10 best Acorn TV shows, ranked

Poppycock! Balderdash! Fiddlefaddle! That’s all that those uncouth other streaming platforms have to offer! Television fit for ruffians, brigands, and other such social undesirables. If you’re looking for a streaming platform with class, one with character and a stiff upper lip, you simply must lay eyes upon Acorn TV. Droll comedies! Confounding mysteries! British people! Acorn has it all. But what is the crème de la crème of the platform?

Here are the 10 best shows available to stream on Acorn TV (in the U.S.), ranked.

10. Foyle’s War (2002-2015)

If historical detective tales are your forte, by Jove, you’ve come to the right place, old chap! Foyle’s War is the story of Christopher Foyle, a taciturn detective fighting a war on crime in his coastal town of Sussex, all while World War II rages beyond the shores. If you’re a history buff, this show is certainly for you; Foyle’s War takes very few liberties to bring viewers a show that prides itself on historical accuracy and sleuthing thrills in tandem. Blackmailers, thieves, and murderers better beware because this shrewd detective is ready to Foyle their plans once and for all.

9. Des (2020)

Over his long and lustrous career, David Tennant has established himself as a geek sweetheart. With unforgettable roles in niche Shakespeare adaptations like the BBC’s Hamlet and decades-old favs like Doctor Who, Tennant has proved to be an irresistible charmer, establishing a rabid nerd-culture cult following in the process. In the dark drama Des, Tennant breaks from his endearing persona to transform into real-life serial killer Dennis “Des” Nilsen. The Scottish equivalent of Jeffery Dahmer, Nilsen murdered over a dozen men and boys over the five years he was active. Tennant’s bone-chilling, Emmy-winning performance as the killer in this three-part miniseries is not to be missed.

8. Agatha Raisin (2014-2022)

Agatha Raisin is the amateur detective British aunt we all wish we had. After retiring early and moving to a quaint little village in the country, Raisin fulfills her dream of becoming a sleuth with mixed results. If you’re looking for a grimdark British crime series about traumatized detectives toeing bloated bodies washed up on the dreary coastline, you’ve come to the wrong place. The first episode is called Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death and concerns Raisin’s efforts to win a local quiche baking competition with hilariously fatal results. Agatha Raisin is a fun, whacky, and ultimately heartwarming mystery series for people who want to stay on the sunny side of life.

7. Dalgliesh (2021-present)

One of the most popular series on Acorn, Dalgliesh is an adaptation of the best-selling detective novels by P.D. James. Like any self-respecting man of mystery, Adam Dalgliesh contains multitudes. He’s a widower, an award-winning poet, and the only man who can dredge up the dirty secrets of England’s 1970s criminal underbelly. If you’re looking for a cerebral, no-nonsense mystery set in the swinging days of British yesteryear, this most recent stab at James’ oft-adapted novels is not to be missed.

6. Delicious (2016-2019)

The plot of Delicious is as rich as the title suggests. The show revolves around a not exactly equilateral love triangle between celebrity chef Leo, his current wife Sam, who used to be his mistress, and his current mistress Gina, who used to be his first wife. Gina also happens to be a talented chef herself—so talented, in fact, that Leo stole all of his recipes from her before leaving her to start his new business based on her work. Things between the trio are as messy as a restaurant kitchen at closing time, and that’s before one of them drops dead. If you’ve got a palette for the romantic, the dramatic, and the slightly absurd, Delicious should be your first choice on Acorn’s menu.

5. Inspector Ellis (2024-present)

Inspector Ellis is a mighty miniseries based around the titular character played by Sharon D. Clarke, who you might remember as Grace O’Brien from Doctor Who. The three-episode story centers on Ellis as she travels around northern England, thawing out cold cases that have left small-town police freezer burned. Eschewing whodunnit wackiness for a gritty, realistic tone, Inspector Ellis puzzles the viewer with more twists than a country road yet also manages to carry an emotional weight. Guns and gore are nearly absent from this series, as many of Ellis’ battles are cerebral. She has to contend with hostile police and suspicious locals, all the while attempting to shed light on small-town secrets that some small-towners would rather keep in the dark.

4. Midsomer Murders (1997-present)

Midsomer Murders is a classic detective series that is, in many ways, the face of the British mystery genre. An ITV stalwart since 1997, Midsomer Murders has been running for over 24 seasons and doesn’t appear to be slowing down, with a 25th season on the way. Detective Chief Inspector John Barnaby—the original DCI Tom Barnaby’s cousin—sleuths about the wealthy county of Midsomer, untying the murder webs that tangle up its aristocratic populace. While the locals appear to be all class and character, their polished exteriors often hide nefarious ulterior motives. Blackmail! Betrayal! Murder! If it’s defined in a legal textbook, odds are someone in Midsomer County has done it, and Barnaby and pals are certain to find out why.

3. Dark Winds (2022-present)

Let’s move away from the Brits for a moment. Dark Winds is a rare gem, a mystery series centered around Navajo tribal police in the 1970s whose reservation has been rocked by an ever-worsening crime wave. Inspired by Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn & Chee novels, Joe Leaphorn, Jim Chee, and Bernadette Manuelito work together to bring justice to the criminal elements that are invading their community. The series is gritty and gorgeous, filmed near Utah and Arizona’s breathtaking Monument Valley, and serves up a crime story as harsh and deadly as its desert setting. Acorn might not be known for Westerns, but Dark Winds is boosting the streamer’s reputation already.

2. Murdoch Mysteries (2008-present)

When it comes to British crime series, Murdoch Mysteries is … wait … it’s CANADIAN!? But it has all the British mystery fixings! The Byzantine plots! The bone-dry humor! The bowler hats! Canada has woefully outdone England at her own game. Centered around charming sleuth William Murdoch, the forward-thinking detective embraces state-of-the-art forensic techniques such as fingerprinting and blood testing to put the kibosh on criminal capers in 20th-century Toronto. Perhaps the series’ most charming element is its ability to weave history into its narrative, featuring cameos from famous figures like Mark Twain and Nikola Tesla. Intelligent, intriguing, and effortlessly classy, Murdoch Mysteries proves that when it comes to making innovative detective series, Canada has been writing the book since 2008.

1. Killing Eve (2018-2022)

When it comes to modern-day crime capers, Killing Eve massacres the competition. From the mind of Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge comes the cat-and-mouse tale of bored MI5 intelligence agent Eve, whose passion for the job is rekindled after a run-in with charismatic Russian assassin Villanelle. The two women become tangled up in a web of mutual obsession as they chase each other across Europe, all the while contending with intelligence agents and rival assassins alike. Stylish, action-packed, and rife with queer undertones, Killing Eve is easily one of the best crime series ever put to streaming. While the show’s ending is divisive, the journey proves itself to be better than the destination episode after hair-raising episode.