets Line of Duty’

Netflix fans rediscovering the series say it’s the best police show ever and a perfect binge watch

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TV
Peter Harris Film and TV Reporter (Screen Time, U35s)

17:35, 07 Jun 2026

Fans still demand a second season on for what they call is the ‘best police show ever’.

An ‘underrated’ crime drama dubbed ‘Broadchurch meets Line of Duty’ is now streaming on Netflix. It offers the perfect way for viewers to rediscover the title or binge watch it for the very first time with many claiming they make it through all episodes in just one night.

Cuffs was a drama that originally broadcast back in 2015. Despite originally airing on BBC, it can no longer be accessed via the broadcaster’s own streaming platform the iPlayer. Instead, at the time of writing it is only streaming on Netflix.

All eight episodes are available, with each lasting for one hour in duration. It was described at the time of its release as a fresh, authentic ride through the challenges of front-line policing.

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Set in and around Brighton, it followed a fictional police force and its officers including their personal lives. It stood out for depicting a vast range of cases that the characters were faced against.

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Netflix fans are rediscovering the series on the streamer(Image: BBC)

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It included some typical incidents faced by modern front-line police officers and more comedic ones such as hooligans harassing naturists on a nudist beach and reports of ‘dog-napping’ in a middle-class neighbourhood.

It also boasts an impressive cast including Top Boy and Adolescence actor Ashley Walters. He is joined by Sherlock’s Amanda Abbington and Shaun Dooley who has starred in Changing Ends, Grantchester and Vera to name a few.

While it did not receive enough reviews at the time to register an official score on website Rotten Tomatoes, that does not mean it didn’t receive its fair share of praise.

Reflecting on the series, one critic claimed it is “an excellent police drama that was way ahead of its time. It wasn’t afraid to incorporate comedy in an era where bleak Scandi Noirs were dominating our screens.

“It’s somewhere between Broadchurch and Line of Dity with its setting and challenging cases that go beyond the professional lives of the officers involved.”

Fans still demand that the series should be revived all these years later with many disappointed at the BBC’s decision to axe it after just one series. Such as one who claims: “Best cop show ever! This is a jewel of a show. It is certainly the best show in this genre we have see. Never a dull moment. Just wish there were more seasons. Maybe the title misled viewers, but entertainment at it’s finest!”

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Some say it is the ‘best cop show ever’(Image: BBC/IMDb)

Another agreed and said: ” Possibly the best British police series. I came across this show by accident, having not having even heard of it and it took only a short time for it to be one of those ‘not to be missed’.

“The cast is “magic” and work so well together. The interplay between characters is excellent and never overdone. The characters are well developed and believable. I now hear that the show has been axed – what a insult!”

While someone who just discovered the title through Netflix added: “I just binge watched Cuffs and it’s far, far too good to be cancelled after one season. I think it was a BBC production originally but I really hope Netflix picks it up and continues it. Great characters, great mix of plot and character development and great setting in Brighton.”

Cuffs is streaming on Netflix