The so-called ‘cosy crime’ genre has experienced unprecedented growth over the past five years, with streaming services, broadcasters and production companies capitalising on what industry insiders describe as a seemingly insatiable global appetite for these lighter mystery series.
The numbers tell a compelling story: according to research outfit Parrot Analytics, the volume of new cosy crime titles reaching screens in 2025 is eight times what it was pre-2000, with the genre consistently outperforming its supply share within the broader crime category.
This surge in production has been driven by demonstrable audience demand across multiple territories and platforms. When Art Detectives launched on Acorn TV in June, it became the most popular series premiere of all time for the AMC Networks-owned streaming service. The success followed Acorn TV’s inaugural Murder Mystery May programming event, which delivered record viewership of more than 20 million hours of content watched for the first time in the platform’s history.
“In May, we absolutely leaned into what has been so much the focus of our programming and really gave our audience what we knew they loved and as much of it as we could,” explains Don Klees, Acorn TV’s senior VP of programming, about the record-breaking event, which will return next year.
The platform’s commitment to the genre extends well beyond seasonal events. Acorn TV currently houses numerous successful cosy crime franchises, including The Brokenwood Mysteries, now in its 11th season, Harry Wild in its fourth season, and Whitstable Pearl entering its third season. The Madame Blanc Mysteries has earned its own Christmas special, while The Chelsea Detective has secured a fourth season commission from both Acorn TV and German broadcaster ZDF.
“Supply may finally be responding to this demand,” notes Christofer Hamilton, industry insights manager at Parrot Analytics. “2025 is on pace to have the most new ‘cosy crime’ shows premieres yet.”
Netflix entered the space with The Residence in March, described by the streamer as a “screwball whodunnit set in the upstairs, downstairs, and backstairs of the White House.” The series achieved the position of second most in-demand cosy crime series globally this year, according to Parrot Analytics data, trailing only Disney Plus’s Only Murders in the Building.
The UK market has seen particularly strong activity. Death Valley, featuring Timothy Spall as a retired actor paired with a young detective, achieved “the biggest overnight audience for a UK comedy in five years” when it premiered on BBC One in May, according to Josh Cole, head of comedy at BBC Studios Productions. The series became the BBC’s second highest ranking comedy this year and second most watched comedy on iPlayer in 2025.
UKTV’s specialist crime channel U&Alibi launched Bookish in July, a period cosy crime series created by and starring Mark Gatiss as an unconventional antiquarian bookshop owner who assists police investigations. The first episode reportedly attracted 270,000 viewers compared to the channel’s 43,000 slot average, prompting commissioners to announce a second series before the first had completed its run.
UK terrestrial channel 5 has also invested heavily in the genre, premiering Murder Most Puzzling in June, starring Phyllis Logan as a puzzle writer who helps solve crimes. The broadcaster has additionally commissioned Death in Benidorm, a 6×60’ series about a former detective reluctantly drawn back into solving murders while running a bar in Spain.
International success stories demonstrate the genre’s global appeal. French-Belgian production HIP, which has been viewed by 280 million people across over 105 territories, achieved a 28.8% audience share on RTBF’s La Une channel in 2024, significantly above the channel’s 19% average. The show has been remade for ABC in the US as High Potential.
Similarly, French production Astrid et Raphaëlle has achieved “amazing success across major European markets as well as in English-speaking ones,” according to Julia Schulte, senior VP of international sales at France Télévision Distribution. The series was remade for Channel 4, becoming the broadcaster’s biggest drama of 2025.
Production data reveals the UK’s dominance in the genre, accounting for just under 40% of global output, followed by the US at 23%, then France and Australia at approximately 7% each.
The commercial appeal extends beyond initial broadcast success. Will Trotter, co-founder of Mill Bay Media and former executive producer of Father Brown, notes that the long-running BBC series “is in 230 territories around the world. So, it’s a massive seller.” The international appeal includes unexpected markets, with Chinese tourists reportedly arriving “by the busload to have their photographs taken outside the church in Blockley, in the Cotswolds” where Father Brown was filmed, says Trotter.
Tom Misselbrook, senior VP of scripted sales and development at Cineflix Rights, emphasises the genre’s commercial attractiveness to distributors: “We’re very much always on the lookout for cosy crime. We’re particularly living in an age of low risk with broadcasters and platforms looking for more tried and tested genres.”
The cost efficiency of cosy crime productions compared to other high-end dramas, combined with their ability to take advantage of international tax incentives in picturesque locations, has made them increasingly attractive to deficit financiers and international distributors seeking reliable, long-tail revenue streams through global sales and repeat broadcasts.
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