# Unforgotten (2015)

> Two London detectives reopen decades-old cases of missing persons and murder, uncovering secrets that have long been buried.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/55562

## Facts

- Seasons: 6
- Episodes: 36
- Episode runtime: 46 min
- Status: Returning Series
- Genres: crime, drama, mystery
- Created by: Chris Lang
- Network: ITV1
- Cast: Nicola Walker, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Sinéad Keenan, Carolina Main, Jordan Long, Lewis Reeves, Pippa Nixon, Georgia Mackenzie
- TMDB rating: 8.4/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4192812/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: patient, melancholic, measured, tense, sincere

## What critics say

Viewers broadly acclaim Unforgotten as an elite British police procedural, prized for its slow-burn cold case investigations and strong character work, though its later seasons drew a softer response.

## Synopsis

Unforgotten (2015-present) is a British television crime drama created by Chris Lang for ITV1. Detective Chief Inspector Cassie Stuart (Nicola Walker) and Detective Sergeant Sunny Khan (Sanjeev Bhaskar) lead a London police unit that reopens historic cold cases involving missing persons, murder and long-hidden secrets. Each season follows the team as they revisit old files, interview aging witnesses, research suspects and chase leads that have gone cold for decades, while the detectives' own working relationship and personal lives develop alongside the investigations. Detective Chief Inspector Jessica James (Sinead Keenan) and Detective Constable Fran Lingley (Carolina Main) join the team's rotating roster across the run. The show is a patient, character-driven procedural rather than an action thriller, with no chases or serial killers, its atmosphere grounded, melancholic and quietly tense. Its emotional weight rests on how the past reshapes the present for victims' families and suspects alike. Fans of Shetland, DCI Banks and Vera will find resonance in its British police procedural tradition, unhurried investigations and humane tone. Set in contemporary London, it unfolds as a multi-season serialized investigation rather than a case-of-the-week format.

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