# Bancroft (2017)

> A senior British detective's explosive secret puts her career and relationships at risk in this dark, compelling thriller.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/65447

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 7
- Episode runtime: 60 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: crime, drama
- Created by: Kate Brooke
- Network: ITV1
- Cast: Sarah Parish, Faye Marsay, Adam Long, Charles Babalola, Linus Roache, Charlotte Hope, Amara Karan, Lee Boardman
- TMDB rating: 6.9/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6712476/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: mild
- Tone: dark, tense, compelling, paranoid, gritty

## Synopsis

Bancroft (2017-2020) is a British crime drama series created by Kate Brooke for ITV1. Sarah Parish plays Detective Superintendent Elizabeth Bancroft, a senior officer carrying an explosive secret that could unravel her career and personal life. Faye Marsay plays Katherine Stevens, Linus Roache plays Tim Fraser, and Adrian Edmondson plays Superintendent Cliff Walker, all woven around the detective's investigations and the pressures of hidden loyalties. The engine of the series is the tension between Bancroft's public duty and the private truth she must keep buried, as each case threatens to expose her. Across two seasons totaling seven one-hour episodes, the show moves through procedural police work, interview rooms, and corridors of power in contemporary England. Its tone is dark, tense, and character-driven, with a steady undercurrent of paranoia and moral unease. Fans of Line of Duty, Happy Valley and Unforgotten will find resonance in its British police setting, its morally compromised characters, and its slow-building dread. The series is a short, compact run that rewards close attention and suits viewers who enjoy grounded, secret-driven thrillers.

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