David Tennant’s 6 Best Crime Thriller Series, Ranked

Iconic actor David Tennant has had a stellar career, especially in the world of crime thrillers. Most of us grew up watching Tennant as the Tenth Doctor in Doctor Who, the role that made him a superstar, and that version of the character quickly proved that the actor was more than just a one-trick pony; he could make us laugh, cry, and scream in frustration, often all at the same time.

In the years since Tennant left Doctor Who (the first time) especially, he has also made quite the name for himself in crime drama and thriller TV shows. There are several great crime thriller series that are lucky enough to be held in such high regard because of Tennant’s involvement. If there’s a crime thriller starring David Tennant, then I’ve seen it, and while all of them are good in one way or another, only a select number can be considered his very best.

Honorable Mentions

There are a couple of titles that, while amazing, aren’t enough to be considered a David Tennant crime thriller masterpiece.

• Litvinenko (2022) – A gripping four-part miniseries based on the real-life events of the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko in 2006. While a fantastic watch that focuses on a crime, Litvinenko is more of a straight drama than a crime thriller.
• The Hack (2025) – Another addictive miniseries based on the real-life events of the News of the World phone hacking scandal in the UK in the early 2000s. Once again, while an amazing watch, The Hack‘s true story makes it more of a true crime drama than a crime thriller.

‘Gracepoint’ (2014)

Tennant Returns in the US Remake of ‘Broadchurch’

Fox

Ed Araquel/©Fox/courtesy Everett Collection

While not the best of David Tennant’s crime thrillers, Gracepoint is still a title worth talking about. The US remake of Broadchurch sees Tennant as the lead detective once again, but instead of Alec Hardy, his US counterpart is named Emmett Carver. Gracepoint received mixed reviews upon its release, and while critics agreed that it didn’t live up to Broadchurch‘s legacy, they had a lot of praise for Tennant and Anna Gunn, who plays Ellie Miller, rather than Olivia Colman, who portrays the original version of the character.

Having already played the character once, Tennant naturally does a fantastic job of slipping into the shoes of the gruff, somber detective, and it’s no surprise he went on to win Favorite Actor in a New TV Series at the People’s Choice Awards in 2015 for his portrayal of Emmett Carver. His rapport with Gunn is stellar, and he’s brilliant at keeping audiences on the edge of their seats, just like in Broadchurch, even if his American accent leaves much to be desired. However, Gracepoint is definitely one of Tennant’s weaker crime thrillers, but that’s because the British story in a US setting doesn’t quite translate the way you’d like it to.

‘Inside Man’ (2022)

A Father’s Love Knows No Bounds

BBC One

Inside Man is not your typical David Tennant crime thriller. Instead of playing some sort of detective or police-focused role, Tennant portrays a vicar who ends up in a difficult situation while trying to protect his son. The show jumps back and forth between Tennant’s Harry Watling and Stanley Tucci’s Jefferson Grieff, a former professor on death row for the murder of his wife, and that’s where a lot of the twists and turns come from. While Inside Man is a dark and psychologically thrilling story, the show is also somewhat of a dark comedy, which is a refreshing change of pace.

Tennant’s character isn’t a hero to begin with, but he quickly ends up a villain. The actor does an amazing job of translating Watling’s fears and paranoia, especially as a father, to the screen, to the point that it makes it hard not to resonate with him in some way or another. Considering how successful Inside Man was when it aired, it’s astounding that neither Tennant nor Tucci received any award nominations for their performances. However, as great as David Tennant is in Inside Man, the show falls into several genre categories, so it’s not exactly his best crime thriller specifically.

‘Deadwater Fell’ (2020)

Tennant Plays a Doctor You Absolutely Shouldn’t Trust

Channel 4

Deadwater Fell is a relatively unknown David Tennant TV show for US audiences, but an underrated hidden gem of a crime thriller if there ever was one. Tennant’s portrayal of Tom Kendrick, a doctor in a remote Scottish village who loses his wife and children to a raging house fire, is one of his most chilling performances to date. From start to finish of this near-perfect, binge-worthy miniseries, you’ll want to trust Tennant’s character, but you can’t; not completely, anyway.

Although Tennant had played antagonistic characters before this, Deadwater Fell‘s Tom Kendrick is one of his more notable villains. Off the back of Broadchurch, Deadwater Fell allowed Tennant to slip back into a story set in a small community rocked by a horrific incident, but this time, his character was defending his innocence, rather than being the person responsible for hunting the killer down. Deadwater Fell is a fascinating watch and a worthy recommendation for fans of crime thrillers, but four episodes aren’t enough to make it stand out as Tennant’s best crime thriller.

‘Time’ (2021-)

Tennant’s Three-Episode Run Steals the Show

The fact that Tennant is only in the most recent season of Time makes the fact that it’s one of his best crime thrillers even more impressive. Time is a British crime series that follows an anthology format, and Season 3 sees him as Bobby Bailey, a prison officer with a wealth of experience whose personal life triggers a crisis of confidence over everything he knows. Time introduces new characters to focus on with each season, and Tennant has taken over from some truly iconic British actors, including the likes of Stephen Graham, Sean Bean, and Jodie Whittaker.

Despite this, though, he still manages to steal the show. At the time of writing, Tennant has only starred in one three-episode season of Time, but he has swiftly become the face of the show. His chemistry with Siobhan Finneran as Marie-Louise O’Dell, the prison chaplain, is incredible, and watching Bailey slowly lose control as his marriage to Vinette Robinson’s Erica Bailey is nothing short of gripping. While Time is definitely one of Tenannt’s best crime thrillers, it’s not the very best, mainly because he’s not a part of the show from the very beginning. Still, the limited amount of screen time he has (in comparison to the rest of the show) proves how talented he is.

‘Des’ (2020)

Tennant’s Most Disturbing Role to Date

ITV

Des may just be the perfect example of David Tennant’s wide acting range. The British three-part thriller follows the true story of serial killer Dennis Nilsen, and at first, you wouldn’t be able to imagine Tennant playing such a role. However, his portrayal of the twisted murderer is nothing short of unsettling. Tennant shows off his prowess beautifully, adding another level of creepiness to the serial killer with every passing scene.

It’s incredible how many awards Tennant got for Des​​​​​​, but it’s even more surprising that he didn’t win every accolade he was nominated for. As varied an actor as Tennant is, it’s not unusual to picture him as the real-life bubbly and smiley person we know him to be when watching him play a character, but with Des, it’s a different story. It’s almost impossible not to see Tennant as Dennis Nilsen, which is what makes his chilling performance so amazing. Des is a brilliant series; it’s one of Tennant’s very best crime thrillers, even one of his best overall, but there’s one show that beats it for the top spot.

‘Broadchurch’ (2013-2017)

The Show That Made David Tennant a Crime Thriller Icon

Almost a decade after its end, Tennant’s first prominent crime thriller is still his best. Broadchurch allowed Tennant to deliver one of the strongest performances of all time, and it also marked a turning point for his career, truly stepping away from the legacy of the Tenth Doctor and into darker roles. Detective Alec Hardy is perhaps Tennant’s best character, too. Hardy has plenty of comical moments, which, amazingly, don’t offset his more dramatic ones. If anything, it makes those scenes where Hardy truly loses it even more impactful.

As great as David Tennant is in Broadchurch, it wouldn’t be fair to praise his performance without acknowledging Olivia Colman. Hardy’s rapport with Colman’s Ellie Miller is hilarious and moving, all at the same time. The way their relationship progresses throughout each of the three seasons is truly the driving force of the show, the heart of Broadchurch, if you will. Perhaps one day he’ll star in another show that overshadows Broadchurch, but for now, the show stands proudly as David Tennant’s best crime thriller.

Birthdate

April 18, 1971

Birthplace

Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland, UK

Birthname

David John McDonald