Keegan and Booth recommend what to watch after The Blame: it mirrors police misogyny

ITV’s new six-part crime series The Blame has dominated water-cooler chat this week — and not just for its plot twists. The drama’s unflinching look at a teenage murder and the culture inside a provincial police force makes it both compelling and, for many viewers, hard to watch.

Led by Michelle Keegan and Douglas Booth, the story follows detectives drawn into a complex investigation that ultimately forces scrutiny back onto their own ranks. At the centre is DI Emma Clare, who is depicted as one of the few willing to confront the force’s entrenched problems — including **misogyny** — a theme the series tackles very directly.

The show’s blunt approach has divided viewers and critics, but its timing matters: as debates about policing, workplace culture and how institutions handle sexual violence remain prominent in the news, The Blame puts those conversations in dramatic, human terms.

One recommendation that keeps coming up

When asked what to watch next, Booth pointed viewers toward Sally Wainwright’s Happy Valley, produced by Nicola Schindler. The suggestion isn’t just about taste — it’s about tone and subject matter. Both series centre strong female leads navigating violent crime, and both refuse to soften the emotional and moral consequences of what they investigate.

Happy Valley stars Sarah Lancashire as Sergeant Catherine Cawood, a West Yorkshire officer balancing local policing with a personal crusade against Tommy Lee Royce (played by James Norton), whom she blames for her daughter’s suicide. The series is raw, fast-paced and distinctly regional in voice — qualities that make it an easy follow-up for viewers who respond to The Blame’s intensity.

How the two shows are connected

The link between the dramas runs deeper than tone. The Blame’s production brought in Lisa Farrand as a police advisor for interrogation and investigation scenes — Farrand also advised on Happy Valley, and Wainwright’s character of Catherine Cawood was reportedly developed with her in mind. That real-world policing input helps explain the procedural authenticity both series aim for.

• Shared advisor: Lisa Farrand worked on both programmes, helping shape interrogation and search scenes.
• Thematic overlap: Both dramas confront institutional failings and spotlight the toll of violence on victims and investigators.
• Performance focus: Each series hinges on a powerful female lead — DI Emma Clare in The Blame and Catherine Cawood in Happy Valley.

For UK viewers, Happy Valley is available on BBC iPlayer; internationally it can often be found on streaming platforms such as Netflix. If you watched The Blame recently and need something that echoes its moral weight — but with a different narrative lens — Happy Valley is a logical next stop.

One practical note: both dramas are emotionally demanding. If you plan to binge both back-to-back, consider spacing them out — each asks a lot of its audience and rewards attention, not distraction.

In short, The Blame has reopened interest in gritty, character-driven British crime drama. For viewers wanting more of that uncompromising perspective, Happy Valley offers a natural and well-connected companion piece.

Jessica Morrison

Jessica Morrison is a seasoned entertainment writer with over a decade of experience covering television, film, and pop culture. After earning a degree in journalism from New York University, she worked as a freelance writer for various entertainment magazines before joining red94.net. Her expertise lies in analyzing television series, from groundbreaking dramas to light-hearted comedies, and she often provides in-depth reviews and industry insights. Outside of writing, Jessica is an avid film buff and enjoys discovering new indie movies at local festivals.