Blue Lights

Follows rookie police officers working in Belfast, a city in which being a frontline response cop comes with unique pressures and dangers.

Blue Lights (2023-present) is a British crime drama series created by Declan Lawn and Adam Patterson for BBC One. It follows a group of rookie frontline response officers working in Belfast, with Sian Brooke as Grace Ellis and Katherine Devlin as Annie Conlon at the center of the ensemble, alongside Nathan Braniff as Tommy Foster and Martin McCann as Stevie Neil. The engine of the series is the daily strain of answering emergency calls in a city where policing carries unique pressures and dangers. Each season unfolds across six hour-long episodes that mix standalone incidents with personal fallout that builds from one case to the next, following the officers as they juggle danger, procedure, and the weight of their own private lives. The setting is contemporary Belfast, where the lingering tensions of Northern Ireland's troubles still surface alongside organised and everyday crime. The tone is tense and grounded, with restrained, human storytelling that favours character over spectacle. Its realism and emotional honesty make it a natural fit for viewers who enjoy British police dramas such as Line of Duty, The Bill and Happy Valley, and anyone looking for a character-driven crime series with a strong sense of place.

Viewers and critics broadly acclaim Blue Lights as a tense, intelligent, and well-acted police drama that treats frontline policing in Belfast with realism and humanity.

• Line of Dutyshared gritty frontline policing, procedural realism, ensemble of officers under pressure
• The Billshared gritty frontline policing, character-driven ensemble, tense crime drama tone
• Happy Valleyshared grounded British police drama, emotionally grounded officers, tense community crime

Created by

Declan Lawn, Adam Patterson

Release Date

2023-03-27

Episode runtime

52 min

Rating

8.2 / 10 (145)

What is Blue Lights about?

Rookie frontline police officers navigate the pressures and dangers of policing in Belfast.

What is Blue Lights like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Blue Lights as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.

Is Blue Lights violent?

Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Blue Lights as moderate.

What did critics think of Blue Lights?

Viewers and critics broadly acclaim Blue Lights as a tense, intelligent, and well-acted police drama that treats frontline policing in Belfast with realism and humanity.

Which shows are like Blue Lights?

Shows with a similar feel include Line of Duty, The Bill, and Happy Valley.

How long is Blue Lights?

Blue Lights: 4 seasons, 24 episodes.

Is Blue Lights still running?

Yes, Blue Lights is still running.

Where can I watch Blue Lights?

In United States, Blue Lights streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Britbox Apple TV channel, BritBox, BritBox Amazon Channel, HBO Max.