Sheridan Smith will narrate ITV special Britain’s Favourite Detective

Sheridan Smith
(Image credit: Mike Marsland)

Who takes the crown for the nation's favourite investigator?

Sheridan Smith will narrate new ITV special Britain's Favourite Detective.

The one-off special will celebrate TV's greatest detectives, before revealing who the nation has crowned their favourite.

We're no stranger to crime dramas, with millions of us tuning into dramas fronted by detectives.

Sheridan smith

Sheridan Smith will narrate new ITV special Britain's Favourite Detective (Picture: Getty) (Image credit: Dave Benett/Getty Images)

These have included Arthur Conan Doyle's infamous Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot, and Line of Duty’s AC-12 in the modern era.

But with so many detectives captivating us, we're now invited to solve the mystery of who's the favourite and why.

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In Britain's Favourite Detective, Sheridan Smith will take viewers on a journey through some truly memorable moments.

We'll witness our beloved detectives solving some tricky crimes, through archive clips of iconic shows.

Benedict Cumberbatch Martin Freeman

Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman starred in BBC1's version of Sherlock. (Picture: Getty) (Image credit: Getty Images)

In addition, viewers will see some behind the scenes footage from their favourite crime dramas.

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Joe Mace Commissioning Editor, Entertainment at ITV said, “Crime dramas have played a huge part in our TV viewing, producing the most iconic and best loved television characters.

"Britain’s Favourite Detective celebrates these TV legends and gives viewers the chance to relive some of the best TV moments of the last five decades.”

David Suchet

David Suchet charmed viewers with his portrayal of Agatha Christie's Poirot. (Credit: Getty) (Image credit: Getty Images)

Sohail Shah, King of Sunshine Productions added, “For years, we’ve all enjoyed watching the foulest of mysteries being solved by the very, best sleuthing minds; it has been part of our collective TV lives.

"We’re so thrilled to give the audience the chance to see 25 of these classic characters, and to find out who they have voted as Britain’s Favourite Detective.”

Britain's Favourite Detective airs soon on ITV1.

Lucy Buglass
Senior Staff Writer

Lucy joined the WhatToWatch.com team in 2021, where she writes series guides for must-watch programmes, reviews and the latest TV news. Originally from Northumberland, she graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in Film Studies and moved to London to begin a career writing about entertainment.


She is a Rotten Tomatoes approved film critic and has a huge passion for cinema. She especially loves horror, thriller and anything crime-related. Her favourite TV programmes include Inside No 9, American Horror Story, Stranger Things and Black Mirror but she is also partial to a quiz show or a bit of Say Yes to the Dress