# Crime (2021 TV series)
**Crime** (also marketed as *Irvine Welsh's Crime*) is a British psychological crime thriller television series adapted from [Irvine Welsh](https://www.edgepedia.org/irvine-welsh)'s 2008 novel of the same name, starring [Dougray Scott](https://www.edgepedia.org/dougray-scott) as Detective Inspector Ray Lennox, an Edinburgh detective investigating the abduction of a schoolgirl while battling addiction and the aftermath of his own childhood trauma.[1](https://www.epguides.com/Crime/) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12759778) Welsh adapted the novel for television with his long-standing screenwriting partner Dean Cavanagh, and the six-part first series premiered on BritBox UK on 18 November 2021.[3](https://worldscreen.com/tvdrama/production-begins-on-irvine-welsh-adaptation-crime/) • [1](https://www.epguides.com/Crime/) A second series of six episodes followed on ITVX on 21 September 2023, bringing the run to 12 episodes of about 49 minutes each.[4](https://www.itv.com/presscentre/sites/default/files/2023-09/CRIME%20SERIES%202%20-%20PRESS%20PACK_0.pdf) • [1](https://www.epguides.com/Crime/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original run | Series 1 premiered 18 November 2021 on BritBox UK; series 2 dropped on ITVX and STV on 21 September 2023[1](https://www.epguides.com/Crime/) • [4](https://www.itv.com/presscentre/sites/default/files/2023-09/CRIME%20SERIES%202%20-%20PRESS%20PACK_0.pdf) |
| Format | 2 seasons, 12 episodes, about 49 minutes each; crime/mystery drama[1](https://www.epguides.com/Crime/) |
| Creators | Irvine Welsh and Dean Cavanagh, adapting Welsh's 2008 novel; directors James Strong and David Blair[5](https://www.screen.scot/binaries/content/assets/screen-scot/funding--support/support/cannes/cs-cannes-2022-brochure-a5_aw.pdf) |
| Lead cast | Dougray Scott as DI Ray Lennox, with Joanna Vanderham, Ken Stott, Jamie Sives, Angela Griffin, and John Simm[1](https://www.epguides.com/Crime/) • [6](https://www.britbox.com/us/season/Crime_S1_10108977) |
| Production | Buccaneer Media and Off Grid Film and TV; £500,000 accessed through Screen Scotland's Broadcast Content Fund[5](https://www.screen.scot/binaries/content/assets/screen-scot/funding--support/support/cannes/cs-cannes-2022-brochure-a5_aw.pdf) |
| Reception | IMDb 7.2/10 (about 7,800 votes); Rotten Tomatoes average Tomatometer 83%, Popcornmeter 57%; Metacritic season 1 Metascore 68[7](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12759778/ratings) • [8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/crime) • [9](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/irvine-welshs-crime/) |
| Status | Listed as canceled/ended after two series; Welsh said in August 2024 that a third series was held up by financial concerns at ITV[1](https://www.epguides.com/Crime/) • [10](https://www.britishtv.com/2024-british-tv-show-status-updates-a-g/) |
## Spoilers
### Premise
Series one centers on the abduction of seven-year-old Britney Hamil from an Edinburgh street. Lennox, the lead investigator, becomes convinced the girl was taken by Mr Confectioner, a serial killer responsible for the disappearance of several girls who was caught and imprisoned years earlier, and that the police convicted the wrong man. His superiors, including Chief Superintendent Bob Toal ([Ken Stott](https://www.edgepedia.org/ken-stott)), reject the theory, and the case pushes Lennox toward a breakdown as flashbacks point to abuse in his own childhood.[11](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/nov/18/review-irvine-welsh-tv-drama-dreich-plodding-deathly) • [12](https://www.itv.com/presscentre/media-packs/irvine-welshs-crime-0) The first episode closes with the girl's fate revealed on Calton Hill at the National Monument.[11](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/nov/18/review-irvine-welsh-tv-drama-dreich-plodding-deathly)
In series two, Lennox returns to Edinburgh Serious Crimes determined to prove he has recovered from the Confectioner case. When a former colleague is attacked and the assault is linked to a hushed-up attempted murder of a high-ranking establishment figure at a posh hotel, Lennox and the newly promoted DI Amanda Drummond ([Joanna Vanderham](https://www.edgepedia.org/joanna-vanderham)) find an Establishment cover-up blocking the investigation. The trail leads back to a violent incident on [Hogmanay](https://www.edgepedia.org/hogmanay) (Scottish [New Year's Eve](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-years-eve)) 1992, and the killer Lennox is chasing may not be the driving force behind the murders.[4](https://www.itv.com/presscentre/sites/default/files/2023-09/CRIME%20SERIES%202%20-%20PRESS%20PACK_0.pdf)
## From novel to screen
Welsh's 2008 novel is set primarily in Miami, where Ray Lennox flees after a harrowing child rape-murder case in Edinburgh. Welsh said the Miami setting proved too costly a prospect for producers until he built the series around the Edinburgh case itself.[13](https://rts.org.uk/article/irvine-welsh-crime-his-new-police-drama-blurring-thin-blue-line) Dougray Scott explained the change as practical: financiers struggled with a Scottish cop in Miami having flashbacks to Edinburgh, and the relocation allowed the series to explore Lennox's origin story. "Really the start of the novel is the end of our TV series," Scott said, adding that the adaptation expanded the characters' stories, especially the women's.[14](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-01-13-next-weekend-were-watching-crime-irvine-welshs-new-murder-series/?dm_campaign=inform&dm_medium=card-link&dm_position=6&dm_source=blocks-grid)
Welsh described the project as his first adaptation for television, after four of his novels had reached cinema screens, including *Trainspotting* (1996). He said he had been "banging on doors for years" to bring the detective novel to the screen, and argued that television's longer format let him "work novelistically."[13](https://rts.org.uk/article/irvine-welsh-crime-his-new-police-drama-blurring-thin-blue-line) He set out to subvert the procedural genre, saying he was uninterested in police "bureaucratic devices" and instead wanted to explore the psychology of officers in a serious crimes unit, where prolonged exposure to unspeakable acts gives even strong-willed detectives demons of their own.[13](https://rts.org.uk/article/irvine-welsh-crime-his-new-police-drama-blurring-thin-blue-line)
## Production and broadcast
Production began in Edinburgh and Glasgow in spring 2021, with the series produced by David Blair for Buccaneer Media and Off Grid Film and TV and directed by James Strong and David Blair.[3](https://worldscreen.com/tvdrama/production-begins-on-irvine-welsh-adaptation-crime/) Screen Scotland's Broadcast Content Fund contributed £500,000 to support filming across the central belt of Scotland and create opportunities for Scotland-based crew and talent.[5](https://www.screen.scot/binaries/content/assets/screen-scot/funding--support/support/cannes/cs-cannes-2022-brochure-a5_aw.pdf) The series was exclusive to BritBox UK at launch.[3](https://worldscreen.com/tvdrama/production-begins-on-irvine-welsh-adaptation-crime/)
On 21 March 2022, ITV commissioned a six-episode second series as an ITVX premiere, months ahead of linear transmission on ITV, with series one also receiving a free premiere on ITVX.[15](https://www.itv.com/presscentre/presscentre/presscentre/media-releases/itv-commissions-second-series-gritty-crime-drama-crime-itvx-starring-dougray-scott) Series two was shot in Scotland and added [John Simm](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-simm) as Gareth Horsburgh to the cast.[16](https://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/itvx-announces-cast-second-season-irvine-welshs-crime) • [6](https://www.britbox.com/us/season/Crime_S1_10108977) After broadcast, the series streamed on ITVX and STV in the UK and remained available through BritBox internationally.[17](https://www.justwatch.com/uk/tv-series/crime) • [6](https://www.britbox.com/us/season/Crime_S1_10108977)
## Reception
Critical responses to series one divided over how much of Welsh's style survived the adaptation. Lucy Mangan, reviewing for *The Guardian*, called it "a dreich and plodding affair" that played as a pedestrian police procedural for most of its run, though she noted the final episodes became more "exuberantly Welshian."[11](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/nov/18/review-irvine-welsh-tv-drama-dreich-plodding-deathly) Sean O'Grady in *The Independent* described the series as "as sharp, sardonic and grim as you'd expect" from Welsh.[18](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/crime-irvine-welsh-dougray-scott-b1959465.html) Anita Singh in *The Daily Telegraph* praised Scott's "incendiary" lead performance and the supporting cast.[19](https://www.tomsguide.com/entertainment/streaming/3-best-crime-thriller-shows-on-britbox-to-add-to-your-watchlist) Aggregated scores placed the series in generally favorable territory: a Metacritic Metascore of 68 for season one based on eight critic reviews, an average Tomatometer of 83% on Rotten Tomatoes against a 57% audience Popcornmeter, and 7.2/10 on IMDb from about 7,800 users.[9](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/irvine-welshs-crime/) • [8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/crime) • [7](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12759778/ratings)
Scott's performance earned recognition: ITV announced he had received an International Emmy nomination for Best Performance by an Actor for season one,[16](https://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/itvx-announces-cast-second-season-irvine-welshs-crime) while BritBox's marketing describes the role as "Emmy Award-winning."[20](https://watch.britbox.com/us/crime) A *Guardian* review of series two called it "as dark and twisted as [Luther](https://www.edgepedia.org/luther-tv-series)."[21](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/article/2024/aug/07/irvine-welshs-series-two-review-as-dark-and-twisted-as-luther)
## Aftermath
The episode guides list the series as canceled/ended after its September 2023 conclusion.[1](https://www.epguides.com/Crime/) Welsh has spoken about intentions for a third season; in August 2024 he said the third series had been held up by financial concerns at ITV following a downturn in advertising, leaving its future uncertain.[10](https://www.britishtv.com/2024-british-tv-show-status-updates-a-g/)
## References
1. [Crime (a Titles & Air Dates Guide), epguides.com](https://www.epguides.com/Crime/)
2. [Crime (TV Series 2021– ), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12759778)
3. [Production Begins on Irvine Welsh Adaptation Crime, TVDRAMA / WorldScreen (30 April 2021)](https://worldscreen.com/tvdrama/production-begins-on-irvine-welsh-adaptation-crime/)
4. [Crime Series 2 Press Pack, ITV Press Centre (September 2023)](https://www.itv.com/presscentre/sites/default/files/2023-09/CRIME%20SERIES%202%20-%20PRESS%20PACK_0.pdf)
5. [TV Series: Crime, Screen Scotland Cannes 2022 brochure](https://www.screen.scot/binaries/content/assets/screen-scot/funding--support/support/cannes/cs-cannes-2022-brochure-a5_aw.pdf)
6. [Crime S1 – Mystery, BritBox US](https://www.britbox.com/us/season/Crime_S1_10108977)
7. [Crime (TV Series 2021– ) – Ratings, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12759778/ratings)
8. [Irvine Welsh's Crime, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/crime)
9. [Irvine Welsh's Crime Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/irvine-welshs-crime/)
10. [2024 British TV Show Status Updates A–G, BritishTV.com](https://www.britishtv.com/2024-british-tv-show-status-updates-a-g/)
11. [Crime review – Irvine Welsh's first TV drama is a dreich and plodding affair, The Guardian (18 November 2021)](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/nov/18/review-irvine-welsh-tv-drama-dreich-plodding-deathly)
12. [Irvine Welsh's Crime – Series 1 media pack, ITV Press Centre (April 2023)](https://www.itv.com/presscentre/media-packs/irvine-welshs-crime-0)
13. [Irvine Welsh on Crime: his new police drama blurring the thin blue line, Royal Television Society (18 November 2021)](https://rts.org.uk/article/irvine-welsh-crime-his-new-police-drama-blurring-thin-blue-line)
14. [Next weekend we're watching: 'Crime', Irvine Welsh's new murder series, Daily Maverick (13 January 2022)](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-01-13-next-weekend-were-watching-crime-irvine-welshs-new-murder-series/?dm_campaign=inform&dm_medium=card-link&dm_position=6&dm_source=blocks-grid)
15. [ITV commissions second series of gritty crime drama, Crime, for ITVX starring Dougray Scott, ITV Press Centre (21 March 2022)](https://www.itv.com/presscentre/presscentre/presscentre/media-releases/itv-commissions-second-series-gritty-crime-drama-crime-itvx-starring-dougray-scott)
16. [ITVX announces cast for second season of Irvine Welsh's Crime, ITV Press Centre (10 October 2022)](https://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/itvx-announces-cast-second-season-irvine-welshs-crime)
17. [Crime – watch tv series streaming online, JustWatch UK](https://www.justwatch.com/uk/tv-series/crime)
18. [Crime review: Irvine Welsh's first TV series is as sharp, sardonic and grim as you'd expect, The Independent (18 November 2021)](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/crime-irvine-welsh-dougray-scott-b1959465.html)
19. [3 best crime thriller shows on BritBox to add to your watchlist, Tom's Guide](https://www.tomsguide.com/entertainment/streaming/3-best-crime-thriller-shows-on-britbox-to-add-to-your-watchlist)
20. [Watch Irvine Welsh's Crime, BritBox](https://watch.britbox.com/us/crime)
21. [Irvine Welsh's Crime series two review – as dark and twisted as Luther, The Guardian (7 August 2024)](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/article/2024/aug/07/irvine-welshs-series-two-review-as-dark-and-twisted-as-luther)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Scripted television and comedy series › Adapted and franchise screen series › Literary and classic serial adaptations › Thriller and crime adaptations*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license