Lynley on BBC One: A 'new imagining' of the books with 'unconventional detectives' DI Lynley and DS Havers
They're from different worlds, and divided by class, but they make a solid detective duo!
Lynley is a brand new detective drama coming to BBC One in 2026. But when we say “new”, we mean it’s actually based on a classic series from 20 years ago. A brilliantly underrated one that you might not have heard of.
Leo Suter and Sofia Barclay lead the cast as unconventional detectives DI Tommy Lynley and DS Barbara Havers. The upcoming “contemporary update” of the mystery crime series is based on the best-selling novels by Elizabeth George.
Viewers of a certain age (cough, cough) might remember that the books have been adapted for the BBC before. And it was so successful, it ran for six series and 24 episodes.
Here’s everything you need to know about the “new imagining” of the hit crime novels, including plot, cast, start date, number of episodes, and latest news.
What’s the plot of Lynley on BBC One?
In the BBC One crime drama, viewers meet detective Tommy Lynley who is quite brilliant at what he does. However, he will perhaps always be considered an outsider in the force simply because he’s posh and Oxford-graduated, don’t you know?! Thanks to his aristocratic upbringing – he’s actually eighth Earl of Asherton – the other more working class police officers find him hard to accept.
DI Lynley is paired with Barbara Havers, described as “a sergeant with a maverick attitude and a working-class background”. Although they seem to have nothing in common, the mismatched duo of Lynley and Havers actually become a formidable team, bonded by their desire to see justice done.
Then there’s DCI Brian Nies, the astute, suspicious Senior Detective at Three Counties Major Incident Team. He has a problem with Lynley, too, but this aversion is partly born of his own insecurities about class. Oh, and partly because he knows he’s no longer the smartest person in the room.
Plus, he’s played by the ridiculously likeable Daniel Mays, so we’ll forgive him anything!
Where was it filmed?
Cast and crew including Leo Suter and Sofia Barclay filmed the crime drama in Ireland in August 2024. Filming locations included in and around Dublin.
The original Inspector Lynley Mysteries, starring Nathaniel Parker and Sharon Small, was filmed across London, Cornwall, Suffolk, and Kent. Exteriors for their HQ were filmed in Bircham Dyson Bell in London.
Who’s in the cast of Lynley on BBC One?
Leo Suter and Sofia Barclay star as the unconventional detective duo DI Tommy Lynley and DS Barbara Havers in the series.
London-born Leo Suter, 32, is not *quite* as posh as his character, but not far off either. He’s best known for playing Harald Sigurdsson in the Netflix series Vikings: Valhall, a role he played between 2022 – 2024. Leo is also famous for playing Drummond in Victoria, Daniel Beecham in Beecham House, Jack in Clique, and Young Stringer in Sanditon. More recently, he portrayed Nicholas Hale in The Girlfriend.
Like her co-star Sofia Barclay, 37, was also born in London alongside her twin brother. Her role in Lynley is arguably her biggest TV role, having previously appeared as Safiya Zamil in Prime Target, Dr. O’Sullivan in Ted Lasso, and Zarina in We Are Lady Parts.
Daniel Mays plays DCI Brian Nies. Of course, Line of Duty fans will know him as PS Danny Waldron in series 3, but he’s famous for his leading roles in Code 404, White Lines, and Mrs Biggs. He’s also appeared in A Thousand Blows, Moonflower Murders, Franklin, The Long Shadow, Temple, and Good Omens.
Holby City’s Niamh Walsh stars as Helen Clyde, an estate agent and Lynley’s former Oxford classmate whose romance with Lynley is sparked when their paths fatefully cross on a case.
This Is Going to Hurt’s Michael Workeye plays tech specialist Tony Bekele, while The Undeclared War’s Joshua Sher is forensic scientist, Simon St. James.
Who is stars in the crime drama?
The main stars are joined by an ensemble cast, including:
- The Spanish Princess’ Nadia Parkes as Sofia
- Marie Antoinette star Jack Archer as Frazer.
- The Bay’s Eloise Thomas as Cynthia.
- Red Eye’s Tom Forbes as Gareth.
- Ridley’s Oliver Wellington as Leo Hodgson.
- Cursed actress Sophie Harkness as Gemma Swift.
- Coronation Street’s Helene Maksoud as Susan Myerson.
How many episodes is it?
Lynley will be a four-part series, of 90 minutes long.
This is likely to fill the Sunday night drama slot. While feature-film length shows are common for ITV, such as Vera, Ridley, and Karen Pirie, this is actually rather rare for the Beeb.
Is the BBC One series Lynley based on a book?
The upcoming “contemporary update” of the mystery crime series is based on the best-selling novels by Elizabeth George.
The very first Inspector Lynley book was published in 2012, entitled A Great Deliverance. The most recent, A Slowly Dying Cause, was published in 2025, and was the 22nd book. So there’s plenty of options for more series.
Author Elizabeth George revealed: “I’m thrilled to see Thomas Lynley and Barbara Havers come to television again. Watching my characters brought to life on television is a real celebration.”
Writer Steve Thompson, who adapted the novels for TV, said: “It’s a privilege and a thrill to have the opportunity to adapt these wonderful books for television. Elizabeth George’s iconic characters are greatly loved and her gripping stories are smart and ingenious.”
Is Lynley the same story as The Inspector Lynley Mysteries?
The books have been adapted before. The Inspector Lynley Mysteries aired on BBC One from March 2001 to June 2008 (and is currently available to stream on BritBox).
It ran for six series and 24 episodes. Nathaniel Parker portrayed DI Lynley, opposite Sharon Small’s Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers. Sadly the series was dropped in 2007. Fans of the series mounted a campaign to save it starting a petition, but it wasn’t to be.
Sue Deeks, Head of BBC Programme Acquisition, said: “There is so much to enjoy in this new and exciting adaptation, both for fans of Elizabeth George’s gripping novels and of the BBC’s iconic The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, and for viewers yet to encounter the magnetic attraction of Lynley.”
When’s the start date? How can I watch it?
Lynley will start in 2026, most likely in the early months. It will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
The full series was released on BritBox in October 2025.
Read more: Top-tier dramas returning in 2026: From Doctor Foster to Sherwood and The Night Manager
