# Dalgliesh (2021)

> A widowed poet turned Scotland Yard inspector, Adam Dalgliesh (Bertie Carvel) uses empathy and insight to solve complex murders in 1970s England.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/113246

## Facts

- Seasons: 3
- Episodes: 18
- Episode runtime: 45 min
- Status: Returning Series
- Genres: crime, drama, mystery
- Created by: Jill Robertson
- Network: 5
- Cast: Bertie Carvel, Beccy Henderson, Syd Ralph, Helen Aluko, Alice Nokes, Fenella Woolgar, Siobhán Cullen, Richard Dillane
- TMDB rating: 7.6/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13430420/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: mild
- Tone: melancholic, contemplative, measured, atmospheric, reflective

## What critics say

Viewers find Dalgliesh a well-crafted, quietly intelligent British mystery whose period detail and lead performance are admired, though its restrained pacing and reserved lead divide opinion.

## Synopsis

Dalgliesh (2021-2024) is a British crime drama series created by Jill Robertson, produced by New Pictures and All3Media and aired on five networks across its run. Bertie Carvel stars as Adam Dalgliesh, a recent widower and acclaimed poet who works as a police inspector in 1970s England. Adapted from the novels of P.D. James, the series follows his investigations into complex murders, where his quiet empathy and sharp insight help him read the darker corners of the human psyche. Each episode unfolds at a deliberate pace, built around interviews with suspects, witnesses and grieving families, and the frictions within his investigative team. Across three seasons of six episodes each, the show offers a measured, reflective British police procedural with a strong sense of period atmosphere, from the fashions and attitudes of the decade to the institutional habits of the time. Its tone is melancholic and contemplative rather than action driven. Viewers who enjoy the literary bent of Endeavour, the reflective leads of Vera and Inspector Morse, or the cerebral mood of Wallander will find this a satisfying companion for slow, attentive viewing.

## Shows like Dalgliesh

- [The Inspector Lynley Mysteries (2002)](https://ember.film/tv/1098)
- [Dalziel & Pascoe (1996)](https://ember.film/tv/3689)
- [Vera (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/36009)
- [The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries (1993)](https://ember.film/tv/19157)
- [Lynley (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/181292)
- [Inspector Morse (1987)](https://ember.film/tv/3306)
- [Dept. Q (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/161456)
- [Unforgotten (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/55562)
- [Prime Suspect (1991)](https://ember.film/tv/2455)
- [Grantchester (2014)](https://ember.film/tv/54792)

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