If you're looking for the best Acorn TV shows, look no further! Acorn TV specializes in bringing you gripping crime dramas and addictive mysteries that are sure to hook you in.
As with any other streaming service, sometimes it can be pretty tough to find exactly what you're looking for; perhaps you're a murder mystery buff and you need to find the next series to pick apart? If you're struggling to find your next favorite show, we've scoured Acorn TV's library to track down the best shows available on the streamer at the moment!
Please note: some content may not be available in all regions.
The best Acorn TV shows to stream right now
Signora Volpe
Signora Volpe is a lavish drama that mixes sleuthing, spying issues and a gorgeous Italian backdrop, starring Silent Witness legend Emilia Fox. She plays Sylvia, a former M16 operative who gets drawn into crime-solving when she visits her sister in a quiet village in Umbria, Italy.
The disillusioned spy is trying to start a new, slower-paced life but it seems that trouble simply follows her around. Try as she might, Sylvia can’t quite shake her innate sense of justice, and plain nosiness, so finds herself embroiled in some dark and compelling crimes. This series is written by Rachel Cuperman and Sally Griffiths, who worked together on Midsomer Murders. And great news for fans, Signora Volpe season 2 is on its way very soon.
Number of seasons: 2
Number of episodes: 6
Average episode length: 88-90 minutes
Harry Wild
The Irish mystery thriller stars Emmy and Golden Globe winner Jane Seymour as Harriet "Harry" Wild, a recently retired university professor who discovers she has a knack for solving crimes. She's also quite foul-mouthed and a whiskey-loving drinker!
The eight-part first season (there's now three seasons to enjoy) of the drama follows Harry as she finds herself at a crossroads after she becomes a victim of a mugging and decides to recover at the home of her police detective son, Charlie (Kevin Ryan). But once under Charlie's roof, Harry soon starts interfering in his latest murder investigation. Especially when she hooks up again with her mugger Fergus (Rohan Nedd) and they forge a bond that involves this oddly matched pair sleuthing together….
Number of seasons: 3
Number of episodes: 20
Average episode length: 50 minutes
What the critics say: The Irish Times: "Seymour has fun in the part"
The Chelsea Detective
The Chelsea Detective stars Gavin & Stacey's Adrian Scarborough as Detective Inspector Max Arnold alongside Sonita Henry as Max's colleague DC Priya Shamsie. Max and his colleague DC Priya, are very down-to earth and don't quite fit in with the well-heeled residents of London’s most prestigious borough. In fact, most days DI Max Arnold, the son of a local bookshop owner, can be spotted tending to the plants on his houseboat just yards from some of the most valuable real estate in Europe.
Max is just getting back on his feet after separating from his wife, art dealer Astrid, played by Anamaria Marinca, yet his determination and quick mind make him the perfect person to dig deep into the dark underbelly of deprivation, violence, greed and murder that lies under the shiny façade of Chelsea’s glamour. He will leave no stone unturned to root out the truth and bring those responsible to justice, regardless of their wealth or status.
Number of seasons: 2
Number of episodes: 12
Average episode length: 88-90 minutes
Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders needs no introduction. The show was first broadcast in 1997 and has remained a popular British crime drama ever since.
Based on the Chief Inspector Barnaby novels by Caroline Graham, the show sees DCI Tom Barnaby (and his later successor, John Barnaby) tackling an endless stream of murders in the picturesque, fictional English county of Midsomer. Midsomer Murders is well known for being an easy watch as it mixes creative murder methods with mixing a light-hearted nature with dark humor.
Although our UK readers will find the complete collection on ITVX, in the US Acorn TV is the place to go for all the seasons.
Number of seasons: 24
Number of episodes: Over 100!
Average episode length: 89-102 minutes
What the critics say: The Guardian wrote: "Midsomer Murders does murder in an entertaining way. The reasons for the crimes, the acting, the characters and the methods of the deaths are larger than life."
Whitstable Pearl
Whitstable Pearl is a crime drama based on a series of novels by Julie Wassmer. Set in the titular town of Whitstable in England, this Acorn Original follows local celebrity Pearl Nolan (played by Kerry Godliman) who runs The Whitstable Pearl, a successful seafood restaurant. She also runs her own private detective agency, but she's primarily used to dealing with small-time problems that are a far cry from the cases she used to work on when she was still a police officer.
When Pearl discovers the body of a close family friend tangled up in his own boat's anchor, the police rule it an accident, but she suspects foul play and begins looking into Vinnie's death herself. The plot thickens when a second body turns up, and Pearl teams with new-in-town DCI Mike McGuire to get to the bottom of things. It's proved a big hit, and a third run is on the way...
Number of seasons: 2
Number of episodes: 6
Average episode length: 46-49 minutes
What the critics say: The AV Club said Kerry Godliman's performance "makes Pearl one of the most engaging detectives of the current TV landscape."
Agatha Raisin
Based on M. C. Beaton's comedy-mystery novels, Agatha Raisin sees Scottish star Ashley Jensen playing the frustrated PR agent-turned private detective in this light-hearted comedy-drama.
Agatha starts out by moving from London to the sleepy town of Carsely in the Cotswolds... where she swiftly becomes a murder suspect after entering the village's annual quiche-making contest!
Having solved the mystery of the so-called "quiche of death", Agatha begins fulfilling her lifelong dream of becoming an amateur detective as she gets to work solving a series of mischievous murders plaguing Carsely and the surrounding area.
Number of seasons: 4
Number of episodes: 20
Average episode length: 45 minutes (series 1), 90 minutes (season 2 onwards)
What the critics say: The Guardian called Agatha Raisin: "Campy, kitsch, silly and very fun... perfect wind-down telly."
Blood
Blood is an Irish psychological thriller created by Sophie Petzal (Hollington Drive).
This intriguing series sees Cat Hogan (Carolina Main) returning home to her small town in Dublin after receiving word that her mother— who was living with a long-term illness— has passed away after banging her head on a rock at the family home.
Although her death is ruled as an accident, Cat suspects foul play when she is haunted by flashbacks from her childhood and believes that her father, Dr. Jim Hogan (Adrian Dunbar) must have had something to do with it.
Blood is tightly-wound, full of suspense, and easily one of the best Acorn TV shows. Was Jim responsible for her death? And what other problems will come to light as the family's secrets slowly come to light?
Number of seasons: 2
Number of episodes: 12
Average episode length: 47-76 minutes
What the critics say: TIME Magazine said: "There are plenty of smart twists and the quintessential Irishness of the six-part show— from the emerald landscapes to the readings of Years poems— is a pleasure unto itself."
Manhunt
Manhunt sees Martin Clunes (Doc Martin) taking center stage as DCI Colin Sutton in this true-crime police drama which is available to stream on Acorn TV in the US (available on ITVX in the UK).
Based on the memoirs of the real police detective, the first series sees DCI Sutton on the hunt for the notorious serial killer, Levi Bellfield. In the second series, DCI Sutton is on the trail of a rapist who terrorised the elderly women of South London for 17 years.
Number of seasons: 2
Number of episodes: 7
Average episode length: 46 mins
What the critics say: The Independent described Manhunt as "superb, compulsive viewing."
Dalgliesh
This series, the latest adaptation of PD James' classic detective novels, sees us joining the cop (played by Doctor Foster's Bertie Carvel) in the 1970s where he is still coming to terms with the death of his own wife and grappling with a series of dark crimes.
Talking to us about playing the detective, Bertie said: "I hadn't read the books before the project so I came to it fresh. I had a good feeling about it. It's a period drama, but also a character study. What he's going through in his life, he's processing through the lens of his police work and his poetry."
Number of seasons: 2
Number of episodes: 12
Average episode length: 60 minutes
What the critics say: The Telegraph said: "Television executives may consider this kind of straightforward, unflashy whodunit to be old-fashioned, but viewers may disagree."
Dead Still
Dead Still is an Acorn Original set in Victorian Ireland that follows Brock Blennerhasset (played by Irish actor and comedian, Michael Smiley), a renowned Irish photographer who specializes in memorial portraiture; that is, he takes photos of the recently deceased.
Although he seems more comfortable around the dead than the living, Brock gets drawn into a criminal underworld after a series of murders begins to threaten his reputation and his livelihood.
Dead Still is part murder-mystery, part period drama, with a good amount of black comedy thrown in for good measure.
Number of seasons: 1
Number of episodes: 7
Average episode length: 45-54 minutes
What the critics say: Independent.ie said Dead Still "feels confident and fully-formed from the very first episode".
Bloodlands
Bloodlands is a gripping Irish police procedural executive produced by Line of Duty creator, Jed Mercurio. The series (available to UK audiences on iPlayer) follows veteran Northern Irish police detective, DCI Tom Brannick (James Nesbitt). Branncik is called to a crime scene bearing all the hallmarks of a mysterious assassin codenamed Goliath.
Tom believes Goliath was responsible for his own wife's death, and from there launches a reinvestigation into a case that's been left unsolved for more than 20 years. From there, the show becomes a cat-and-mouse game as Tom tries to close in on the mystery hitman.
Number of seasons: 2
Number of episodes: 10
Average episode length: 57 minutes
What the critics say: The Radio Times said: "An unpredictable thriller with all the hallmarks of a Jed Mercurio drama
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