The critically acclaimed Belfast police drama Blue Lights has secured the number five spot in the list of the 50 best television shows of 2025, cementing its status as a standout piece of British television. Created by Declan Lawn and Adam Patterson, the series continues to captivate audiences with its precision-crafted storytelling and refusal to rely on tired cop show clichés.
A Thriller That Thrives on Rules, Not Rule-Breaking
In a genre often defined by maverick detectives bending the rules, Blue Lights distinguishes itself by being a strict adherent to police procedure. This commitment to realism, far from draining tension, becomes its primary source. Characters face serious consequences for stepping outside the lines; probationer Shane (Frank Blake) jeopardises his career with shady evidence gathering, while Aisling (Dearbháile McKinney) is suspended for a vigilante-style arrest.
The show's most terrifying moment in its third season exemplifies this. The ambush of a suspect convoy in episode five generates stomach-churning dread precisely because the officers, like Grace (Siân Brooke), are powerless, relying on correct procedure rather than Hollywood heroics. As the article notes, "Salvation will come (if it comes at all) from someone on the other end of a radio following procedure properly."
Mining the Long Shadow of History for Tension
Blue Lights is deeply rooted in the complex social and political landscape of post-conflict Belfast. The cocaine trade that drives the plot is explicitly linked to the legacy of the Troubles, with former combatants often moving into organised crime. The series powerfully conveys the "menacing ambient hum" of the past that continues to affect communities and the police force, who still check for car bombs.
This historical weight adds profound depth to the personal traumas of the officers at Blackthorn station. The show balances granite-hard realism—depicting severed arteries and desperate runaways—with earned moments of soft sentimentality, such as characters mourning their colleague Gerry. The emotional cost of policing in this environment is rendered with "real humanity."
A Despairing, Loving Portrait of a City
Since its launch in 2023, critics have struggled to find direct comparisons for Blue Lights. While it shares the procedural intensity of Line of Duty and the ensemble workplace dynamics of Hill Street Blues, it is increasingly drawing parallels with HBO's seminal series, The Wire. Like that show, Blue Lights constructs a detailed, characterful portrait of a city, examining dysfunctional systems through the eyes of those working within them.
Each season builds upon the last, enriching the world and its inhabitants—from the "flawed, likable 'Peelers'" with their tequila parties and Westlife fandom, to intelligence officers like Paul 'Colly' Collins (Michael Smiley) who view modern gangsters as more volatile than the paramilitaries of old. The series masterfully demonstrates that in this world, all the pieces matter.
