Line Of Duty Star Adrian Dunbar Leads A Gripping British Detective Drama About A Retired Inspector Haunted By Tragedy — And The Mystery Series Crime Fans Shouldn’t Miss

by

Inside Ridley: Unpacking ITV’s Atmospheric, Music-Laced Detective Drama

If you look past generic marketing hype trying to package every standard regional police procedural as a gritty masterpiece, you are looking at Ridley, the hit ITV detective drama created by Paul Matthew Thompson and Jonathan Fisher, starring Line of Duty icon Adrian Dunbar.

The Setup: Early Retirement, Consultant Cases, and a Jazz-Infused Escape

Moving away from fast-paced, high-tech urban crime units, the narrative anchors its moody mysteries in the windswept expanse of the Pennine moorlands and traditional policing dynamics:

Ridley review | Adrian Dunbar plays detective in Vera-esque series | Radio Times

  • The Battle-Worn Consultant: Following the tragic arson-attack deaths of his wife and daughter—a devastating trauma that fractured his career—Detective Inspector Alex Ridley (played by Adrian Dunbar) is pulled out of retirement as a freelance police consultant.
  • The Former Protegée: Ridley is brought back into the fold by his former protégée, DI Carol Farman (played by Bronagh Waugh), who now runs her own team and frequently relies on Ridley’s unorthodox instincts, deep investigative experience, and sharp psychological reads.
  • Complex Local Investigations: Operating out of the Copelton district police force, Ridley and the team tackle tangled murder cases, cold-case secrets, and high-stakes local conspiracies that weave through isolated rural communities, luxury estates, and underground scenes.

    Ridley cast: Characters and actors in Adrian Dunbar detective series | Radio Times

Key Cast & Creative Approach

  • Adrian Dunbar’s Melancholic Lead: Dunbar brings a world-weary, soulful gravitas to Alex Ridley—balancing his hard-boiled investigative skills with a signature passion for jazz singing and piano playing at his friend Annie Marling’s local bar.
  • A Strong Ensemble Core: The series is bolstered by standout supporting turns from Bronagh Waugh, Terence Maynard as DCI Paul Goodwin, George Bukhari as DC Darren Lakhan, and Julie Graham as Annie Marling.
  • Atmospheric Regional Noir: Rather than relying on flashy action sequences, the show leans heavily into moody rural landscapes, slow-burn emotional stakes, and classic whodunnit plotting across its multi-episode cases.

    Ridley review – a great return to policing for Adrian Dunbar (but he won't stop singing) | Television | The Guardian

The Verdict

While streaming guides and network blurbs love to throw around cozy-crime buzzwords, Ridley is a stylish, character-driven, and comforting yet twisty British detective drama that gives its lead actor ample room to shine both as an investigator and a jazz crooner.