Peter Capaldi’s Sleeper Apple TV Hit Is Becoming the Best Crime Thriller

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Criminal Record Was Initially Overlooked Season 2 Has Allowed The First To Build Traction It’s A Tight Thriller With Purpose Criminal Record

Apple TV might be the new home of premium television due to the high quality of many of its most recent releases. Apple has taken the streaming wars very seriously and has doubled down on its portrayal of some of the most popular genres, including Crime thrillers. Since the renaissance age of TV birthed Breaking Bad, platforms have been chasing that same audience with much nicher sub-genres.

However, with the sheer variety of programming available, it is no surprise that many of those high-quality narratives get overlooked. Peter Capaldi’s Criminal Record is certainly one of those projects. A crime thriller with so much potential and a new season recently released, it would appear that it is starting to gain the traction and credit it deserves. Now fans must await news on a third season, as Apple TV addresses the series’ future.

Criminal Record Was Initially Overlooked

In 2024, Apple TV+, as it was known at the time, released Criminal Record. The show consisted of 8 episodes and was released in weekly installments, as has become tradition with Apple.

The series had the chance to build momentum and tension, as audiences had to wait week-to-week to see how the drama would progress. There was a pretty firm following for the series early doors, but that notable viewership wasn’t able to spread further. Criminal Record is one of those really specific shows that doesn’t have the flash and the flare to perhaps hit the mainstream like contemporaries.

What’s interesting is that Apple allowed the show to lean into its cultural roots. This is a British production through and through, releasing during a period where the effect of Peaky Blinders, Top Boy, and other such series were still having an impact on the international perception of British TV.

In the UK, shows like Line of Duty, which touched upon similar themes, were also going through a high point, and thus this was a chance for the British to demonstrate what they do best. Crime thrillers come naturally to the nation, and the quality of this show was no different. Criminal Record was able to lean on some of the nation’s greatest talent in order to make the series really sing.

Again, while they might not be huge names that boost viewership, they are well-respected for their character work and are largely associated with thoughtful and nuanced performances. Doctor Who and The Thick Of It star Peter Capaldi and The Good Wife and Hamlet sensation Cush Jumbo were the leads of the piece.

They were joined by an exceptional ensemble which included the likes of Zoë Wanamaker, Stephen Campbell Moore, Cathy Tyson and Charlie Creed-Miles, all of whom were at the absolute top of their game for this high-endurance experience. The series was created by Paul Rutman, which is why the initial run being overlooked is such a fascinating display of how currency works within the streaming ecosphere.

Because Rutman has more than proven that his work before Criminal Record is enough for anyone to tune in to his latest outing. Inspector Lewis, Vera and The Deep show Rutman’s consistency and competency, although it is fair to say that it is Criminal Record that has taken the British veteran to another level internationally. Directors Jim Loach and Shaun James Grant were both the reliable hands needed to execute this concept with such precision.

Season 2 Has Allowed The First To Build Traction

Image via AppleTV+

Season 1 of Criminal Record adapted a familiar concept to the screen, but portrayed it in a way that added new depth and substance. The show is about two detectives, one who’s a veteran and one who is simply trying to make her career meaningful, in the early stages.

With one anonymous phone call drawing them back to a cold case, a murder that had divided opinion, the two clash and struggle with one another as they seek justice. It’s a slight spin on the traditional partner trope that audiences are familiar with, as that conflict between the two shapes some of the narrative.

Interestingly, Season 1 of Criminal Record averaged around 12.63 million viewers per episode. That is a phenomenal number and while Apple largely targeted the UK market in order to find an audience for it to appeal to, the international viewership that Criminal Record had produced was just as consistent.

It is no wonder that a second season of the series had been ordered and with a high critical consensus surrounding that initial outing, audiences were expecting something spectacular. However, it is the way that the show has come back to prominence that is most interesting.

It would seem that many of the British names and the overall concept weren’t enough for Criminal Record to go that one step further. That, despite the high-prestige storytelling happening here, the figures weren’t stable enough to match some of Apple’s other major franchises. Ted Lasso, for instance, tallied up billions of viewed hours for Apple, while Shrinking continues to bring its own notable viewership.

Yet, the release of Criminal Record’s second season has somehow reminded audiences of the brilliant first season and Jumbo and Capaldi’s immense performances. It’s natural for some to want to revisit the first season of Criminal Record, to get up to speed with what’s happening. That would partially explain why the series is beginning to chart again.

However, it would seem that the quiet buzz around the first series, coupled with its consistency in quality, has meant that new viewers are discovering Criminal Record for the first time. Apple TV wasn’t prepared to simply bury what came before. Instead, its decision to renew the show has allowed it to take on a new life of its own, as it finds a more diverse and varied audience.

It’s A Tight Thriller With Purpose

June Lenker stares at a suspect in Criminal Record

The beauty of Apple TV as a streaming service is that it fully commits to what it produces. Netflix, Disney and other competitors have a habit of canceling a show before it is ready. Viewers never come back to it because they know the story is going to end prematurely and there is no reason to revisit that material.

What Apple TV has done here is give the series a purpose, because a second season is going to continue that narrative. There is more reason to commit to Season 1 when Season 2 is said to be equally impressive. Criminal Record is the kind of show that viewers only need to see one episode of to be sold on, which seems like a strange assessment.

After all, it should be commonplace that the pilot episode of any series is the one that seals the deal. In the case of contemporary television, especially with the binge model taking over and long-term series needing to find their feet before they can run, a first episode isn’t always enough.

In some cases, streamers will release a couple of episodes at once to really sell the idea before drawing the rest of the season out. Although Criminal Record launched with 2 episodes at once when it first debuted, this was not necessary at all. Because from the very opening, the show is both tight and focused. It sets its premise up clearly at the top and creates a tone and style that is instantly accessible.

Viewers don’t need to be huge fans of the genre, but those who have followed other similar shows will be able to appreciate the work that has gone into making this just that little bit more special. Couple that with the gripping performances, and it’s no wonder the show is charting again.

Criminal Record’s sudden resurgence teaches a lot of lessons concerning the state of modern television. There is room for this kind of quality genre piece. Viewers will return to a show if it is given a chance to succeed. And the British are still at the very top of the game when it comes to creating crime thrillers.

Most of all, what Criminal Record demonstrates is that it is becoming undeniable. While Season 3 is unannounced at the time of writing, it feels almost certain that the cast and crew will get to continue the legacy of this show once more.