It’s arrived — your ultimate crime drama holiday watchlist. With the gifts wrapped and the festive chaos winding down, it’s the perfect moment to retreat, curl up and dive into a season packed with whodunnits, troubled detectives, and high-stakes intrigue from now into the New Year. Whether you’re craving cosy Agatha Christie vibes or a dark drama, there’s something here for every festive mood. Below is the full rundown of what to watch — and when.

A Man on the Inside, season 2 (Netflix, Available now)
Ted Danson returns as retiree-turned-undercover investigator Charles Nieuwendyk, this time embedded at Wheeler College. When the college president becomes the target of a mysterious blackmailer, Nieuwendyk steps back into the shadows to unmask the culprit — navigating academic politics, hidden motives and a campus full of secrets. Mary Steenburgen joins the cast for this sharply drawn, character-driven mystery.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (Netflix, 12 Dec.)
Daniel Craig returns as Benoit Blanc in Rian Johnson’s latest impossible puzzle, set in a small-town church with a dark past. A glittering cast of suspects — including Glenn Close, Josh O’Connor, Andrew Scott, Josh Brolin and Kerry Washington — keeps the mystery deliciously layered.

Murder in Monaco (Netflix, 17 Dec.)
A gripping true-crime documentary revisiting the mysterious 1999 death of billionaire Edmond Safra in his Monaco penthouse fire, with added context from the later Hélène Pastor case.

The Copenhagen Test (Peacock, 26 Dec.)
Simu Liu stars as an intelligence analyst who discovers he’s been compromised. Forced to walk a razor’s edge between his agency and the hackers targeting him, he races to find out who betrayed him — and why.

The Night Manager, season 2 (BBC, Prime Video, 11 Jan.)
Tom Hiddleston returns as Jonathan Pine in a long-awaited new mission set in the present day. With Richard Roper reportedly dead, Pine is dragged back into the shadows. Olivia Colman returns, alongside Camila Morrone and Diego Calva.

Red Eye, season 2 (ITV, 1 Jan.)
Jing Lusi returns as DS Hana Li with Martin Compston joining the cast for a fresh conspiracy thriller. Featuring returning stars Lesley Sharp and Jemma Moore, the six-part season dives into another high-stakes investigation — this time with even more turbulence.

Run Away (Netflix, 1 Jan.)
Netflix’s latest Harlan Coben thriller stars James Nesbitt as Simon, a father dragged into a dangerous world while searching for his missing daughter. Minnie Driver, Ruth Jones and Alfred Enoch co-star in this Manchester-set eight-parter.

Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials (Netflix, 15 Jan.)
Mia McKenna-Bruce plays Lady Eileen “Bundle” Brent in this lively, youthful take on Christie. When a prank turns deadly, Bundle’s sleuthing begins — mixing classic mystery with YA flair and a dash of Bridgerton charm.

Steal (Prime Video, 21 Jan.)
Sophie Turner leads this six-part heist thriller as Zara, an ordinary office worker forced by armed thieves to help steal billions from a pension fund. Archie Madekwe and Jacob Fortune-Lloyd co-star in this tense, high-octane story.

Memory of a Killer (Fox, 26 Jan.)
Patrick Dempsey stars as a man living two lives — photocopier salesman and contract killer — whose early-onset Alzheimer’s destabilises everything. When he suspects his wife’s death wasn’t an accident and his pregnant daughter is in danger, his double life collides with devastating consequences.

Gone (ITV, 2026)
Looking ahead: Eve Myles plays Detective Annie Cassidy, investigating a disappearance in Bristol. Her prime suspect? The missing woman’s husband, portrayed by David Morrissey. A tense new thriller from George Kay (Hijack).